Rutgers Institute for Improving Student Achievement (RIISA)

The mission of the Rutgers Institute for Improving Student Achievement (RIISA) is to assist schools and school districts to provide continuous improvement in the academic achievement of all students through the combined efforts of Rutgers University Graduate School of Education faculty and faculty associates in collaboration with PK-12 school districts. 

Three components of the institute include:

1. Leadership
Developing, supporting, expanding, and modeling leadership styles to build capacity among all members of the educational community.

2. Instructional Content and Teaching Expertise
Addressing the necessary understanding of content and pedagogy for quality teaching and student achievement in language arts literacy, mathematics, science, special education, and the integration of arts education in these core content areas of learning. Included in this work is the important attention given to the developmental issues in the realm of social-emotional learning that educators and families confront daily. Special emphasis is given to middle level education inclusive of grades 4-8.

3. Middle Grades Network
RIISA's Middle Grades Network is a consortium of schools and school districts committed to middle level education. The network focuses on effective classroom practices (including assessment and evaluation techniques) appropriate for grades 4-8. Special attention is given continuously to the content areas of: English language arts literacy, mathematics, and special education. Additional attention is given to topics in science education. Methods for integrating arts education into content area instruction are included in specific workshops. RIISA's Middle Grades Network is a Professional Learning Community that meets four times each academic year bringing together classroom teachers, content area supervisors and school principals learning together and sharing knowledge.