NUMBER 34

Public School 34 is an elementary school in the Greenville section of Jersey City. We serve a population of approximately 700 students in grades K-8. The student population consists of 71 % African-American, 20% Hispanic, 4% White, 4% Asian, and 1% other.
Community involvement is stressed at Public School 34 through special programs. Community participants include families, grandparents and extended family members, New Jersey City University, Jersey City Museum, African-American Museum, Snyder High School, Hudson County Probation Office, Greenville Library, Motivational Speakers, Educational Arts Team, Liberty Science Center, Boys and Girls Club, Jersey City Nursing Homes, and Greenville Hospital.

Our Parent Liaison meets with parents on a weekly basis and provides guest speakers within the school community. Parents volunteer in classrooms, in the Media Center, help monitor students on the playground, chaperone field trips, and assist with clerical tasks. Parent conferences are held on a regular basis with the administrators, guidance counselors, teachers, and the Child Study Team.

We provide programs that foster school, home, and community growth. Successful endeavors include Kindergarten Moving Up Ceremony, Awards Night, Annual Dr. Seuss Reading Cafe, Read-A-Thon, Reader's Club in conjunction with the Greenville Library, Family Night, Urban Garden Program, Reading is Fundamental Program, Cohen Arts & Education, Project Raise, Boys and Girls Club, Home Depot Partnership, Reading Recovery, Joint Activities, LEGO League Robotics Tournament, and Scholastic Bowl .

Public School 34 is part of Jersey City's Balanced Literacy Program for K-3. Breakthrough to Literacy, Scott-Foresman, Rigby Guided Reading, and 100 Book Challenge are programs offered to help promote academic success within the school. These programs encourage literacy in both small group settings and independent learning. Students in grades 4-8 are also working in small groups using leveled texts. Grades 3-5 participate in Think Block, a performance based social studies, science, and language arts curriculum and grades 6-8 follow a similar integrated curriculum. With the differentiated instruction, our students have the opportunity to build on their competencies.

Also, Public School 34 fosters independent reading for all grades. Students from grades K-8 read books and complete a grade level appropriate form signed by a parent. To instill personal pride, each teacher records the amount of reading time on a chart and posts it for display. Assemblies are held to recognize individual students and classes that read the most books. Individual and class prizes are awarded and as a result, a friendly rivalry has developed among classes.

In order to maximize the writing potential of each student, responses in three types of journals and diagramming sentences are encouraged. Also, AlphaSmarts 3000, a computer-based writing tool, is in place for grades 1-8 to help improve writing skills. Essays are based on themes and cross-content projects are required. Students of grades 3-8 participate in the Public School 34 Annual Science Fair. Entries show the scientific method used to drive an investigation and the resulting conclusion. Our school winners have achieved District Level recognition at past science fairs.

PS 34 has four long-term goals: 1. Data driven Instruction
2. Authentic Assessment
3. Differentiated Instruction
4. Behavior Modification

1. Data Driven Instruction - Instruction is based on results from district tests, such as midterms, tests approved from district programs: ex. Everyday Mathematics, LL Teach, Scott-Foresman, Dibels, Breakthrough Reports, DRA reports, Reading Recovery intervention levels, Project Raise Reading, and standardized state tests- Terra-Nova and NJASK 3-8.

2. Authentic Assessment - Instruction comes from two sources: teachers and students.
A. Teachers (teachers conferring with teachers and teachers conferring with students)
Teachers will examine samples of student work in order to assess progress of students
and to implement strategies for planning. Teachers will schedule conferences with
students in literacy, mathematics, social studies, and science.
B. Students (self-evaluating their own work)
Students will use rubrics to evaluate their work and to encourage improvement.

3. Differentiated Instruction - Instruction with whole group and small group activities
that appeal to multiple intelligences.

4. Behavior Modification - In order to provide a safe and caring environment, PS 34 encourages responsible behavior by upholding expectations. A procedure is in place with levels of offenses and consequences.

The Reading First coach and teacher assistants, Reading Specialist, Guided Reading teacher, Reading Recovery teachers, AUSSIE coaches, and LLTeach coaches will provide assistance to support the teachers with decision-making strategies for student improvement.


K-8: 8:00 AM Meetings:
Weeks 1&3: Teachers will bring language arts and social studies data and samples of
student work to plan instruction, discuss strategies for improvement and seek additional
help if needed.
Weeks 2&4: Teachers will focus on mathematics and science.


Monthly staff meetings will be used to fine-tune our four long-term goals.

The following are the strategies we have in place to improve student performance:

1. INCREASED SCHOOL TIME
Students in grades 1-8 receive language arts and mathematics instruction for an additional 45 minutes daily. Mini-courses are taught in Computer Technology, Student Publication, and tutorial instruction in language arts and mathematics is provided.

2. SCHEDULING ALTERNATIVE/DESIGN
We maximize instructional time through innovative scheduling. Language Arts and mathematics are taught in 90 minutes blocks. All grades level teachers have at least one common planning time weekly to continue to analyze the results of assessment and plan instructional strategies to meet State and District standards.

3. SCHOOL-LEVEL STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
A survey of the instructional staff guided the Site Planning Team?s development of a School-level Staff Development Program. Selected staff, administrators, district supervisors and consultants direct workshops for the instructional staff on performance standards, cooperative learning, strategies for teaching special education students, NCLB standards, writing, thematic units, project-based learning, the use of calculators and problem solving strategies in mathematics, setting up learning centers, and behavior management.

4. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL
Our school has been a part of the District?s Professional Development School Program since its inception. A.U.S.S.I.E. coaches continually offer assistance to our K-8 teachers in language arts and K-2 teachers in mathematics. LL Teach also provides coaches to assist teachers with implementing the new mathematics program in
grades 3-8.

Together we strive to support staff, students, parental involvement, and a sense of community through our efforts toward excellence.



Christine Myrlak
201-915-6550