Description
Jackson Township School District’s Journey through New Jersey QSAC Review Process
Theresa Licitra, Director of Curriculum at Jackson Township School District, shares how their Atlas curriculum site has grown and adapted to meet the evolving needs of the New QSAC accreditation and curriculum development process.
Jackson Township School District by the Numbers
- Location Jackson Township, New Jersey the USA
- 8,097 Students enrolled (PK -K12) in District
- 10 Schools in District; two high schools, two middle schools, and six elementary schools.
- 12-1 Student-Teacher Ratio
Curriculum Mapping
Integration
Sharing Public Curriculum Site
The Challenge
Jackson Township School District has been using Atlas since 2014, however, in 2020 the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) required the schools to provide a consistent method to improve transparency when tracking learning objectives and requirements at specific grade levels and bands.
The district needed a way to develop a unit template that seamlessly integrates NJSLS requirements into their curriculum, and a vehicle to share their redesigned templates and curriculum with the community.
The Goal
Jackson Township School District set three main goals to solve their problem.
- Ensure full compliance with QSAC requirements and NJDOE mandated topics in advance of the QSAC Review.
- Ensure unit templates align with the school district’s learning model and goals.
- Ensure long-term success with a centralized “working tool” for curriculum development that is relevant now and in the future.
The Solution
Meeting and exceeding QSAC review expectations.
Atlas has assisted in the full implementation and alignment for the NJSLS 2020 standards, providing specific guidance, input, and timelines for our district to complete this process.
The Jackson Township School District added new categories to their unit templates to drive expectations.
- NJDOE mandated topics & state laws
- A menu for differentiation for SE, ELL, GE, 504, G&T
- Their UBD methodology
- Cross-content applications
- 21st Century and College and Career Readiness Skills
- Climate Change Standards
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL) infusion
Thank you for your innovative concepts and design of the QSAC viewer–all of its uploads were from your input and ideas! We could NOT have done it without your guidance and proactive support.
Jackson Township SD Public site on the Atlas Curriculum Mapping platform
Additionally, to improve accountability and visibility the district published their unit template categories on the Atlas platform public site so parents and community members can witness how they are attaining state requirements.
According to research, curriculum sharing transforms engagement, learning, and student success and to have a positive impact on key stakeholders throughout the learning process, including students, parents-families, and teachers. A public curriculum site is an effective tactic of an overall strategy to improve student success, transparency, and accountability via key stakeholder engagement.
Results & Benefits
In addition to ensuring full compliance with New Jersey QSAC requirements and NJDOE mandated topics, they discovered it is possible to achieve long-term success by using the Atlas Curriculum Planning platform that will evolve with their curriculum development needs now and in the future.
The malleability, flexibility, and the ease of use of the ATLAS platform and its curriculum components continue to be an asset to me as I oversee all aspects of teaching and learning; as a ‘working tool’ I continue to research, utilize and work to be fully aware and capable of all of its features.
More than just a platform; a partnership to excel along the learning journey.
Jackson continues to maintain a close partnership with Atlas experts who will help guide their evolving curriculum process through professional development and training support and solutions.
We cannot say enough about the continued exemplary, expedient, and exceptional customer service we receive from the [Atlas] team…they present options and knowledge that meets our needs as a district and align our needs for the State of New Jersey. Their ability to proactively plan with us, provide guidance and input along with many excellent resources, all the while demonstrating professionalism, patience, and knowledge has resulted in an Atlas Curriculum Platform for the Jackson School District that is second to none!
We have recommended your platform to many neighboring NJ districts (Cranbury, Brick, Neptune) and are proud that their districts employed your company’s platform. Your product for curriculum writing, mapping, and warehousing is the best there is!
Are you a New Jersey school or district?
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About Atlas Curriculum Mapping
Atlas is the leading curriculum development and lesson planning platform trusted by educators, schools, and districts around the world. Develop, review, refine, analyze, and share standards-aligned curriculum and lessons, ensuring equitable learning outcomes for all students. Atlas improves engagement with students, parents, teachers, and the community by sharing the curriculum with an Atlas public site to provide transparency and accountability along the learning journey.
Learn more about how Atlas Curriculum Mapping can help your school become a high performer or schedule a free demo at onatlas.com/contactsales.