Curriculum & Instruction
Dear Parents and Guardians,
At South Amboy Public Schools, we are committed to providing the best educational experience for your child. To ensure we continue to meet our goals and make informed decisions about our curriculum, we are conducting a Curriculum Audit. Your input is valuable in this process, and we invite you to participate in our Curriculum Audit Parent Survey.
The purpose of this survey is to gather your feedback and insight about your child's educational experience at South Amboy Public Schools. Your responses will help us understand your perspectives, concerns, and goals regarding our curriculum. The survey will focus on three overarching areas for:
• Curriculum and Instruction,
• Assessment and Accountability, and
• Leadership
Your input will assist us in identifying strengths and areas for growth in our educational programs. We value your thoughts and experiences as essential components of our ongoing commitment to educational excellence. The survey will be accessible online and can be completed at your convenience. To access the survey, please use the link below for your preferred language:
The survey will be available from November 13, 2023 to December 15, 2023. Your responses will be confidential and your identity will remain anonymous. If you have multiple children attending our school, we encourage you to complete a separate survey for each child to ensure we capture a well-rounded perspective.
Thank you for being a valued member of the South Amboy Public Schools community. We appreciate your time and effort in participating in this important initiative. Your involvement in our curriculum audit is a testament to your dedication to your child's education and the success of our school. Together, we can work towards making our school an even better place for your child's learning and growth.
Sincerely,
Dr. Martin Gurczeski Jr.
Assistant Superintendent
Curriculum and Assessment
Curriculum
Curriculum and Standards
- New Jersey Student Learning Standards
- Elementary School Curriculum
- Middle School Curriculum
- High School Curriculum
New Jersey Student Learning Standards
The New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) are reviewed and revised every five years. The 2020 NJSLS were adopted by the State Board of Education on June 3, 2020. The 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards webpage provides links to the 2020 NJSLS and information regarding curriculum implementation dates.
In 1996, the New Jersey State Board of Education adopted the state's first set of academic standards called the Core Curriculum Content Standards. The standards described what students should know and be able to do upon completion of a thirteen-year public school education. Over the last twenty years, New Jersey's academic standards have laid the foundation for local district curricula that are used by teachers in their daily lesson plans.
Revised every five years, the standards provide local school districts with clear and specific benchmarks for student achievement in nine content areas. Developed and reviewed by panels of teachers, administrators, parents, students, and representatives from higher education, business, and the community, the standards are influenced by national standards, research-based practice, and student needs. The standards define a "Thorough and Efficient Education" as guaranteed in 1875 by the New Jersey Constitution. Currently the standards are designed to prepare our students for college and careers by emphasizing high-level skills needed for tomorrow's world.
The New Jersey Student Learning Standards include Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, as well as nine K-12 standards for the following content areas:
Career Readiness, Life Literacies, and Key Skills
Comprehensive Health and Physical Education
English Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Computer Science & Design Thinking
Visual and Performing Arts
World Languages
Elementary School Curriculum
For information regarding the Elementary School Curriculum click on the subject links below.
English/Language Arts:
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Phonemic Awareness Grade 1
Phonemic Awareness Grade 2
Mathematics:
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Physical Education:
Health K-2 Health 3-5
Physical Education K-2
Physical Education 3-5
Science:
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Social Studies
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Specials:
American Sign Language
Art K-2
Art 3-5
Music K-2
Music 3-5
Middle School Curriculum
For information regarding the Middle School Curriculum click on the subject links below.
English/Language Arts:
ELA Grade 6
ELA Grade 7
ELA Grade 8
Fine Arts:
Art 6/7/8
Music 6/7/8
Mathematics:
Math Grade 6 Math Grade 7 Math Grade 8
Physical Education/Health:
Health Grade 6
Health Grade 7
Health Grade 8
Physical Education 6/7/8
Science:
Integrated Science Grade 6
Integrated Science Grade 7
Integrated Science Grade 8
Social Studies:
Social Studies Grade 6
Social Studies Grade 7
Social Studies Grade 8
Technology:
Financial Literacy
World Languages:
Spanish 8
High School Curriculum
For information regarding the High School Curriculum click on the subject links below.
Business/Technology:
Personal Finance
Computer Applications
Desktop Publishing
Web Page Design
English/Language Arts:
ELA Grade 9/9H
ELA Grade 10/10H
ELA Grade 11/11H
ELA Grade 12/12H
AP English Literature and Composition
AP English Language and Composition
Creative Writing
Mathematics:
Algebra 1
Geometry/Honors
Algebra 2/Honors
Pre Calculus
Calculus/Honors
Physical Education/Health:
Physical Education 9/10/11/12
Health 9
Health 10
Health 11
Health 12
Science:
Lab Biology/Honors
Lab Chemistry/Honors
Lab Physics
Environmental Science
Human Anatomy
Social Studies:
World History/Honors
United States History 1/Honors
United States History 2/Honors
AP U.S. Government and Politics
Criminal Justice
Criminal Law
Visual and Performing Arts:
Introduction to Art
Drawing 1 & 2
Painting 1 & 2
Sculpture
Digital Photography
Introduction to Music
Instrumental Music/Band
Guitar 1 & 2
Keyboarding 1 & 2
World Languages:
Spanish 1
Spanish 2/Honors
Spanish 3/Honors
Spanish 4/Honors
- Amistad
- Assessment Plan 2023-2024
- Content Area Links
- Dynamic Learning Map (DLM)
- English as a Second Language
- Diversity Equity & Inclusion
- GIFTED & TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES
- Graduation Requirements 2023-2025
- Home Instructions / Home Schooling
- New Teacher Academy
- PARCC Assessment and NJ Start Strong
- Seal of Biliteracy
- State Assessment Testing Schedule
Amistad
The Amistad Commission
The Amistad Bill (A 1301), which became a law in 2002, calls on New Jersey schools to incorporate African-American history into their social studies curriculum. This bill was sponsored by Assembly members William D. Payne and Craig A. Stanley.
The bill created an Amistad Commission in order to introduce and weave African-American history into the K-12 curriculum. New Jersey took the unprecedented move of making certain that the curriculum reflected accurate events and roles of major historical figures in the context of historical accuracy and inclusion in United States history as well as world history.
The Board of Education of the South Amboy Public Schools is committed to the mission of providing our students with a quality instructional program that supports positive citizenship, and community awareness in a multicultural world that supports and encourages equity and diversity.
Amistad Curriculum
The Amistad Commission ensures that the Department of Education and public schools of New Jersey implement materials and texts which integrate the history and contributions of African-Americans and the descendants of the African Diaspora. Amistad Curriculum
Goals:
1. To infuse the history of Africans and African-Americans into the social studies curriculum in order to provide an accurate, complete and inclusive history.
2. To ensure that New Jersey teachers are equipped to effectively teach the revised social studies standards.
3. To create and coordinate workshops, seminars, institutes, memorials, and events which raise public awareness about the importance of the history of African Americans to the growth and development of American society in global content.
Amistad Participant Workbook - Breaking Bias
Amistad Participant Workbook - Breaking Bias Pt. 2
School Initiatives
Black History Month Activities Middle/High School 2021
Black History Month Activities Elementary School 2021
Black History Month Activities Elementary School 2022
Martin's Big Words - Slideshow
Martin's Big Words - Video
Teacher Resources
Black History Month Activities Middle/High School 2022
Activities List
Teaching Black History, Thought, and Culture Through Art
Black History Month Articles 2023
Voter Suppression: No Voice, No Representation
Double Burden on Black Farmers in America
Addressing Race-Based Hair Discrimination
Battling Over How to Teach About Racism
More Than Meets the Eye in Cross-Racial IDs
Teacher Resources
1619 Project
The Amistad Case - National Archives
The Amistad Commission’s Literacy Components for Primary Grades
Anti-Defamation League
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938
Breaking Bias: Lessons from the Amistad
Colonial Williamsburg
Discovering Amistad
Dawning of Modern Civil Rights
Fountain Hughes Audio, NT Times 1619 Podcast
Michelle Obama Speech (The House That was Built by Slaves)
The Missing Pieces of America's Education, Washington Post
The Myth of Race
National Museum of African American History & Culture
The Office-Diversity Day
Race-The Power of an Illusion
Selma Clip (Literacy Test)
Secret History of a Northern Slave State: How Slavery was Written into New Jersey's DNA
Slavery in New Jersey: A Troubled History
Social Justice Books: Books for early Childhood Educators and Parents
Teaching Hard History Podcasts, Teaching Tolerance
Uncounted: Treva Thompson (Voter Suppression)
U.S. vs The Amistad, 40 U.S. 518 (1841)
Assessment Plan 2023-2024
To view the districts Assessment Calendar and Plan for the 2023-2024 school year, click below.
2023-2024 Assessment Plan
Content Area Links
- Climate Change
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- ELL - English Language Learners
- English Language Arts/Elementary
- English Language Arts/Secondary
- Hispanic American Heritage Month
- J. Paul Getty Museum
- Mathematics/Elementary
- Mathematics/Secondary
- Mindfulness Resources
- Physical Education
- Restraint and Seclusion
- Science/Elementary
- Science/Middle School
- Science/High School
- Special Education
- Social Emotional Learning
- Social Studies
- Teacher Resources
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Reference Works
Climate Change
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
26 Mini-Films for Exploring Race, Bias and Identity with Students
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage and History in the U.S.
Breaking Bias: Lessons from the Amistad
Children's Books: Portrayals of People with Disabilities
Debunking Stereotypes About Muslims and Islam
Incorporating LGBTQ+ Students and Texts in Your Classroom
Museum of disAbility History
Native American Cultures Across the U.S.
Not "Indians," Many Tribes: Native American Diversity
Lets Talk: Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students
The LGBT Rights Movement: An Introduction
LGBTQ Academic Contributions Grades 6-12
Teaching with Historic Places
The Wing Luke Museum of Asian Pacific American Experience
More Sample Activities & Lessons by Grade
ELL - English Language Learners
English Language Arts/Elementary
English Language Arts/Secondary
Hispanic American Heritage Month
J. Paul Getty Museum
Mathematics/Elementary
Mathematics/Secondary
Mindfulness Resources
Physical Education
Restraint and Seclusion
Science/Elementary
Science/Middle School
Science/High School
Special Education
Social Emotional Learning
Social Studies
9/11 Memorial & Museum
American Museum of Natural History
Commission on Holocaust Education
Congress/Legislative Information
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
Future Voters Project
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
iCivics
National Archives Teachers' Resources
Responding to Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol
Resources for a Civil Classroom
Teach 2020
Teaching About Elections
Teaching Civics
Teaching Resources
The Mark Twain House and Museum
UCONN/Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development
Teacher Resources
Visual and Performing Arts
Reference Works
Dynamic Learning Map (DLM)
The Dynamic Learning Map (DLM) English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science assessment is designed for students with the most significant intellectual disabilities.
2021 - 2022 DLM Presentation
2020 - 2021 DLM Presentation
English as a Second Language
English as a Second Language Program
The English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum for grades K-12 has been aligned to the ESL standards for grades K-12, developed by Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and which have been adopted into code by the New Jersey State Department of Education. The framework of the South Amboy Public Schools ESL curriculum guide is based directly on the WIDA standards.
The ESL Program in the South Amboy Public Schools is a pullout program for grades K-5. Each student at the K-5 level receives a minimum of thirty minutes of instruction per day. Each student at the 6-12 grade level receives a minimum of one period (42 minutes) per day. Class sizes are small and instruction is individualized.
Identification and Assessment of ELLs
Identification of ELLs (English Language Learners)
During the registration process, if a language other than English is spoken at home, an English as a Second Language Teacher will screen your child. The teacher will use the WIDA Model test to see if he/she is eligible to receive services. After completion of the Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing, The Test Administrator (ESL) will use the instructions on the scoring sheet to calculate the students overall Proficiency Level. If the student is eligible for services, the parents will be notified about their child's eligibility and the services that will be provided. The child will be placed in an ESL class that is appropriate to his/her grade level and English language proficiency after parents consent to placement in the program.
All students who are eligible to receive services will be notified no later that 30 (thirty) days of being screened. Parents will be notified of the score, method of instruction, ESL teacher and placement location.
Assessment
ACCESS for ELLS
All English Language Learners are tested once each year using the ACCESS for ELLs test to measure English Language Proficiency as well as to determine placement for the following year. All students also participate in the state assessment process with recommended accommodations. As soon as students meet the multiple exit criteria they will be placed in the general education program. It is expected that all students will advance each year and that all students will exit within three full years of participation in the program. Please note, per federal program requirements, any student that is found eligible to receive ESL services will participate in the ACCESS for ELLs test even if services have been refused.
For more information about the ACCESS for ELLs test, please click here.
NJSLA
All ELLs in grades 3-8 will participate in the NJSLA test and will be given extended time, until the end of the day, to complete all subjects on the test. In addition, all ELLs are entitled to and will be given a word-for-word dictionary in their native language.
NJSLA ELA
For grades 3 through 8 newly arrived students attending U.S. schools on or after June 1 of the prior school year, are not required to participate in the English Language Arts Literacy (ELA/L) portion of the assessment. However, they must participate in the NJSLA ELA/L assessments with the appropriate ELL test accommodations only if they need to take the assessments to meet graduation requirements.
For more information:
Please refer to District Policy 6142.2 for additional information
New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Bilingual/ESL Education
Related Files:
Initial Notification Letter that Child Qualifies for ESL Program
Recommendation Letter that Child Continues in the ESL Program
Goals of ESL
The goals of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program in the South Amboy Public Schools are to enable the English Language Learner (ELL) student to acquire English language skills and to become mainstreamed into the academic and social context of his/her school environment. Specifically the goals of the program are to:
1. Provide developmental English language instruction, including both academic and social language skills in order to mainstream students as quickly as possible into courses where they will achieve success and sustain positive self-esteem.
2. Provide a program that fulfills each individual's needs and abilities. Emphasis will be given to the whole student (cognitive, social, emotional, and physical), which dictates flexibility in the program. The program takes into consideration: previous school experience, age, literacy level, culture, native language, interest and self-concept.
3. Develop lessons that appeal to both the cognitive and affective domains. Study skills are taught for each level and both students and teachers are made responsible for learning.
4. Include the parents and community so both student and family feel a strong sense of belonging and involvement. Parents are informed of students’ progress through conferences, phone calls, progress reports and report cards.
5. Address the individuality of the learner and care for each student as a whole person. This program will use an eclectic approach using humanistic as well as academic means.
6. Provide academic content support based on World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards and the New Jersey Language Proficiency Standards.
Resources
Diversity Equity & Inclusion
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is a term used to describe policies and programs that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of different ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations.
NJDOE Equity Web Page
Below are some links to helpful resources regarding DEI:
5 Tips for Developing Intersectionality Practices and Awareness in Your Classroom
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Act 2021
Commission on Asian American Heritage
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Educational Resources
Five Strategies to Addressing Racial Bias
How Confirmation Bias Presents Challenges in Teaching
Sample Activities and Lessons by Grade Level
Sandy Hook Promise
Teaching at the Intersections
Below are specific links to Equity Standards:
Equity Practices (within rigorous content)
Equity Drivers (within transformational processes)
Equity Foundations (within conditions for success)
For all the information on the standards click here.
GIFTED & TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES
Graduation Requirements 2023-2025
State Board Adoption of Graduation Assessment Requirements for Classes of 2023–2025
On September 8, 2021, the State Board of Education adopted graduation assessment requirements for the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The new regulations comply with State statute (N.J.S.A. 18A:7C-1 et seq.) and require, , as a prerequisite for graduation, all students to demonstrate proficiency by achieving a passing score on the English language arts (ELA) and mathematics components of the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment, by achieving a passing score on a substitute competency assessment, or by submitting portfolio appeals through their district.
Students in the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025 will take the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment in grade 11. The assessment will be aligned to New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for grade 10 ELA and NJSLS for Algebra I and Geometry. The assessment format will be familiar to students and educators, as it will be delivered on the same platform students use for the current New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA).
To view the full memo and requirements please click here.
Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Regarding New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment and Graduation Assessment Requirements for the Class of 2023
This broadcast provides notification that on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, Governor Murphy signed P.L.2022, c.60 (ACS for A-3196/S-2349), which requires the State Board of Education to administer the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency
Assessment (NJGPA) as a field test for the class of 2023. Additional guidance related to this legislation is provided in this memo.
To view the full memo click here.
Home Instructions / Home Schooling
Home Instruction
For information regarding Home Bound Instruction, please see the below links.
Home Schooling
For information regarding Home Schooling, please see the below links.
Home Schooling FAQ
Home Schooling Withdrawal Agreement
New Teacher Academy
PARCC Assessment and NJ Start Strong
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a group of states working together to develop a set of assessments that measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers. These high quality, computer-based K–12 assessments in Mathematics and English Language Arts Literacy give teachers, schools, students, and parents more detailed information on student progress. Reports give all stakeholders information to determine whether students are on track in their learning, gauge future success after high school, and provides data to help teachers customize learning to meet the needs of students.
PARCC Preparation Resources:
Typing Practice:
PARCC Assessments for NJ Start Strong
Helpful Resources for the NJ Start Strong
Seal of Biliteracy
New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) offers the option for graduating high school students to attain the State Seal of Biliteracy by demonstrating proficiency in English and one or more world languages.
Students who attain this distinction receive an NJDOE-issued certificate and transcript notation indicating the awarding of the Seal of Biliteracy, a program that was enacted by the legislature in 2016. The NJDOE has developed criteria to designate students as biliterate.
For more detailed information on the criteria, visit the NJDOE Seal of Biliteracy webpage.
Note: Modifications have been made to the process by which this year’s graduating students can demonstrate proficiency in English and one or more world languages because of COVID-19 and are outlined in this New Jersey Department of Education memo.
- Demonstrated proficiency in English by meeting English language arts graduation requirements or attained the appropriate cut score on the ACCESS for ELLs assessment (for English Language Learners); and
- Demonstrated a linguistic proficiency level of at least Intermediate Mid according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines, or demonstrated a level deemed equivalent to Intermediate Mid for languages such as American Sign Language or Native American languages.
NJ State Seal of Biliteracy 2022-2023 Brochure
State Assessment Testing Schedule
For information about the State of New Jersey's testing schedule please visit the links below:
Statewide Assessment Testing Schedule 2022-2023