Natalie Biello
Helping Build A Stronger Millstone
IMPROVING
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Millstone Township has every structural advantage—exceptional funding, small classes, wealthy educated families—yet consistently underperforms when compared to similar districts in Monouth County and across New Jersey. These are just some of the ideas I would like to evaluate should I be elected. They are concrete ideas with measurable paths to transform our substantial investments into the exceptional outcomes our community deserves and our students need.
IMPROVING THE ROI ON EDUCATION
ISSUE#1
High Spend With Lower Than Expected Results
Despite spending $24,527 per student—50% above the national average—Millstone ranks dead last in academic achievement among comparable affluent Monmouth County districts, with Colts Neck outperforming us by 14 points in reading and 22 points in math while spending nearly the same amount.
ISSUE#2
Millstone lags behind its affluent Monmouth County peers
Colts Neck, for example, achieves 11-16 percentage points higher proficiency with similar demographics. This performance gap represents our most pressing challenge and suggests fundamental instructional improvements are needed beyond simply maintaining small classes.
ISSUE #3
Math Proficiency Threatening High School Readiness
Math proficiency catastrophically drops 13 percentage points between elementary school (57%) and middle school (44%), meaning 1 in 8 students who were succeeding in 5th grade are failing by 8th grade.
KEY TACTICS WE SHOULD BE EVALUATING
Adopt High Performing Peer District Best Practices
Study districts like Colts Neck's that achieve 75% reading and 73% math proficiency despite similar demographics. Let's send teams to observe their classrooms, curriculum implementation & assessment practices. Our low hanging fruit is to focus on replicating specific strategies rather than just maintaining small class sizes.
Optimize Staffing Through Strategic Redeployment
With a 10:1 student-teacher ratio versus peers achieving better results at 12:1, examine whether all 117 FTE positions directly impact instruction. Consider converting some positions to math/reading specialists, instructional coaches, or data analysts who can multiply teacher effectiveness across the district.
Launch Summer Math Bridge or
20 Minute After School Program
Require rising 6th graders scoring below 65% to attend after school sessions or a summer program, preventing the documented performance cliff between elementary and middle school.
Implement Real Time Data Tracking & Intervention
Establish systematic use of formative assessments and data teams to identify struggling students earlier. Train teachers in data analysis and response-to-intervention strategies. Create "data walls" tracking individual student progress and ensuring no child falls through the cracks despite small class sizes.
Leverage Technology for Personalized Learning
Millstone could invest in adaptive learning platforms that can differentiate instruction at scale, reducing the need for additional staff while improving outcomes. Programs like Kahn Academy, i-Ready or IXL could provide individualized practice and real-time data on student progress, maximizing the impact of existing teachers.
Create Board-Level Academic Achievement Committee
Form a specialized board committee focused solely on academic outcomes, meeting monthly to review progress toward matching Colts Neck's 75% proficiency benchmarks.
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO BUILD A STRONGER MILLSTONE
STAY CLOSE TO THE CAMPAIGN
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