Mission Statement

The Eastern Camden County Regional School District is committed to an exemplary educational program, based upon the Core Curriculum Content Standards as adopted by the State Board of Education, that inspires and prepares life-long learners who contribute to society as caring, productive, and responsible individuals.

Our Vision

At Eastern Regional, students make the connection to life-long learning.

Academically, students are both nurtured and challenged as they explore an array of disciplines through a variety of opportunities. Through the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards, teachers design curriculum to foster the development of skills that will enable students to function effectively in a rapidly changing global and technological society. Teachers base instruction on the firm belief that every student can learn. School staff, together with community resources, integrate career and educational planning to assist students as they begin to explore future employment opportunities.

Physically, students are protected within a safe school environment where respect for the individual and an appreciation of diversity are of the utmost importance. In addition, students are supported and encouraged to develop health practices that will enable them to live a full, active, and energetic life.

Socially, students are valued and respected for both their unique qualities and their youthful perspective. The students, their parents, the school staff, and the local community realize that education is a responsibility shared by all.

Emotionally, students are encouraged to take pride in their accomplishments, whether they are academic, artistic, athletic, personal, or career-related. The development of self-esteem, personal responsibility, and self-respect is integrated into every aspect of the school experience.

2023-2024 District Goals 

District Goals to support sustainable and dynamic consistency start with four foundational Strategic Directions detailed by Priorities aligned to single or multi-year Initiatives and Actions annually approved. 

The collaborative work of the District Advisory Council (DAC) throughout the school year provides oversight and guidance for designing District Goals. In the 2023-2024 school year, in addition to tracking the Initiatives and Actions, DAC members will evaluate emerging trends by examining the larger educational environment by specifically reviewing top New Jersey high schools. 

Strategic Direction #1:

Support a positive and equitable school culture and climate that fosters resiliency, voice, and agency among students, staff, and stakeholders.

Priorities:

• Engage in collaborative discussion and effective communication.
• Align co-curricular programming for each student to connect with peers and advisors beyond the classroom.
• Support civic-minded programs to develop an empathetic citizenry.
• Foster hard-work, persistence, and dedication in the learning process develop a growth mindset.
• Meet the needs of the whole child through an inclusive, diverse, and tolerant learning environment

Initiatives and Actions:

• Implement an administrative structure supporting RTI and MTSS, including a new web-based monitoring system (aSAP)  for students requiring Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions and recovery. 
• Incorporate best practices and strategies for conflict-resolution and de-escalation to address student emotional and behavioral needs.
• Meaningfully increase student voice, particularly  from students in our clubs and activities. 
• Evaluate the new existing co-curricular and extra-curricular programming for the purpose of devising a sustainable structure for increasing opportunities for student engagement and inclusiveness, and correlating with other successful student profile metrics.
• Continue to improve the newly redesigned school website, newsletters and social media as part of the theme to visualize the success of our students and programs and provide greater transparency. Add students’ and staff’s contributions directly to our social media presence.
• Better align district measures of success with web-based public evaluation models.

Strategic Direction #2: 

Create a sustainable, comprehensive, and multimodal approach to provide social and emotional support for the entire ECCRSD community

Priorities:

• Implement a cohesive social-emotional learning plan, using expert consultants, for students, staff, and families to support mental health, mindfulness, and stress management.
• Provide professional development to generate and sustain a healthy organization for all to endure the public health emergency.

Initiatives and Actions:

• Provide professional development for staff members to be Mental First Aid certified.
• Provide professional development for staff members to join the Lion’s Story program for cultural and racial literacy.
• Provide professional development in conceptual understanding of de-escalation and provide practical strategies for various situations. 
• Formalize in our Atlas curriculum platform our Freshman Studies program. 
• Sustain and building upon SEL-initiatives presently funded by federal grants beyond the grant funding window (September 2023 and September 2024).
• Continue to expand our student-centered wellness initiatives through peer leadership and community partnerships. 
• Continue to have expert consultants and clinical staff to provide students, parents, and staff with direct support and resources for social-emotional wellness.
• Use grant funding to support staff wellness resources and programming.

Strategic Direction #3: 

Provide engaging, high-quality instruction and learning experiences for students to support academic rigor, equitable opportunity, and develop life skills.

Priorities:

• Expand cross-disciplinary engaging educational programming to foster various Pathways for students to concentrate their studies and earn dual credit. 
• Evaluate curriculum offerings and resources to support inclusiveness throughout school. 
• Monitor student performance and develop interventions to address students’ needs.
• Create new and improved coordination to recruit and retain staff across every position to adapt to the labor shortages.

Initiatives and Actions:

• Implement the Mindprint assessment for all freshmen. MindPrint is the only MTSS solution that uses objective cognitive data to identify student strengths and provide strategies personalized to students' learning needs.
• Administer benchmark assessments to gather standards-based achievement data throughout the school year. Develop and implement protocols to evaluate and respond to the data.
• Continue to track the progress of the math programming to support the extension to increase participation in higher level math courses. 
• Expand engaging educational programming in science, math, engineering, and technology curriculum, establishing career and technical education programming (STEM Pathway).
• Expand the Eastern Cultural Repository to reflect the perspectives and interests of all students.
• Track the intervention strategies of the expanded Title I Freshman Supports program.
• Recruit and retain qualified staff in a challenging labor market.

Strategic Direction #4: 

Provide a safe and secure learning environment adapted to 21st century educational expectations, using efficient and sustainable facilities and infrastructure.

Priorities:

• Invest in technological resources, hardware and software, to support meaningful actions, to support district and school personnel at all levels, and in all departments, to work together to improve planning, decision making, curriculum, pedagogy, budgeting, and technology resources to help students become better prepared for the future.
• Invest in facility upgrades to prepare the district for current and future public health concerns to maintain a safe and secure school.
• Invest in instructional staffing and security staffing to provide expanded programs to meet the needs of students created by the public health emergency

 Initiatives and Actions:

• Establish a School Safety Threat Assessment team, including a web-based platform to process, monitor, and track needed support.
• Provide high-level capacity training for medical and security emergencies.
• Implement new restroom ceiling sensors with procedures for supporting a safe school environment. 
• Upgrade to new and consistent modalities for securing locations of the school building. 
• Continue to upgrade internal communication infrastructure for communicating during emergency situations. 
• Qualify for recognition as a Digital Schools Star in the Sustainable New Jersey Digital Schools program.
• Direct federal grant funding to meet staffing, technology, security, social-emotional wellness, learning acceleration, and health and cleaning protocols due to the public health emergency.

BOE approved:  August, 2023