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Superintendent highlights strong learning rates and lays out district goals, plans for an education foundation
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Garabedian presented the district’s 2025–26 goals—student achievement, career/technical education, facilities/finance, technology and community—and cited a Stanford Equal Opportunity Project analysis showing Colts Neck students averaged about 1.24 grade levels of learning per year (2022–2025). The board asked administration to publish a summary for parents.
At the May 20 meeting Superintendent Dr. Garabedian presented a year‑end overview of the district’s five strategic goals and cited external analysis showing above‑average academic learning rates for Colts Neck students.
The presentation grouped district work into four pillars—learner, future (career and technical education), environment (finance/facilities) and community—and described specific initiatives and evidence of progress. Academic highlights included growth measured by MAP and DIBELS, targeted interventions (ST Math, multi‑lingual learner supports, lesson sets for special education use), and literacy gains tied to adoption of new reading and writing programs. Dr. Garabedian noted measured growth examples such as MAP‑reported gains in specific grade bands and DIBELS improvements from fall to winter.
The superintendent also summarized a report from the Equal Opportunity Project (Stanford University) titled Trends in Academic Performance, which district materials showed compared Colts Neck performance from 2009–2025. Key figures presented: during 2022–2025 Colts Neck students averaged about 1.24 grade levels of learning per year versus a national average of 1.0; the district’s learning‑rate trend has increased by roughly 0.20 grade levels per year since 2022. Dr. Garabedian told trustees she would provide a parent‑facing summary and board members encouraged publishing the finding in the district newsletter and website.
On technology, the superintendent outlined next steps on screen‑time policy, personal internet‑connected device rules, digital citizenship and planned consideration of AI tools at age‑appropriate grade levels. Finance and facilities updates recapped success securing a $68,700 recreation grant for primary school floor work, a $3,400 continuation focus grant for early literacy training, and ESIP progress; administration noted the district uses Title I/II/III/IV, impact aid and competitive grants to supplement programs. The superintendent also outlined the plan to launch a Colts Neck Education Foundation (a 501(c)(3) partner) to generate community financial support for programming and teacher resources.
Board members repeatedly commended teachers and administrators; several trustees asked clarifying questions about assessments, the curriculum/resource distinction and next steps for publishing the Stanford/EOP findings. The superintendent and board agreed to produce a clear summary for parents and to post the report materials on the district website.
What happens next: Administration said it would publish digestible highlights of the report to the community and continue work on the policy manual and device policy with a planned board appearance on June 3 for finalization of remaining items.
