It is the mission of the Englewood Cliffs School District to strive for excellence in the academic, personal/social, and creative development of each individual student. This will be accomplished through the positive collaboration of our entire school learning community.

The educational community will create a safe, nurturing environment that honors the cultural diversity of our students and our society. Our students will develop character and moral values that help them become productive members of our society. The educational family will develop responsible citizens that will respect and take pride in our national heritage.

Vision Statement

It is the vision of the Englewood Cliffs School District to become a community of learners. Working collaboratively we will unite students, parents, staff, and the community in the creation of a safe and nurturing educational environment that will foster academic achievement and stimulate a life-long love of learning. Our district will encourage self and social awareness, promote character development and honor diversity in order to prepare students to contribute responsibly to the advancement of our democratic society.

Leadership

The district recognizes that effective leadership is essential to the success of our mission. Administrators will work collaboratively with staff to establish a trusting relationship. Motivational and transformational methods will encourage teachers to exercise their instructional leadership and focus upon the success of our mission. Effective leadership and development of our support staff is also important to the successful operation of our schools.

Instruction and Curriculum

The district emphasizes the fundamental importance of the classroom teacher in both the development and delivery of instruction. Professional development will occur on a regular basis to extend the skills of our faculty. Ample time will be provided in the schedule for staff to work collaboratively in team and grade level meetings in order to construct and implement our program of instruction.

The district’s curriculum shall be the comprehensive plan for providing equal access for all children to high quality instruction based on research and best practices. The Balanced and Aligned Curriculum Development Process will be used in the development and revision of curriculum and will enhance the participation of staff in the development of the program of instruction. This process allows teachers to balance their own ideas and professional expertise with other educational resources and requirements including: the existing curriculum, New Jersey Core Content Curriculum Standards, the content and format of standardized assessments, textbooks, technological resources and the views of educational experts.

The curriculum will also be aligned to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning to foster the development of higher order thinking skills. The instructional program shall further recognize and address the multiple intelligences and different learning styles of our students.

The curriculum must be crafted to create specific opportunities for students to develop interpersonal and social skills, explore their creativity, experience the diversity of our community and understand the importance of our national heritage.

The efforts of our district to develop a quality program of instruction must be preserved on a continuous basis and be readily accessible to all members of the educational community.

Individuality

Respect, compassion, and appreciation for the unique qualities of each individual member of our academic community will be encouraged. Teachers will provide relevant experiences that are not only intellectually challenging but also engender a sense of joy and wonder as students discover themselves, their society and the world around them. Social responsibility and caring will be encouraged through Character Education and our staff shall recognize the importance of their positions as models of enlightened and compassionate conduct.

Community

The district will foster public awareness and respect for education within the community through a program of communication, participation and understanding. This will serve to complete the assembly of our collegial educational environment, will foster student achievement and develop responsible and caring life-long learners that perceive no boundaries or limits to their achievement.