| May 14, 2001
Vito Gagliardi, Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Education
P.O. Box 500
Trenton, N.J. 08625-0500
Dear Commissioner Gagliardi,
The Environmental Commission of the City of New Brunswick is honored to transmit the
enclosed report of a diverse group of educators and concerned citizens regarding the current Department of Education review of the New Jersey K-12 core curriculum content standards.
Members of the New Brunswick Environmental Commission strongly believe that an effective system of academic standards in the public education of New Jersey children is essential to their success as productive and informed citizens and to the future quality of life in our state.
Accordingly, and inasmuch as the current standards are now undergoing a comprehensive evaluation, the Commission initiated Project COMPASS (Citizens Offering a Minimal Plan for Achievable and Sustainable Standards) to submit recommendations to the Department of Education (DOE) for serious consideration in the standards review process.
The recommendations in the Project COMPASS report are based on the following conclusions:
- The praiseworthy intent of the policy and joint strategic plan of the New Jersey Board of Education and the Department of Education is to help New Jersey public Schools and teachers prepare their students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. This requires every high school graduate to have the relevant knowledge, critical thinking and social skills, together with a commitment and capacity to pursue lifelong learning. All this in order to achieve success in their careers and daily lives in a competitive world of rapidly advancing technology. In short, a whole person, whole life, whole earth education.
- The enclosed report
finds that the current standards are not explicitly designed to most effectively achieve these stated goals.
- Readiness for the workplace is singled out by the DOE as the highest priority practical purpose of the academic and cross-content standards. The
report recommends that this Design for Readiness concept not be limited only to business employability and expanded to the other basic human roles in life as well, e.g., readiness for the marketplace, democracy and self-development.
- The whole earth perspective in the current catalog of standards consists of a few unrelated references to world history, geography, international trade, earth science and the environment. One of the paramount challenges our students face is to help assure the integrated environmental, economic and social sustainability and improvement of the quality of life on earth, including the future of New Jersey. This important message is missing in the current stand-alone academic standards.
- The importance of critical thinking skills in problem solving and decision making is emphasized in all subject areas for the purpose of achieving academic excellence in each and every subject. Understanding the important interdisciplinary relationships and the real world challenge of how environmental, economic, social and scientific factors are connected is left in limbo. Excellence is a valid goal, but the goal is not only to have knowledge but also to know how to use it.
- There is no recognition in the current standards of the need for a systems thinking approach, computer simulation modeling and internet resources as invaluable skills and tools that can enhance independent thinking and the quality of decision making to meet the threatening and complex challenges of an uncertain and rapidly changing future.
- The great volume of printed material for a total of 61 standards, 872 progress indicators and associated frameworks, plus constantly expanding knowledge in every academic and professional field, impose unrealistic expectations on teachers and students. The ultimate purpose of K-12 learning, therefore, must be less insistence on academic silos of scholastic excellence. More emphasis is needed on (a) proficiency in literacy, behavioral, communication and thinking skills and (b) acquiring relevant knowledge and enduring understanding of the most critical issues, choices, values and big ideas of cumulative human experience. Such a focus should better prepare students to contribute to, and benefit from, a productive life and livelihood in a more healthy, just and sustainable future.
- Finally, the entire standards system needs to be computerized, coded, integrated, and made more user friendly and attainable in all our public schools if New Jersey is to achieve its goal of a thorough and efficient system of public education.
Sincerely,
Carl L. Henn, Chairman
New Brunswick Environmental
Commission
Enclosure: Report of Project COMPASS
cc: Jay Doolan
|
New
Jersey’s Educational Standards