One of Nancy Kutsup's greatest responsibilities as an administrator was working closely with the New Jersey Department of Education to help Garfield High School achieve its required goals. The Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC) has a scoring system that rates each school, and monitoring these requirements became a key focus of my role. When the state reviewed the district, she was responsible for meeting with them to discuss Garfield High School's improvement needs.​

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The New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC) is a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system used to ensure that public schools in New Jersey meet state standards.

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Here are the key points of QSAC:
 

1. Focus Areas: QSAC evaluates districts in five key areas:

   • Instruction and Program: Ensures that the curriculum and instructional methods are aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

   • Fiscal Management: Reviews financial operations and budgeting practices to ensure fiscal responsibility and sustainability.

   • Governance: Examines the effectiveness of the district's board of education in policy-making and oversight.

   • Operations: Assesses facilities, transportation, and safety measures to provide a conducive learning environment.

   • Personnel: Evaluates staff qualifications, professional development, and human resources practices.
      

2. Self-Assessment: School districts perform a self-assessment to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the five focus areas. This self-assessment is part of the QSAC process.
    

3. Monitoring: The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) conducts periodic monitoring visits to verify the accuracy of the self-assessments and provide additional feedback and support.
    

4. Scoring: Districts receive scores in each of the five focus areas based on their self-assessment and NJDOE review. Scores determine the level of state intervention required, if any.
    

5. Intervention: Based on the scores, districts may receive technical assistance, partial intervention, or full intervention from the state to address deficiencies.
    

6. Continuous Improvement: QSAC promotes continuous improvement by requiring districts to develop and implement action plans to address areas of weakness identified during the evaluation process.
    

7. Public Accountability: QSAC results are made public, ensuring transparency and accountability in the performance of school districts.
    

8. Cycle: The QSAC evaluation cycle typically occurs every three years, although the frequency can vary based on the district's performance and compliance with state standards.
    

QSAC is designed to support school districts in delivering high-quality education by providing a structured framework for assessment, accountability, and improvement.