ALEXANDER D SULLIVAN 30

The Alexander D. Sullivan School (PS #30) serves the southernmost section of Jersey City, adjacent to the Bayonne city line. Nearly 800 children from pre-kindergarten through grade 5 are enrolled at our century-old facility on Seaview Avenue. An additional 60 pre-kindergarteners attend the PS 30 Annex, located several blocks away within the Curries Woods housing development.
The school is racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse. African-Americans and Latinos are the largest groups; there are also significant numbers of Asian and Pacific Islanders as well as others from the English-speaking Caribbean region. Nearly 20 percent of our students are still acquiring English; many of these children ride buses from other neighborhoods in order to take advantage of our bilingual and ESL programs. This year, 84 percent of our students qualify under federal guidelines for free or reduced-price meals.

The Sullivan School implements the curriculum developed centrally within the Jersey City Public Schools. Highlights include:

• The High/Scope curriculum in pre-kindergarten, fostering learning through direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas.
• A balanced and research-based approach to literacy instruction in grades K-5, where teachers incorporate best instructional practices, including read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, writer’s workshop and phonics/word study. The curriculum includes a mix of whole-group, small-group and individualized instruction to assure that all students are exposed to grade-level standards while still working at their own level.
• Mathematics instruction that is aligned with national and state standards, providing children with hands-on experiences that support the development of deeper understanding of mathematical principles and arithmetic procedures.
• An approach to science and social studies learning that emphasizes the connections between these two disciplines, and also provides ample opportunities for children to strengthen their reading and writing skills as they explore science and social studies content.

Nearly ten percent of the student body at PS 30 has been identified as having special needs. We strive to address these needs in the least restrictive environment; 75 percent of our children with special needs are included full-time in general education classrooms. These classes typically have two teachers, one of whom has specialized training in modifying the curriculum and/or the teaching approaches used in order to better address the full spectrum of learners.

Our most academically talented students in grades 3-5 are assigned to a HOPE class where the instruction can also be modified to assure that these children reach their full potential. This year, in grade 4 we have introduced a “Spanish-Intensive HOPE Class,” allowing students the opportunity to study what for most of them is a second language on a daily basis rather than just twice a week.

To extend learning beyond the traditional curriculum, the Sullivan School has formed partnerships with Young Audiences of New Jersey to implement an artist-in-residence program in Brazilian dance and with the King’s Knight Chess Club to offer lunch-time chess instruction. Second grade students have the opportunity to learn to play the recorder; many fifth graders choose to sing in our chorus. After-school clubs offer experiences in cheerleading, drumming, dancing and gardening.

Parents are always welcome at PS 30. We recognize their critical role as children’s first teachers. We strive to work in partnership with them.

For the past four years, we have fallen short of the achievement benchmarks established by the federal government. In collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education we have undergone a period of self-study and have developed an action plan that we hope will be the pathway to increased student achievement. Key elements of the plan include:

• Keeping class size no greater than 21 in grades K-2, thereby assuring each young student adequate attention to his or her learning needs.
• Introducing new interventions to support struggling readers so that at every grade level there is a “safety net” for students not making adequate progress.
• Ongoing, job-embedded professional learning so that each teacher has access to workshops, coaching and collaboration with peers in order to deepen his or her knowledge and improve his or her craft.

It is our firm belief that the students at the Alexander D. Sullivan School can achieve at high levels. Our mission is to make it happen!


Gary Murphy
201-915-6530