School board delays decision on participating in evaluation program

Middle States’ Association review may be terminated

By: Jake Uitti
   The Princeton Regional Board of Education on Tuesday tabled a vote regarding the district’s participation in the Middle States’ Association of Secondary Schools and College evaluation process.
   The board’s program committee and the administration had recommended that the district withdraw from the Middle States’ evaluation process, citing high cost and low utility of the program to the district.
   The board intends to continue discussion at its Jan. 23 meeting, Superintendent Judy Wilson said.
   The Middle States’ Association is a long-standing association to which the district has belonged for decades. The association evaluates grades nine though 12 by examining district departments and sending in a team of educators to conduct evaluations and write reports.
   Ms. Wilson said the usefulness of the association to the district has been declining over recent years.
   "We have a new state monitoring system in place for 2007 where the district will be accredited through the state on a more rigorous level," Ms. Wilson said.
   This new system will take the place of the Middle States’ program, she said, adding that the district has also joined a benchmarking coalition of 12 high-performing school districts that will provide for discussion and evaluations for the district, all at a less cost.
   "For 2007 and beyond, we have some other mechanisms in place which are rigorous and thorough," Ms. Wilson said. "To go into a Middle States study right now, it would mean sidelining studies, resources and money that would have to be put toward the Middle States’ evaluation for the next 12 months."
   The discussion was tabled so that board members could have more time to think about the recommendation to withdraw and so that further discussion could take place.
   In addition, Ms. Wilson said the board will also soon be entering into a pre-kindergarten through grade 12 strategic planning process that will be "useful and more comprehensive for the community."