Harrison Township School District receives state certification, recognition for innovative learning within elementary classrooms
At last week’s Board of Education meeting, Harrison Township School District Superintendent Missy Peretti announced distinctions and recognitions for Harrison Township School and Pleasant Valley School, commending the efforts in providing innovative and top-notch education to students.
While being named as a Google for Education Reference District in April, both elementary schools within the district were recently certified as Future Ready Schools in the state, as well as PVS being named a 2017 New Jersey School to Watch by The National Forum.
According to a release, the Google for Education Reference District distinction was earned through an invitation-only application process, requiring a presentation addressing the seven elements of transformation defined by the Google for Education Transformation Center: vision, culture, technology, training and professional development, teaching, learning and assessment, funding and sustainability, and community outreach.
Google for Education Reference Districts are districts that “demonstrate excellence and thought leadership through the innovative use of technology … to drive impact and positive learning outcomes.” Examples of the technology used within the classroom include G Suite for Education and Chromebooks. At the time, Harrison Township School District joined 11 other districts within the state and 84 across the country, showcasing the badge of excellence.
More recently, a team of educators from the state considered the district’s leadership, educational and classroom practice and technology and support services, determining its certification as a Future Ready School in New Jersey. According to the Future Ready Schools website, www.frsnj.org, the certification program promotes “digital learning readiness” by providing “guidance, support, direction and resources” to schools and districts. Originating out of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the program targets approximately 2,500 K-12 schools with 1.4 million students in the state.
After being named a 2017 School to Watch in New Jersey, an initiative operated by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, the district administration and staff has organized a visit to Pleasant Valley School on Oct. 28 for more than 11 districts from the surrounding area.
“We have invited a number of school districts from the area to come in and see all of the exciting things that are happening, specifically in the PVS design studio, and what’s happening in academic classrooms on a daily basis with our students,” Peretti said. “This is our first opportunity for some really strong professional networking that Schools to Watch allows us.”
According to its website, www.middlegradesforum.com, Schools to Watch identifies schools across the U.S. that demonstrate academic excellence, are developmentally responsive, are socially equitable and who establish “norms, structures and organizational arrangements” to sustain excellence.
“Thanks to every single one of the professionals in the classrooms in this district. They looked at what we are doing educationally for all three of these accolades we received,” Peretti said. “This is another exciting step for Harrison; it brings us to a new level, which is certainly what we’re after and what we’ve earned in the classrooms through the work with our students.”
In other news:
The district has distributed an initial survey to collect feedback from families who would be directly impacted by kindergarten, either full day or half-day. Families of children ages 4 or younger, or who plan on having school-aged children in their home within the next five to seven years, are asked to complete the survey found at www.surveymonkey.com/r/YF8CXCG, or visit the district website at www.harrisontwp.k12.nj.us. For more information, contact (856) 478–2016.
According to Peretti, results will be shared at the Oct. 23 meeting.
