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A state official assigned to monitor the Department of Education standardized assessment test roll out at School Development Authority [SDA] District schools [formerly known as Abbott Districts] has been hired by the Asbury Park School District.

SDA Districts remain under state supervision and their school building and renovation project costs are covered by state funding. Asbury Park School District received $55.4 million in state aid for the current school year, a .0425 increase since 2013.

The Board of Education approved Dr. Bari Erlichson position as Chief Performance  Officer Thursday night at a salary of $140,000 for a prorated timeframe of Nov 7 through June 30, 2017.

“I’m very excited and pleased to be joining the team in Asbury Park,” the Princeton resident said via a telephone interview. “I’ve been working with them for the last year and I’m delighted to be able to work with them full time on operationalizing their data and to improve student learning outcomes.”

Superintendent Lamont Repollet said the hiring means an unprecedented access to expertise associated with the state mandated Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers [PARCC] test that replaced the former NJASK assessment two years ago.

“It’s actually, for us, a value pick,” Repollet said. “This is someone who can come in and add to what we are already doing. To have someone with that expertise is great but more importantly, it lets us know that quality individuals [or candidates] are willing to come to Asbury Park School District to help us build a brighter future. That is what I am excited about, that people want to be a part of what we are doing.”

Erlichson is the former Assistant to the Commissioner of Education and chief performance officer charged with heading up PARCC test assessment efforts for the SDA districts.

“We are very delighted to have Dr. Erlichson,” said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Sancha Gray. “She has been the leader of the PARCC assessment in terms of the interpretation and the understanding that school districts in the state of New Jersey have had. So, she would be our forefront person that would have communicated the importance of the test, how the test is constructed, the types of questions, and how we drill down to granular details at the student level.

“What she will bring is her expertise on how the test is developed, how it is constructed, how it ties to the standards, and then how those standards inform our curriculum, support our constructional practices in the classroom, and then actually share with teachers what those instructional practices are that they need to be engaged in,” Gray said. “Now they will have a laser sharp focus on what specific needs the students have individually, what specific needs a class has, what specific needs a grade level has in order to target instruction for our school district.”

The Asbury Park School District is one of 31 SDA schools. It is currently undergoing its own revitalization, with a goal of changing low test standings with opportunities for educational advancements and career opportunities for its  students.

This year the PARCC assessment test scores showed the district students made significant gains in terms of literacy and reaching at grade level valuations.

In the past two years under Repollet’s leadership, the district has implemented a Career and College Readiness program, a Dream Academy initiative that allows students to obtain college credit at time of their high school graduation, and specialized in house engineering and science training.

It’s graduation rate grew from 49% in 2014 to 66% in 2015, and 73% in 2016.

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