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Toms River presents final draft of district goals, K–2 curriculum and SGO guidance
Summary
District staff presented five draft district goals, a professional development plan, NJDOE guidance pausing new SGOs for many tenure teachers, and K–2 curriculum revisions aligning to 2023 ELA and math standards; staff asked the board to review and provide feedback before any final approval.
District administrators presented a final draft of five district goals, the 2024–25 professional development plan and proposed K–2 curriculum updates at the Board of Education committee meeting on Aug. 1.
The presenter said the goals center on student achievement, culture and climate (specifically reducing chronic absenteeism and improving behavior), budget and facilities, community partnerships and professional development. The PD plan lists activities and target groups connected to those goals and will be posted online for board and staff review.
On teacher evaluation, administrators briefed the board on a May 22 NJ Department of Education bulletin: for the 2024–25 year the department will temporarily pause collection of new Student Growth Objectives (SGOs) for tenured teachers and instead roll forward 2023–24 SGO scores for those teachers. "Only teachers in their first year of employment, teachers without a prior SGO record, and non‑tenure teachers need to create SGOs this year," the presenter said; staff will distribute an FAQ and a memo to teachers in late August.
Staff also reviewed K–2 and elementary curriculum revisions that align district documents with the 2023 ELA and math standards. Key changes cited include an increased emphasis on foundational reading and writing skills (including phonics), a shift from "measurement and data" to "measurement and data literacy," a requirement that students use visual models for fractions, and streamlined language to remove redundancy. The presenter said existing classroom materials largely meet the new expectations and that some specific missing units were provided via Curriculum Associates rather than by adopting new whole‑text adoptions this year.
Board members asked how climate change content would be handled. The presenter said climate change standards are incorporated across subjects and highlighted curriculum crosswalks with green marking to show where the topic has been added. When one board member said they had not been consulted on the draft goals, the presenter responded that the committee presentation was intended for review and feedback, not immediate approval.
Staff reported 18 approved option‑two requests across the three high schools for 2023–24 (13 unique course requests), most commonly for credit recovery and course advancement. Administrators also distributed the district's guidance and counseling program plan describing counselors' academic, career and social development responsibilities.
The materials will remain available for board review; staff asked members to provide feedback so any needed revisions can be brought back to the board for consideration.
