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Curriculum team reports lower chronic absenteeism and pilots Kaplan real‑estate prelicensing at High School South
Summary
District curriculum staff reported midyear declines in chronic absenteeism at elementary and improvements on midyear diagnostics; they also announced a Kaplan pilot offering a 75‑hour New Jersey real‑estate prelicensing course priced at $164.50 for eligible high‑school students.
Curriculum staff presented a midyear data review showing improvements in attendance and student growth across grade levels and described a new career pathway pilot for high school students.
Rich, a district curriculum staff member, defined the district’s chronic absenteeism metric and highlighted declines at the primary level: “chronic absenteeism has to do with students that have missed 10 percent or more of the school year,” and presenters pointed to a drop in kindergarten chronic absenteeism from about 38% in 2022‑23 to roughly 21% in the current reporting window. Board members asked how the metric is calculated and presenters explained it tracks the percentage of the student population approaching the attendance threshold (for example, nine absences at midyear on a 180‑day schedule).
On assessments, presenters said most grades met or exceeded midyear i‑Ready and IXL growth benchmarks (presenters cited a district midyear target near 52% on i‑Ready and demonstrated grade‑level growth using IXL and other diagnostics). Curriculum staff said targeted interventions include explicit instruction in tier‑2 vocabulary and morphology for ELA and focused domain work (geometry, algebraic thinking, number operations) in math, plus small‑group math interventions for students several grades behind.
Staff also announced a Kaplan partnership to pilot a New Jersey real‑estate prelicensing course at High School South: “students could take an asynchronous 75 hour pre licensing course through Kaplan,” and the district will offer it at a 50% discount so the course cost to families would be $164.50. Students 17 and older may enroll and take the state certification exam when they turn 18. The district plans to pilot the course with business‑academy students this spring and, if successful, expand access next year.
Next steps: curriculum staff will continue to monitor midyear diagnostics, implement targeted interventions ahead of NJSLA testing, and work with guidance counselors to publicize the Kaplan pilot to eligible students and families.
