2012-2013 Annual Report

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FRHSD Schools Innovative & Comprehensive Programs Comprehensive Educational Program The Freehold Regional High School District offers a variety of programs to allow students to reach their highest academic potential and prepare them for success in achieving their postsecondary goals. Learning Centers and Academies Our Learning Center and Academy programs continue to provide opportunities for students to engage in academic study related to their individual interests and abilities. We offer twelve magnet programs focused on particular topics, ranging from humanities and law to medical sciences and engineering. By joining one of these unique learning communities within our six high schools, students have access to advanced level courses, including Advanced Placement and college level classes. Students also engage in real-world activities with recognized experts in fields related to each program. Students in these programs distinguish themselves on national and global stages. They earn millions of dollars in scholarships, place at the highest levels in competitions, and attend the nation’s best colleges, universities, and trade schools. Competition to enter our learning centers and academies is quite high. Each year there are over 2,000 applications for the 400 available seats. The highly competitive application process is the result of our exceptional programs. During the 2012 -2013 school year, over 1,300 rising 9th graders filed applications. Special Services The Freehold Regional High School District is committed to the principles established by both the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEIA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as these acts support the educational experiences of students. FRHSD offers a continuum of program options and specialized services are offered to meet the social, emotional, and educational needs of students with disabilities within the least restrictive environment. Ea ch of the high schools offer special programs designed to accommodate individual student needs, talents, and interests. Knowledgeable and caring professionals are hired and trained to support our diverse student population, to enable students to reach their full potential. Our high schools’ child study teams, related service specialists, guidance counselors, and teachers plan collaboratively with students and families to pursue students’ short and long -term academic and career goals. Transition planning and goal setting are essential to a student’s program plan and are realized through educational and post-secondary planning activities throughout their high school career. Guidance & Counseling Services The Freehold Regional High School District’s school counseling staff members provide quality comprehensive services to students throughout their high school career. Our professional staff offer and coordinate multiple programs and activities that address the unique developmental as well as emergent needs of each student. The department’s initiatives, programs, and activities highlighted include: Counseling Curriculum: The counseling curriculum contains structured developmental lessons designed to assist students in achieving the desired competencies and to provide all students with the knowledge and skills appropriate for their developmental level. The counseling curriculum is infused throughout the school’s overall curriculum and is presented systematically through classroom and group activities. Individual Student Planning: School counselors coordinate ongoing activities designed to assist students individually in establishing personal goals and in developing future plans. Responsive Services: School counselors provide professional responsive services whenever they are necessary to address urgent student issues. These services include counseling, consultation, referral, or other supportive measures necessitated by life events or conditions that impact our students. Career Planning: School counselors initiate a series of learning experiences that foster career awareness, facilitate career Planning, and develop career decision-making skills through the Family Connection component on Naviance. Counselors facilitate students’ career exploration activities including their completion of a comprehensive self-assessment, and interest and aptitude testing, as well as developing an individual career plan and choosing a post-secondary path. 4
Moving Forward Common Core Confident Common Core State Standards In 2010, the New Jersey State Board of Education and the New Jersey Department of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards. The standards were created collaboratively by teachers, researchers, school administrators, and experts to ensure that all students are prepared for college and the workforce. To date, forty-five states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense have adopted the Common Core State Standards. Unlike previous state standards, which were unique to every state in the country, the Common Core provides a clear set of high standards aligned to the expectations in college and careers. The mission statement of the Common Core State Standards is to “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them.” The Common Core Standards establish a single set of standards for kindergarten through the 12th grade in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Literacy in History, Science, and Technical subjects. The standards establish what students need to learn, but they do not dictate how teachers should teach. Aligning to the Standards In the 2011-2012 school year, the Freehold Regional High School District conducted a survey of its curricula to determine where they already aligned to the Common Core Standards and where revisions were needed. Curriculum revisions began that same year, with teachers, supervisors and administrators undergoing thorough training from Common Core Institute partners and district staff. As curriculum continues to be revised, alignment to the Common Core Standards will be universal. Alignment is not just for English Language Arts and Mathematics classes. Social Studies, Science, and elective courses are just as relevant in the Common Core Standards for Literacy in Social Studies, Science, and Technical subjects. These standards ensure reading and writing literacy in all subjects. What New Standards Mean for FRHSD Students Students and parents will notice changes as curriculum is revised and aligned to the Common Core State Standards. In English Language Arts classes, more non-fiction texts and articles are paired with traditional fiction texts. An emphasis on Lexile level (a measurement of a text’s difficulty) will be observed in all classes. Students will be aware of their own Lexile level, as well as the Lexile level of assigned readings. With these two measurements, students will become more aware of how to tackle reading complex texts. In Mathematics classes, students and parents will notice decreased rote equation solving and increased scenario-based problem solving. Gone will be the days of “solve for x” problems. Instead, students will be required to read real-world scenarios that ask them to persevere through abstract and quantitative reasoning, while constructing written arguments for their problem-solving methods. In classes like history, science, and electives, students will be required to read more frequently and write authentically for a real audience. 5
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Page 9 and 10: Financial Accountability Outstandin
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Page 15 and 16: Exceeding Expectations Howell High
Page 17 and 18: Exceeding Expectations Marlboro Hig
Page 19 and 20: Committed Community Leaders Cultiva

2012-2013 Annual Report

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