Encouraging report on testing and positive audit are discussed at Board of Education meeting

A report on the assessment testing of the students and an audit on the Gifted & Talented program was presented during the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, February 21.

The public meeting started after a Community Forum was held in the Bridgewater-Raritan High School auditorium in regards to Referendum 2023 that will go to a vote on March 14. 

Superintendent Bob Beers and Alexis Goldman, a Principal and Design Manager for Solutions Architecture, were the presenters during the forum that featured a review of the Referendum 2023 and a dialogue  of questions and answers.

Once the Community Forum came to a close, the business shifted from the auditorium to the high school’s media center where Jason Mauriello, the school district’s Director of 21st Century Learning/Data Analysis, presented the Start Strong Data report.

Mr. Mauriello revealed the results of the school district’s assessment testing that was performed by the students in English as a Second Language, Mathematics and Science.

Overall, the results were proof of the high-quality education that is provided by the staff to the Bridgewater-Raritan students.

“Compared to the state averages, Bridgewater-Raritan is lower in the category of students who are in need of strong support,” Mr. Mauriello said. 

While the results were positive, he stated that the work will continue throughout the district.

 “Overall we did perform very well, but we will continue to work to make our students successful,” Mr. Mauriello said.

“Kudos to Jason and Mike Poe (Supervisor of Mathematics Grade 5-8),’ claimed Karen Jones, who is the school district’s Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction.

The second report during the Board of Education meeting  was an audit delivered by Dr. Lenore Cortina on the school district’s Gifted & Talented program. 

Dr. Cortina is a consultant to numerous school districts, is an author and teaches a course at Rutgers University.

“You want to look for consistency and you want to develop goals and missions,’ she said.

Dr. Cortina shared to the Board of Education and the entire audience a wide-range of recommendations.

“You want students to engage with their peers but remain in an educational classroom. You must support your teachers. Update the website and your communications. Evaluations should be done. Develop comprehensive programs and small group research. Rationale your goals and understand the purposes. Receive referrals from teachers and parents and collect data on all students, no matter who they were referred to.”

She complimented Bridgewater-Raritan's program.

“I was proud of your surveys with the parents, your studies, your power points and your focused groups,” she said.

She concluded.

“It takes time and it takes straining.”

Meanwhile, four new head coaches will take the sideline when the fall 2023 athletic season gets under way.

The Board of Education announced the hiring of head coaches for the football, boys’

 soccer, field hockey and girls’ volleyball teams.

 Each new head coach was promoted after serving as an assistant coach in their sport at Bridgewater-Raritan.

They all replace coaches who either retired or resigned.

Daniel Catalano will be the head skipper of the Panther football team, replacing Rick Mantz who retired. 

Mark Heinbach is the new head boys’ soccer coach, filling the opening after Rick Szeles had retired .

Samantha Strathern will be on the sidelines leading the field hockey team. Stefania Swider moved on from Bridgewater-Raritan to become the head field hockey coach at Delaware Valley University in Pennsylvania. 

Joshua Everett will direct the girls’ volleyball team after Corey Romanak retired. Romanak, however, will continue to coach the Panther boys’ volleyball team this spring.

To watch the complete Board of Education meeting that was held on February 21, visit the main page on the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District website and click on the About Us tab. Then scroll down to the Board of Education and click on BOE live.

Click HERE for information on BRRSD Referendum 2023