Innovative programs in four New Jersey school districts have been selected for recognition in the New Jersey School Boards Association’s 33rd annual School Leader Awards.
The Jackson School District is one of the four school districts to be honored.
The 2019 School Leader Awards drew 17 entries from school districts across the state, according to a press release from the NJSBA. Jackson received an Outstanding Program award.
Programs were judged based on their level of innovation, how well they meet the specific needs of students, the relationship of the program to the state’s curriculum standards and program results.
The Jackson School District was honored for the Jackson Elementary Science Curriculum. According to the NJSBA, the school district’s administrative team created an innovative and locally developed elementary science curriculum.
Instead of multiple choice exams and vocabulary quizzes, Jackson’s students engage in problem-solving sessions that result in answers limited only by their imagination.
Every design challenge is constructed to allow groups of students to synthesize ideas and determine the best possible solution. Team-based decisions are used to scaffold concepts for students of differing abilities, according to the NJSBA.
The Union Township School District was named the Exemplary Program, taking top honors in the competition for its “#The U’s Innovation Labs,” a program that features student designed centers for design challenges and prototyping, according to the NJSBA.
The Ocean City and Paterson school districts were also recognized for innovative programs. The four school districts will be honored during Workshop 2019 at the Atlantic City Convention Center on Oct. 22.