tracking progress engaging communities Abbott Indicators Technical Report Union City new jersey Education Law CentEr spring 2005 tracking progress engaging communities Abbott Indicators Technical Report Union City new jersey Education Law CentEr union cit y Executive Summary Public education helps today’s children prepare for an adulthood when they can take meaningful roles in society, compete in the labor market, and contribute as members of their communities. All of New Jersey’s children and youth have a constitutional right to a “thorough and efficient” free public education. This represents our state’s promise to provide an education that at least equips students with the knowledge and skills to meet the state’s rigorous academic standards. Until all of New Jersey’s children receive the same high-quality education, this constitutional promise is not realized. union cit y Executive Summary Several years ago, education stakeholders We wrote this report with Union City’s recognized that children did not receive the education stakeholders in mind. The report is same education throughout the state. Urban a tool to help them identify and support what and suburban school districts did not have is working and ensure that remaining chal- the same resources to support their schools. lenges are overcome. The goal of an equally Thanks to the efforts of education profession- sound education for all New Jersey students als, parents, and advocates, the lowest income is reachable with their continued support and cities and the wealthiest suburbs now have commitment. the same funding to support general educa- tion. The poorest urban school districts were union city abbott indicators Project and report required to undergo a series of reforms and improvements to ensure that the funds are Union City is one of 31 urban school districts used to fulfill the constitutional promise. in New Jersey known as Abbott districts. Who should support these reforms and As an Abbott district, Union City receives ensure that the schools continue to improve? funding to equalize its per student general Everyone who cares about public education. education budget with the most successful Schools belong first to the community and suburban school districts in the state. Union everyone in the community has a stake in City’s children and youth are also entitled to them. Parents want their children to have the universal, high-quality preschool; reforms to best education possible. Homeowners and help them meet the state’s rigorous standards businesses support public education through for academic achievement in Kindergarten taxes. Community members want to be sure through Grade 12; safe, healthy, and educa- that their collective investment is used wisely tionally adequate school facilities; and many and effectively to educate the children. other programs and services to ensure that they come to school ready to learn. Through iv TR AcKING PROGRESS, ENGAGING COMMUNITIEs Educ Ation L Aw CentEr union cit y Executive Summary a series of indicators, the Union City Abbott K-12 education (including standards-based Indicators Report presents the status of these reform and student and family supports), and reforms and student progress to date. school facilities construction. All of the rem- The Union City Abbott Indicators Report edies work together to ensure a seamless plan and three others we are releasing this year in for school improvement. They are presented Camden, Newark, and Trenton are products of separately because they have distinctive logics the Abbott Indicators Project at the Education and requirements. Law Center. The report is written for a wide The indicators cover a broad range of audience: everyone with a stake in public edu- topics about school practices and a number cation in Union City. The project goals are to: of student outcomes. We break down school 1. Inform people in Union City about the status practices into six “elements of effective of school improvement efforts and student schooling.”1 Ultimately, maximizing opportu- outcomes. nities for students to learn is the main focus of 2. Engage people in Union City in exploring and discussing what is working and what still needs school improvement efforts. Other elements to be done. of effective schooling are needed to provide 3. Develop and put a plan into action that students with these opportunities. These are: supports school improvement. student and family supports, teacher qualifica- 4. Establish a system of accountability practices that local education stakeholders can use in tions and supports, budget, leadership, and years to come. school facilities. Key findings of the Union City Abbott Academic progress and student well-being Indicators Report are presented below. First, are the end products of all of the elements of we list indicators about Union City as a com- effective schooling. We encourage readers to munity and the students who are enrolled in view student outcomes in light of how well all the public schools. The remaining findings of the elements of effective schooling have are organized by Abbott remedy: preschool, been implemented. In the full report that Educ Ation L Aw CentEr union city Abbott indic Ators Technic al rEport v union cit y Executive Summary follows this summary, all indicators findings Union City students move a great deal more are presented with accompanying tables and than New Jersey students on average—nearly one in five students entered or left their school discussion. at least once during the 2002–03 school year. High student mobility can disrupt educational progress and negatively affect student learning. Key Findings The Community and Students The Preschool Program Union City is the most densely populated city By 2005–06, each Abbott district is required in New Jersey, with a land area just over one to serve 90 percent of its eligible population. square mile and a population of about 67,000. Union City met the enrollment requirement In 2000, more than one in five residents in two years before the state deadline. In 2003– Union City lived below the poverty level, 04, it served 90 percent of the city’s eligible compared to the state average of eight percent. children in its preschool program. More than one in four Union City children lived To serve all of the children in the district, the in families earning below the poverty level, Union City Board of Education contracts with compared to about one in nine statewide. 29 private provider and Head Start programs In 2000, the unemployment rate in Union City to offer Abbott preschool in 36 locations. The was 12 percent, about double that of the state district also runs six preschool programs in its as a whole. own school buildings. More than half of Union City’s residents were To date, the district has used extensive and cre- born in another country, compared to only 18 ative strategies to identify and recruit children percent statewide. into its preschool program. More than 90 percent of Union City’s 11,600 The law requires schools and districts to provide students are eligible for free- or reduced-price children with disabilities with appropriate edu- lunch. cational experiences that are tailored to their in- dividual needs. For as much time as possible, this Nearly fifteen percent of the student enrollment education must be provided in inclusive, rather come from families that recently immigrated. than separate settings. In Union City, most of the Almost half of the students enrolled in the 43 preschoolers with disabilities were educated district do not speak or write English fluently. in self-contained classrooms or received special Nearly all (98%) of the English language learn- education services outside of the preschool set- ers in the district speak Spanish at home. ting for up to three hours per day. vi TR AcKING PROGRESS, ENGAGING COMMUNITIEs Educ Ation L Aw CentEr union cit y Executive Summary Union City’s district and community provider In 2003–04, Union City preschool teachers and programs use the same high-quality, research- administrators were introduced to the Early based curricula. Spanish-speaking preschoolers Language Assessment System (ELAS). The ELAS with limited English proficiency receive the will be used statewide to generate information same high-quality curriculum, with an addi- about how preschoolers are doing and help tional bilingual component. preschool teachers tailor their instruction to The Kindergarten curriculum was recently made children’s needs. more challenging to adapt to the improved The Union City Board of Education is keep- skills of children entering from the Union City ing track of student progress in preschool and preschool program. beyond with the intention of evaluating the Nearly all of the 116 teachers in Union City’s preschool program in the future. preschool program had earned at least a Better program quality and child outcome four-year college degree and were certified as measures are needed for all Abbott preschool required under Abbott. programs to help stakeholders understand the In Union City, the average preschool teacher strengths, weaknesses, and challenges confront- salary was $40,735 in 2004–05. On average ed by Abbott preschool programs. preschool teachers in district-run programs earned about $7,900 more than did teachers in any other provider type. The reasons for this K-12 Education continued difference in salaries is unclear. When Research shows that children in the early compared to teachers in community provider elementary grades benefit from smaller class programs, district teachers have similar levels sizes. Abbott funding has had some immedi- of education, certification, and years serving as ate, clear effects on conditions in Union City lead preschool teacher. schools: average class sizes are smaller than the At $9,164 in 2003–04, Union City’s preschool Abbott standard in most grades. Limited class- program had less money on a per student basis room space hampered the district’s progress in than the other Abbott districts on average.