2025-2026 Board of Education goals

The Hackensack Board of Education, upon the recommendation of the Acting Superintendent of Schools and Acting School Business Administrator/Acting Board Secretary, approves the 2025- 2026 Board of Education goals.

1. The Hackensack Board of Education will complete the CSA evaluation by the July 1, 2026 statutory deadline by establishing a clear timeline to support accountability and communication. In September, the Board will schedule the following: Deadline for the CSA’s self-assessment. Deadline for Board members to complete individual evaluations and a compilation meeting to finalize the Annual Performance Report. A June date for the full Board to meet with the CSA to discuss the Annual Performance Report.

2. The Hackensack Board of Education will ensure that all documents related to agenda items are complete, accurate, and available to both Board members and the public unless otherwise exempt by the OPMA to be disclosed to the public prior to any vote. The Board will maintain full compliance with all public access requirements to promote transparency and informed decision-making.

3. The Hackensack Board of Education will make consistent and measurable progress toward earning New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) Professional Development training credits, ensuring board members are well-informed and aligned with best governance practices. The board will complete the yearly Board Self-Evaluation by June 2026.

Hackensack Board of Education, upon the recommendation of the Acting Superintendent of Schools, approves the 2025-2026 following District Goals for finance:

• Implement Board Docs for Agenda and Minute creation.
• Conduct monthly budget meetings with principals to ensure data accuracy and budget transparency.

Hackensack Board of Education, upon the recommendation of the Acting Superintendent of Schools, approves the 2025-2026 following District Goals for facilities:

• Conduct comprehensive district-wide facility site assessments with EI Associates to support long-term capital planning to ensure safe and energy-efficient schools by the start of January 2026.
• Implement an automatic preventive maintenance, routine maintenance, and corrective maintenance work order system with a 90% work order completion rate to ensure long-term facility planning and reduce emergency repairs by the start of January 2026
  • Grades K–4: Student proficiency will be measured through performance on district-created, standards-aligned assessments in reading and mathematics, administered throughout the year.
  • Grades 5–12: Student proficiency will be measured through performance on district-created, standards-aligned final exams in core content areas.

2025-2026 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment goals

Goal 1 Rationale: Using district-created, standards-aligned assessments ensures consistency in measuring student learning across grade levels. Assessments in the early grades capture students’ developing proficiency/mastery of grade-level standards over time, while final exams in the upper grades demonstrate cumulative mastery of grade-level standards. Together, these measures provide a comprehensive picture of student achievement and progress in relation to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

• Goal 1- June 2026, all students in grades K–12 will demonstrate proficiency in standards-aligned learning outcomes as evidenced by district-created assessments.
• Grades K–4: Student proficiency will be measured through performance on district-created, standards-aligned assessments in reading and mathematics, administered throughout the year.
• Grades 5–12: Student proficiency will be measured through performance on district-created, standards-aligned final exams in core content areas.

Goal 2 Rationale: NWEA MAP Growth provides nationally normed, standards-aligned measures to determine student progress.  Setting grade-level growth expectations ensures that all students, regardless of starting point, are supported in making meaningful gains in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math.  Focusing on grade-level achievement ensures collective progress for all students, rather than isolated gains. 

• Goal 2 - By June 2026, the majority of students in Hackensack Public Schools in each grade level will demonstrate an increase in student achievement, as measured by NWEA MAP Growth assessments in reading and mathematics. Specifically, the average percentile rank for each grade level from fall to spring will improve by at least 5 percentile points.