Purpose: This study explored school administrators' perceptions and experiences in planning and implementing recess policies and practices in New Jersey middle schools. Method: A total of 168 surveys and 19 semistructured interviews were conducted on school administrators. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Semistructured…

The United States of America has seen a decline in the number of individuals pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM. With an understanding that in order to stay competitive in the global economy, the United States must enhance its pipeline towards STEM disciplines. Schools must find a way to motivate and…

Local New Jersey school districts must comply with a state requirement for providing a legally defined "thorough and efficient" (T & E) education. This process may be assisted by the formation of committees. Seven basic committee types are recommended in this document: steering, contextual information, goal development, educational…

The process for providing a "thorough and efficient" (T & E) education according to New Jersey statutes and regulations involves six basic steps. This document suggests procedures for handling the second, third, and fourth of these steps: setting objectives and standards for education according to goals established by and for the…

If professional learning communities offer opportunities for improving the teaching and learning process, then developing strong professional development school (PDS) partnerships establish an appropriate framework for that purpose. PDS partnerships, however, can be less than effective without proper planning and discussion about the aims of those…

The System for Trenton's Educational Planning (STEP), a set of procedures for strategic planning, is described. The background to the project and the desired goals which led to STEP are reviewed, and the major components of the annual planning cycle, including assessment, base case planning, policy formulation, project design, simulation of…

This publication presents and discusses the program priorities identified by 63 program managers from 10 of the 11 divisions of the New Jersey State Department of Education. The individual program priorities were prepared in response to eight overall objectives established by the State Commissioner of Education. For the purposes of analysis, the…

The New Jersey Department of Education conducted a national search for existing materials and procedures related to one or more of the following categories: goal-setting procedures, objectives and existing banks of objectives, assessment procedures, guidelines for program selection, and evaluation of program effectiveness and efficiency. This…

This state plan identifies New Jersey Department of Education activities for assisting local school districts in designing educational programs to meet the needs of intellectually and academically gifted students. The plan begins with an identification of needs in the area of gifted education, focusing on the need for multiple measures for student…

This document contains the following "Abbott Opinions": (1) "Early Childhood Education"; (2) "Adequate School Facilities"; (3) "Supplemental Programs and Whole School Reform in Elementary Schools"; (4) "Supplemental Programs in Middle and High Schools"; and (5) "Planning Programs and Budgets…

Research for Better Schools, Inc., has been working with local education agencies (LEAs), intermediate service agencies (ISAs), and state education agencies (SEAs) to bring about career education impact in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Their strategy includes three essential elements: assist LEAs in planning and implementing career…

The conference provided a forum where educators, members of public service organizations, members of the citizen education component of Research for Better Schools (RBS), representatives from industry and community groups, and representatives of the New Jersey Citizen Education Planning Committee could explore citizenship education in light of the…

Designed to help South Jersey school districts address the vocational developmental needs of their secondary gifted students, the Vocational Guidance/Instructional Program for Gifted/Talented Vocational Students (Project VGIP) involved a flexible consortium and development of a handbook of vocational counseling and teaching strategies for gifted…