Goal 1 - Developing a Ramsey Graduate -

Intentionally fostering the competencies of the Profile of a Ramsey Graduate to prepare students for their future and not our past.

Rationale/Explanation

At the June 26th Board of Education meeting, the Board of Education officially adopted the Profile of a Ramsey Graduate through a formal resolution.  You can see the Profile of a Ramsey Graduate below and here is a link to a PDF version with definitions of each competency. The Profile of a Ramsey Graduate, which grew out of and now replaces A Ramsey Student Will, provides a clear vision of what we, as a school community, hope all Ramsey students will possess and be able to demonstrate by the time they walk across that graduation stage after having benefited from 13 years of an education that has intentionally fostered these competencies. The Profile of a Ramsey Graduate will serve as our "north star" for all curriculum, instruction, and assessment work in the upcoming years.  Although this is part of a national movement, we are proud that the Ramsey School District is the first K-12 district in the state of New Jersey to adopt a Profile of a Graduate!

But the most important work lies in front of us.  Therefore, our first district goal will evolve from Developing a Profile of a Ramsey Graduate to Developing a Ramsey Graduate.  This work will include communicating out, aligning with our other initiatives, embedding within the curriculum, designing Profile Projects, and implementing Profile Performance Tasks.

Goal 2 - Teaching for Understanding -

Using a guaranteed curriculum to help students construct their own understanding around core ideas and essential questions.

Rationale/Explanation

Continue the shift to a performance-based curriculum focused on deep student understanding that is built upon the Profile of a Ramsey Graduate.  The district will continue to produce performance-based units of study that include the acquisition of knowledge and skills, opportunities to make meaning, and ultimately the ability to transfer learning to new situations. Our ongoing work on student-centered instructional practices will focus on developing a common language of effective instruction that promotes student learning and implementing these practices in the various disciplines.  At the heart of this is a robust Professional Development program that provides rich learning experiences for teachers. To complement the curricular and instructional shifts, we will focus on Assessment for Learning with an emphasis on feedback and mastery.  We will pilot rubrics that will be used to assess competencies such as Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity at different levels of sophistication across the K-12 continuum.

Goal 3 - Achieving Excellence through Equity -

Helping all student to grow and develop to their greatest potential through inclusion and fostering a sense of belonging.

Rationale/Explanation

We believe that all students can achieve at high levels and deserve access to the highest quality curriculum and instruction.  As a district, we are working towards providing learning experiences that meet the needs of all of our students. Building upon the detracking at the elementary school level, we will begin the process of reducing ability grouping at the middle school.  We will also continue to maximize support for special education students in the regular education classes through professional development, coaching and feedback to foster differentiated instruction and to support the implementation of the co-teaching model.

Goal 4 -  Enhancing the Student Experience -

Providng all members of the Ramsey learning community with the best experience possible.

Rationale/Explanation

We believe that school should be a safe and supportive learning environment within a broader school community and should educate the whole child by focusing on issues such as character, wellness, and service to others.  We will continue training for (CST/Guidance) staff to help create engaging and positive learning environments. CST/Guidance will then turnkey the information they receive to help staff recognize the signs and symptoms of behavioral health issues with children and teens.  This training will help staff develop the tools and support strategies that promote overall well-being. We will also review, revise and update curriculum to include mental health awareness/training, develop a distinct section on the District’s website of local, state and national resources as it relates to the different aspects of wellness, and develop a District-wide Mental Health Day in May with a coordinated set of activities.  We are also going to focus on attending to the broader student experiences and areas that directly or indirectly impact those experiences such as activities, learning environments, and parental education.