New Egypt Middle School chosen for Dept. of Education program

PLUMSTED — The New Egypt Middle School has been selected as one of only 33 Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Lab Schools by the New Jersey Department of Education and Educational Information and Resource Center Project.

Plumsted Superintendent of Schools Mark DeMareo announced the news during a recent Board of Education meeting.

"Director of Curriculum and Instruction Colleen Gravel was key in getting the New Egypt Middle School approved for the program," New Egypt Middle School Principal Andrea Caldes said.

After applying to be a part of the program in May, the school received an acceptance letter in July, according to district administrators.

Dr. Gerald H. Woehr, Professional Community Lab School project director, said there were more than 70 applications and that New Egypt's interest, commitment and willingness to modify professional development and instructional practices to support the school in moving along the continuum of being a successful professional learning community convinced the program's leadership to select New Egypt Middle School.

The state Department of Education is supporting a change in professional development opportunities for staff members and aiming to create a professional learning community model for PLC.

As a PLC Lab School, New Egypt Middle School PLC Lab School facilitators Deborah Ruggerio and Christina Westby- Gibson, as well as Caldes and Gravel, will be involved in ongoing professional development and training in Professional Learning Communities throughout the 2009-10 school year.

Participation in this project will provide the school with free training for facilitators as well as results from the National Staff Development Council's Standards Assessment Inventory free of charge.

The information from these sessions will be shared to enhance the practice of the PLC across the district.

"While we have PLCs in place in all four schools in Plumsted, as well as a PLC administrator, we are committed to improving their effectiveness because we believe it will improve student achievement," Gravel said. "The research is there to support the belief that the best professional learning is ongoing, job-embedded and most importantly, collaborative."

Gravel said the district has the structures in place to take Plumsted to the next level of student achievement. She said administrators are confident that participation as a PLC Lab School will help the district reach that level.