BOE Approves Supplemental Services for Schools In Need of Improvement

The Board of Education approved two supplemental educational service providers for the 2011-12 school year.

Smart Start: Smarties will be implemented in Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School and Lloyd Road Elementary School, while American Tutor Incorporated was selected for Matawan Regional High School.

The board selected two seperate programs, Superintendent David Healy said, because Smart Start: Smarties was more appropriate for the elementary and middle school students while American Tutor Incorporated was more appropriate for high school students.

According to the New Jersey Department of Education's School & District Accountability and Adequate Yearly Progress Report for 2010-11 report on the NJ Department of Education website, Lloyd Road Elementary School, Matawan Aberdeen Middle School and Matawan Regional High School all missed Average Yearly Progress (AYP).

According to the board, these three schools have been identified as schools in need of improvement for two or more consecutive years because they missed AYP. The supplemental educational services are required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) for schools that miss AYP for two or more years.

Board of Education President Charles Kenny emphasized at the previous workshop meeting on Sept. 14 that even though the data shows that some students are not hitting AYP as set forth in the NCLB, it does not mean the district is not doing well as a whole.

"We have students that continue to do very well. There are many, many students who are achieving well and there are many students who are achieving at the best of their ability regardless of what AYP or No Child Left Behind labels them as," Kenny said.

According to Director of Elementary School Accountability Jessie Zitarosa, who was present at the Sept. 14 meeting, there will be a more in depth study conducted on test scores and the effectiveness of initiatives currently in place in November.

Students are eligible for the supplemental educational services based on their family income and school attendance. Income eligibility is determined by eligibility for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions.

Board Member Anissa Esposito expressed concern that by limiting the programs to those in financial need would hurt children in need of extra help who do not have financial need. However, according to Healy, tutoring programs conducted by district teachers for all students will remain in place. Additionally, he believes it will act as an incentive to encourage parents struggling financially to apply for help.

The two programs together cost $71,331. That amount will be taken from the school's NCLB Title 1 account.

Editor's note: More information on how to determine eligibility and apply for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) can be found here.