The U.S. Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Here, you may find information about grants, education statistics, and publications on a variety of topics.
The educators' portal on the New Jersey Department of Education website contains the information, guidance, and resources for teachers and leaders in the state.
Revised every five years, the standards provide local school districts with clear and specific benchmarks for student achievement in nine content areas. Developed and reviewed by panels of teachers, administrators, parents, students, and representatives from higher education, business, and the community, the standards are influenced by national standards, research-based practice, and student needs.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to ensure that all students have equitable access to high-quality educational resources and opportunities, and that all schools are improving overall student performance and closing persistent achievement gaps.
Website Evaluation Tips
Think about each of these things when evaluating a website.
Authority: Who is responsible for creating the web page? Is there a publisher or sponsor of the web page? Can you find information about the author and publisher? Might the author and publisher have a bias that could color the information provided on their website? (Hint: Scroll down to the very bottom of the web page to see who owns the copyright to the site.)
Audience: Who is this website created for? Is the content geared towards an age group or population group? If so, is it still an appropriate source for your scholarly research?
Accuracy: How does the information compare to other sources that you have found on the topic? Does the site reference other sources to back-up its information?
Content: What is the content of the website - images, articles, a blog? The type of domain (.edu, .gov, .org) may provide some clues about the information. Can you detect a bias? Are there cited references?
Currency: How recent is the website? Is there information on when it was last updated?
