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Toms River board members say they were not consulted on draft district goals as curriculum updates are presented
Summary
Staff presented proposed district goals and K–12 curriculum updates tied to 2023 state standards while a board member said the draft was new to the board and lacked collaboration; staff said existing materials meet the new standards and outlined planned teacher supports.
Presenter said the district was presenting a final draft of five goals for 2024–25 centered on student achievement, culture and climate, budget and facilities, and community partnerships, and described the district's professional development plan to support those goals.
A Committee member responded that the board had not been consulted. “This is the 1st time seeing these. And there's been 0 collaboration,” the Committee member said, adding that the committee usually provides input on goals at earlier meetings.
The Presenter said the draft had been developed by staff and previously discussed in committee work and that the board could provide feedback moving forward. “We're bringing them up … you can provide feedback, and then we can go from there,” the Presenter said.
Curriculum staff outlined revisions to K–12 ELA and math documents to reflect the 2023 state standards, noting that many changes are language clarifications and that interdisciplinary standards were incorporated across subjects. Staff emphasized K–5 foundational skills (phonics and foundational writing) and said measurement has been reframed as "measurement and data literacy," with visual models for fractions now expected.
On instructional materials, a Staff member said the district's current resources largely meet the revised standards: “Our materials that we currently have meet the the standards and the rigor,” the Staff member said, and added that the district had worked with vendors and curriculum associates to obtain specific units for any gaps.
A Committee member asked how climate change content would be included; curriculum staff said the subject is woven across content areas and called out QSAC documents where climate-related standards had been highlighted for review. Staff also said they would post the professional development plan and related documents online and circulate a memo to staff before the start of the school year.
The board did not take a vote on the goals at this meeting; staff and board members agreed to further review and provide feedback before any formal adoption.
