The acronym is a bit daunting, but what it determined is clear — and Bergenfield school officials could not be happier.
The Bergenfield school district was told in an April 24 letter from New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Lucille E. Davis that it has been designated as a "High Performing School District."
The designation is the result of recent monitoring of the school district’s performance from school years 2004-07 utilizing the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC).
The new on-site assessment, conducted by the Bergen County Department of Education, was established by law in February 2007. The Bergenfield school district was the first in Bergen County to use it.
NJQSAC evaluated the district’s performance in the areas of instruction and program, fiscal, operations, personnel and governance.
The Bergenfield district scored above 80 percent in all areas.
More significantly, it was awarded scores of 100 percent in personnel, 99 percent in fiscal, 100 percent in governance and 100 percent in operations.
Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Kuchar said he expected no less.
"We have known for a long time that Bergenfield has exceptional students, faculty, and programming," he said. "It is very gratifying to be recognized by the New Jersey State Department of Education as a High Performing School District."
He said that the district "will not rest on its success, but will continually strive to reach higher levels of achievement."
The primary purpose of the state Department of Education’s new monitoring and evaluation system is to measure and improve school district performance in meeting state standards.
Through the process, the department places districts on a performance continuum for each of the five components.
Based on the results of the review, districts may need an improvement plan and may receive technical assistance.
The goal of the new monitoring systems is to emphasize family and community involvement, set expectations for student achievement and use a uniform tool of evaluation for all state schools.
After the review process, the Bergenfield school district was placed at the top of the continuum.
