RAFAEL DE J CORDERO NO 37

Cordero School, circa 1923, continues to stand tall and is a constant in an ever-changing community. Staff and students witness change as the long standing St. Francis Hospital on the other side of Erie Street, across from the school is demolished to make way for living and commercial space. The hospital has now been replaced by a huge condominium that will probably be fully inhabited by January 2010.
We received our most valuable lesson in 1985 as part of the school’s participation in New Jersey’s more effective schools initiative. As we change as part of progress and greater efficiency, our commitment to basic tenets of an effective school remains the same:
*Strong effective leadership
*Positive school climate
*High expectations
*Opportunity to learn and time on tasks (Effective Instruction)
*Home/school relations
*Clear and focused mission

We address these tenets with rigor.

Our mission statement, “At Cordero we believe, every student will achieve”, encompasses all of the foregoing tenets of an effective school.

In order to maintain a positive school climate, a great deal of emphasis is placed in the affective domain in all relations with students, staff, parents, and community members. Having to attend school is a given. Enjoying having to attend school is the level we strive to reach because children who enjoy the work of the classroom will reach new heights and teachers who enjoy coming to the workplace will perform better at delivering instruction. On other words we are family. Involvement in student welfare is provided by any and all of the following staff: teachers, guidance counselors, advisory staff, nurse, clinical social worker, encore and/or any other staff member.

During the 2003-2004 school year we planned for Cordero to become a full inclusion school in 2004-2005. This was accomplished! We moved from housing eleven self-contained special education classes to one self-contained transition class. The goal of the transition staff is to prepare students to eventually be moved to our inclusion classrooms where they receive instruction in a general education setting supported by a special education teacher. We also have three resource centers where children receive supplemental instruction according to their individual education plans. We have three classes for children with autism. The girls and boys in these classes are a part of the Cordero family.

Although many schools have moved away from the Pre-K to grade 8 designs, Cordero students continue to thrive in the family atmosphere programs that have worked so well in the past, and continue to be maintained and improved. The school’s basic philosophy incorporates all the essential elements of whole school reform, and its educational objectives address the Pre-K-5 students and the Middle School students’ special educational needs. The school is designated a District Community School, addressing adult needs, which include parent and community members through before-and-after-school activities, as well as weekend and summer events. In order to increase student achievement the K-5 group uses Parallel Block Scheduling to reduce class size in reading and math and to provide enrichment and basic skills assistance to all children in an extended learning/honors class. Grades 6-8 use a unique “School-Within-A-School” approach to Middle Level Education, which encourages experimentation, individual and group learning experiences, and alternative assessment techniques. The use of Parallel Block scheduling in the primary and elementary departments reduces class size for direct reading and math instruction.

There is increased academic and learning time due to reduced behavior problems and elimination of pullout programs during this time. Smaller groups allow teachers to more easily diagnose student skill levels, to design appropriate prescriptions, and to respond to individual requests for attention. Research has shown that more direct teacher-student interaction provides higher achievement and happier students. Daily, our students attend Reading and Math Hot Lab classes where academic support is provided with specialized instruction in identified areas of need. Those students who excel use this time for enrichment activities. Regardless of the type of support necessary, students in Hot Lab/honors classes have available to them learning centers, computers, and a variety of hands-on activities.

Communication between and among teachers at all grade levels is vital to the success of our students. Therefore, the master schedule provides common planning time for teachers at all grade levels. The Hot Lab/honors teachers maintain an ongoing dialogue with core teachers regarding the progress of their students. All teachers use common planning time for individual parent conferences at grade levels, thematic unit planning, and designing and coordinating special projects. In this way curriculum congruence is assured.

At Cordero, an integrated thematic approach to learning is utilized. These themes address the Core Curriculum Standards with input from grade level teams and support staff. Culminating activities, held either day or night, allow wider audience attendance.

Collaborative professional learning contributes to our success. The district provides professional development. Equally important, however, is Teachers Training Teachers. Cordero’s in school professional development is designed by Teachers for Teachers in order to address specific needs. The process works in as much as teachers respect each other’s knowledge, and each other.

The school’s leadership Council is open to all staff and parents as we are able to make them. Because of this system everyone has a say in the governance of the school. The school leadership council is also involved in budget

Sergio Cabrera – Assistant Principal - 201-714-4393




Marvin A. Strynar
201-714-4390