Future Ready

The Howell Township Public School District received notification from Future Ready Schools - New Jersey (FRS-NJ) that the district has officially been awarded the 2019 FRS-NJ Silver District Distinction through the FRS-NJ Certification Program. The Silver District Distinction is currently the highest tier and accolade a district and its schools can receive through the Future Ready – NJ program.

Howell Township School District is among only four districts throughout the state to earn the 2019 Silver District Distinction. Howell is joined by Middletown Township Public Schools, Northern Valley Regional High School District, and Morris Plains School District in being awarded the Silver District Distinction.

To reach this distinction, Howell Township Public Schools were required to undergo a rigorous evaluation process over the past three years. All twelve Howell Township schools began the FRS-NJ process by achieving the Bronze Certification in 2017, then Silver Certification in 2018, and now the district and its schools have achieved Silver District Distinction in 2019. Among other achievements, Silver District Distinction required that all district schools had received Silver Tier Certification, actively participated on the FRS-NJ Awards Committee, collaborated with other districts to support and mentor them through the Bronze tier certification process, provided Certified School Exemplars, presented future ready experiences and outcomes at various statewide professional events, and welcomed educators and leaders to their district/schools to witness first-hand how the district achieved their FRS-NJ success.

In 2017, all of Howell’s schools were part of the inaugural cohort of 63 schools to receive the FRS-NJ Bronze certification. For the 2018 certification cycle, Howell schools represented 12 of 35 schools from six districts in the state who earned the Silver Level of certification. The Silver District Distinction requirements will be featured components of the Gold Tier District Certification, meaning that districts that were awarded this distinction will be well on their way to meeting the requirements of the coming Gold Tier District Certification.

Future Ready Schools - New Jersey Certification Program is a partnership of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), and the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). The program builds upon the model of its national counterpart, which was created by the Alliance for Excellent Education, to support the schools' and districts' efforts to promote the skills, abilities, and capacities essential for success in college, career, and citizenship in a digital age.

Jeremy Reich, Project Coordinator of Future Ready Schools – New Jersey, said, "The Silver District Distinction recognizes those New Jersey districts that exemplify the future ready mindset and have taken a leadership role in supporting other districts in the #FutureReadyNJ community. The four districts that received the first distinctions are those that undertook the FRS-NJ process from the very beginning, which in itself shows that these districts truly believe in providing their students with quality educations and their educators with support and leadership that empowers them to prepare future ready students."

While accomplishments of this kind are certainly a source of pride, we recognize that they only signify a journey that will require continued commitment. It is our district’s belief that providing innovative, caring and personalized learning environments is part of our obligation to students to ensure their readiness for a lifetime of informed citizenship in a digital society. Distinctions such as this are only possible due to the efforts of a supportive Board of Education and committed staff members who work tirelessly to provide such environments for our students.

Future Ready Schools NJ Certification Video Highlights

Adelphia School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/a_IYPwqpcwg

Aldrich School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/h-3dGSM7EOE

Ardena School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/bfHp3IOCgOI

Greenville School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/03YVtY2_qdg

Griebling School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/uTPwAIJPKvc

Land O’ Pines School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/R-L4MdhmSpk

Memorial School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/IYOAx2hg-IQ

Newbury School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/E66VnM_7WM4

Ramtown School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/tygU0jEoWgg

Taunton School Future Ready: https://youtu.be/QceGKXIXQjQ

Middle School South Future Ready: https://youtu.be/VhBNI5697ac

Middle School North Future Ready: https://youtu.be/ySQEtEQNags