District Goals

Springfield Township School District Goals

2026-2027 District Goals

The Springfield Township School District is committed to collaborating with the local, county and state Board of Education, staff, students, parents, and community in the goal of creating a caring and positive environment that encourages students to develop their potential in academic, physical, social, and emotional aspects.

Every day we strive to:

Increase achievement by challenging and supporting students to reach their highest potential.
Address the needs of the whole child by ensuring students feel healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged, with opportunities for social/emotional learning and growth.
Prepare students with the skills, awareness, and desire to actively contribute as productive citizens, locally and beyond.
Provide professional staff with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary for highly effective delivery of instruction and services.

Core Goals For Our School District *Ongoing, long-term goals

Core Goal 1

Through the use of data, maintain a consistent, school-wide approach to ensure we:

support the foundational literacy and mathematics skills of students;
identify students needing additional supports that will build on their strengths and target areas of need to ensure academic success while closing achievement gaps; and
Identify and provide for students who are academically ready for more rigorous curricular opportunities and engagements.

Core Goal 2

Build upon a collaborative environment among educational stakeholders - Board of Education members, administration, faculty, staff, and parents/guardians - to ensure students:

are functional, skilled readers by third grade; and
transition from Springfield Elementary School with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel at the middle school level.

Core Goal 3

Provide a learning environment for students and staff that:

exceeds standards for safety and security;
cultivates the development of social-emotional learning skills essential for success in aspects of learning and living; and
values high-quality professional development aligned with the district mission statement.

Core Goal 4

Foster a strategic, forward-thinking mindset in which students are provided with:

enrichment opportunities beyond the traditional curriculum and classroom;
instructional technology that fosters collaboration and expanded thinking; and
activities aligned with career readiness, life literacies, and 21st century skills.

Focus Goal Areas for 2025-26

*Focus Goal: one-year goal to establish priorities and to define specific action with measurable objectives.

Focus Goal 1

Goal Statement:
By June 30, 2027, Springfield Township School District will develop a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for student attendance in order to reduce the percentage of students identified as chronically absent (missing 10% or more of enrolled school days for any reason) by at least 20% from the 2025-2026 school year baseline. The district will implement a comprehensive attendance framework that utilizes universal prevention strategies, early identification of attendance concerns, targeted interventions, and individualized supports to improve student engagement and attendance outcomes in accordance with New Jersey statutes, administrative code, and NJDOE guidance.

Success Indicators:

By June 30, 2027, the district will:

Reduce chronic absenteeism by at least 20% from the previous year's baseline (from 33 students to 26).
Increase the percentage of students maintaining 95% or greater attendance (172 days) by at least 5 percentage points (from 60% to 65%).
Ensure 100% of students identified as Tier II or Tier III receive documented attendance interventions.
Review attendance data on a monthly basis to identify emerging concerns and evaluate intervention effectiveness.
Maintain documentation demonstrating timely communication with families and implementation of intervention strategies.

Action Plan:

Tier I – Universal Prevention (All Students)

Communicate district attendance expectations to all families at the beginning of the school year and throughout the year.
Promote positive school climate, student engagement, and belonging through school-wide initiatives.
Recognize strong and improved attendance through equitable, non-punitive attendance recognition programs.
Review attendance data monthly to identify school-wide trends and monitor progress.

Tier II – Targeted Supports (Students at Risk)

Students demonstrating emerging attendance concerns (five to ten absences, eight or more instances of tardiness) will receive:

Parent/guardian outreach by school personnel.
Attendance conferences to identify barriers.
Individual attendance improvement plans when appropriate.
Referrals to counseling, health services, or other available supports.
Ongoing progress monitoring every two to four weeks.

Tier III – Intensive Interventions (Chronically Absent Students)

Students with eleven or more absences or exhibiting persistent tardiness concerns will receive individualized interventions, including:

Comprehensive problem-solving meetings with families.
Referral to the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) Team when appropriate.
Collaboration with community agencies and county resources as needed.
Development of individualized attendance support plans.
Frequent monitoring and follow-up to assess intervention effectiveness.

Progress Monitoring:

The Superintendent and administrative team will:

Review attendance dashboards monthly.
Monitor attendance by grade level, student subgroup, and individual student.
Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions using attendance trend data.
Provide attendance updates to the Board of Education at least three times during the school year.
Utilize end-of-year attendance data to determine goal attainment and identify priorities for continuous improvement.

Family Partnership Strategies:

The district will:

Foster positive relationships with families through regular communication focused on student success rather than punitive consequences.
Utilize multiple communication methods (telephone calls, email, parent portal messages, letters, and conferences) to engage families promptly when attendance concerns arise.
Collaborate with the Assistant Principal / Attendance Officer, School Social Worker, School Nurse, Child Study Team, and Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) Team to identify barriers to attendance and coordinate appropriate supports.
Celebrate improvements in student attendance while recognizing the importance of balancing attendance expectations with legitimate student illness and family circumstances.
Annually review attendance practices and solicit family feedback to improve district attendance procedures and supports.

Evidence of Goal Attainment:

A documented reduction in chronic absenteeism of at least 20%.
Increased percentage of students attending school at least 95% of enrolled days.
Documentation of Tier II and Tier III interventions for all identified students.
Monthly attendance reports demonstrating ongoing data review and intervention.
Evidence that attendance concerns were addressed through the district's MTSS framework using data-informed decision making.

Focus Goal 2

Goal Statement:
By June 30, 2027, Springfield Township School District will design, implement, and evaluate a districtwide Balanced Learning Initiative that promotes developmentally appropriate, student-centered learning by balancing purposeful technology integration with hands-on, collaborative, creative, outdoor, and experiential learning opportunities.

Success Indicators:

By the conclusion of the 2026-2027 school year, the district will:

Develop and adopt a Balanced Learning Framework that establishes district expectations for high-quality instructional practices across all grade levels.
Ensure 100% of instructional staff participates in collaborative meetings on Balanced Learning principles and instructional strategies.
Ensure every classroom implements at least one Balanced Learning experience each week, November through May, that emphasizes hands-on, collaborative, creative, outdoor, or inquiry-based learning.
Reduce non-essential instructional screen time while maintaining purposeful and effective use of educational technology and artificial intelligence to enhance student learning.
Achieve 80% positive responses on staff and student surveys regarding student engagement, active learning, and classroom experiences.

Action Plan:

Build the Framework

Develop district Balanced Learning expectations.
Create classroom look-fors aligned with the initiative.
Align instructional practices with district curriculum and strategic priorities.

Collaborative Meetings Focused On:

Active learning strategies
Project-based learning
Arts integration
Outdoor learning
AI and educational technology
Student engagement
Collaborative instructional practices

Classroom Implementation

Teachers will intentionally design lessons that include multiple Balanced Learning experiences each week and provide students with opportunities to learn through varied instructional approaches.

Family Engagement

Share the Balanced Learning vision with families.
Highlight classroom examples throughout the year.
Offer family learning events that encourage creativity, literacy, outdoor exploration, and responsible technology use.