FRED W. MARTIN #41
The Fred W. Martin Middle School has divided the building into three small learning communities, (i.e., Community A, Community B, and Community C, each community has its own Assistant Principal. The internal structure of the school has been shifted to reflect each community from physical classroom space through instructional schedules. Teachers and Specialists have been reassigned and empowered to instruct and receive the necessary support so as to ensure the attainment of proficient levels on the State-wide assessments. Planning sessions are conducted everyday from 8:00 to 8:30a.m.The four elements of design incorporated are:
Courses and curriculum are designed so that students are required to engage in serious intellectual work. All students in each community will be well known by all staff. The teacher ratio is within the necessary limits to ensure success.
All teachers will have substantial authority over their work and will be held accountable. Time will be provided for collaboration and consistency with shared groups of students for whom they take responsibility. Family and community involvement will be expected and cultivated. Enacting all of these four elements has allowed the administration to make hard choices at both the school and district levels.
The school will look significantly different from those we are used to. But we are confident that by enacting these four elements holds the promise of significantly transforming schools and improving the life and intellectuals achievements of both students and teachers.Designing our school in accordance with these elements, however, required us on the school and district level to allocate resources in radically different ways from those we are used to. It will require everyone¿administrators, teachers, students, parents, community members to adjust their roles, their regular ways of acting and interacting. It requires changing old practices that will not support our present structure. There is no right template for this work so we must respond to our community and contexts.
The Fred W. Martin Middle School in conjunction with the Comer School Development Program is committed to the development of all children by creating environments that support children's physical, cognitive, psychological, language, social and ethical development. Our principles include the use of technology to augment our goal of providing the best education possible. We will achieve this by ensuring that each student is competent. By using technology to express themselves creatively, they are able to communicate their ideas effectively. Our philosophy is to provide a safe and sound learning environment to raise student¿s levels of achievement. We strongly encourage shared decision making with all parents, community members, and shareholders. We will continue to foster student self-pride and social behavior. But most important, as a Jersey City School, we are a learning institution and it is our focus to provide instruction in all curricula approved by local and state departments of education. We believe that, given a conducive learning environment with qualified teachers and personnel, that our children can and will achieve mastery and application of all grade level skills. Furthermore, we believe that all of our children are entitled to a safe environment in which they are able to realize their full potential in a variety of areas, with support services available to those in need. We will support our IDEA program students to the fullest to ensure that they are provided all rights and benefits allotted to the regular education program students so they may become productive citizens.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Technology coordinator will continue to provide technology support, maintain hardware, and software applications for all programs, which contain a technology component. Technology coordinator will continue to assist with incorporating various forms of technology to add focus and continue to support classroom teachers. The District Technology Plan for the 2005-2006 school years will offer to all personnel technology staff development in various areas. Upon completion of the seminars participating personnel will receive certification.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT- Each program utilized within the core academic area provides for parent information and assistance in the learning process. Scheduled workshops will be provided to ensure that parents and guardians are aware of the importance of each subject, the concepts being taught, follow-up activities and strategies, and responsibility and necessity of continuing and extending the learning process at home.
The school as a whole acknowledges the benefits and importance of parental awareness. Individual student progress reports are mailed quarterly to the students¿ home to apprise the parents/guardians of their progress. Formal parent visitation sessions are scheduled by the Board of Education to coincide with the distribution of the report cards. Additional conferences are set up as needed with parents and teachers. Quarterly newsletters are sent home to keep the parents updated with school progress. The school report card is also sent home to parents and can be accessed on the Board of Education website. The PTA is a viable source of engaging the parents and imparting important information to the parents and guardians.
Recruiting Highly Qualified teachers is managed by the district's Department of Human Resources. In addition to their efforts, the administrators of the school participate in the district's Job Fairs trying to recruit at the ground level. Another effective technique is word of mouth. When a position becomes available, everyone in the building is alerted to the vacancy and seeks to assist in securing a qualified person. In casual conversation with supervisors, vacancies are mentioned in case they are aware of a qualified or soon to be qualified candidate. Interviews are then held with all factions being represented, and a final decision is made. To maintain a highly qualified faculty and staff, the administrators of the Fred W. Martin Middle School, in conjunction with the Comer Facilitator, do their best to offer teacher "MENTORS" to aide in all aspects of teaching.
The Fred W. Martin Middle School PS # 41 provides a safe, supportive, and educationally sound environment for all students. A diversified, qualified and caring staff provides our students with eclectic opportunities to help them gain the skills necessary to be successful in our fast paced and changing world. We diligently strive to prepare our children to meet the demands of various fields of study including those of a scientific and technological nature. Since social skills are an important part of a well rounded person, the students of P.S. # 41 also takes full advantage of our Social Decision Making Lab. With the assistance of well trained, volunteer staffs, students learn how to make the right decisions in a variety of situations, especially those involving their peers and peer pressure.
Realizing the dynamic impact of parental involvement in the education of our students, P.S. # 41's staff maintains a committed relationship with parents, providing an ¿open door¿ to their needs and the needs of the children. Parents know they are an integral part of the decision making process and are represented on the School Leadership Council.
In its effort to prepare all of the students enrolled in the Jersey City Public Schools for the challenges of the Twenty first Century¿s competitive, global, and technological society, the district has developed comprehensive Grade Level Competencies, Student Performance Standards, and Student Technology Performance Standards which are consistent with the newly adopted and expanded New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards(NJCCCS) and the Cross Content Workplace Readiness Standards (CCWRS).
The NJCCCS delineate the knowledge, skills and dispositions students should acquire and the understandings they should develop as they progress through the grades. The CCWRS are broad based ¿lifelong learning standards¿ generic to all content areas.
The district has established and upholds high academic expectations for all students at all grades (Pre kindergarten through Grade 12). The district¿s curricula provide indicators for student achievement at designated grade levels. Benchmark grade levels are Kindergarten, 1, 2, 4, 8, 11, and 12. Additionally, career orientation and workplace readiness standards are infused across the curricula. The use of technology is seamlessly integrated at all grade levels through project based, thematic interdisciplinary instruction.
The district continually reviews and updates all curricula and educational programs in all content areas to ensure alignment with the State Content Standards, the State Curriculum Frameworks, and the State Test Specifications for NJASK, GEPA and HSPA. The district¿s preschool program is a comprehensive program which focuses on the social, emotional, physical and academic development of the child by providing developmentally appropriate educational experiences. The district¿s program is aligned with the NJ Department of Education¿s ¿Early Childhood Expectations: Standards of Quality.¿ The elementary level curricula include offerings in the visual and performing arts (art, vocal and instrumental music and drama) that enable students to develop their skills and appreciation in these areas. At the high school level, numerous elective courses are designed and offered to students so that they may broaden their educational repertoires and explore new areas of interest. An array of Advanced Placement Courses is offered at all of the comprehensive high schools. The district provides opportunities for middle and high school students to pursue their area of interest by enrolling in one of many magnet programs.
The Jersey City Public Schools participate in many local, state and national competitions. The district has won numerous awards in many areas including the National School Boards ¿Magna Award¿ and awards in Science and Visual and Performing Arts. The district has participated in the New Jersey Department of Education¿s ¿Star Schools/Best Practices¿ Program for many years. Since 1994 1995, the district has been the recipient of a Star Schools¿ Award (McNair Academic High School) and 27 Best Practices Awards in many categories including, Demonstrably Effective Programs, Visual and Performing Arts, Early Childhood, Mathematics, Safe Schools Environment, School to Work, Professional Development, and Administrative and Fiscal Efficiency. No other district in New Jersey has accomplished this tremendous feat!
Donald Howard, Jr.
201-915-6590