Rochelle Park Board to develop district improvement plan after NJQSAC Instruction score falls short

The Rochelle Park Board of Education learned Oct. 29 that the district did not meet the state standard for Instruction & Program under the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) and will enter a district improvement plan subject to county and state monitoring.

Superintendent Dr. Sue DeNobile told the board that the district’s NJQSAC evaluation, conducted in March, yielded 100% in Governance, Personnel and Operations and 98% in Fiscal Management, but a 78% score in Instruction & Program — below the required 80% threshold. She said the shortfall was driven largely by the achievement subscore, which the district reported as 34%. Dr. DeNobile cautioned that small cohort sizes and parent test opt-outs can materially affect percentages in the district’s small enrollment.

Board members approved the submission of the School Self-Assessment for Determining Grades under the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act during the meeting (resolution A1). Dr. DeNobile said the next steps will include presenting a district improvement plan to the county office and then to the state; the district will be monitored for approximately six months to a year.

The superintendent emphasized that increasing student participation in state assessments and targeted instructional interventions will be priorities to raise achievement measures. Director of Curriculum & Instruction Cara Hurd earlier presented spring NJSLA results and noted that a small number of students or opt-outs can swing percentages in a small district.

The board did not adopt a specific set of instructional interventions at the meeting; Dr. DeNobile said she would return with a detailed plan and additional discussion at the November board meeting.

Next procedural step: the district will submit the improvement plan to the county office and the state for monitoring; the board will review proposed interventions at its next meeting.