On Wednesday, May 27, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) announced the launch of the Disconnection Prevention and Student Re-engagement (DPSR) webpage, a centralized resource hub designed to support schools, districts, educators, families, and youth in keeping students connected to school and on track toward graduation. Disconnected Youth are defined as young people, typically ages 16–24, who are not enrolled in school and not participating in the workforce.
Additionally, New Jersey created the Youth Disconnection Prevention and Recovery Ombudsperson role in the Department of Education through legislation (P.L.2023, c.277). Districts and school personnel, educators, families, and youth are encouraged to connect with the Ombudsperson to ask questions, request information, and seek guidance related to:
- Students at-risk of disconnecting from school,
- Re-engaging students who have already left school,
- Connecting students/families to local or state-level resources and support services, and
- Navigating available educational pathways for out-of-school youth.
District and school leaders are encouraged to:
- Share the DPSR webpage with school principals, counselors, and student support staff.
- Distribute the StayEngagedNJ@doe.nj.gov email address to school counselors, social workers, families, and students who may benefit from additional support from the Youth Disconnection Prevention and Recovery Ombudsperson.
- Encourage school counselors, student assistance counselors, and social workers to utilize the Student Assistance Form when additional support is needed.
- Familiarize school teams with the resources, data tools, and research-based strategies available on the DPSR webpage to strengthen prevention and re-engagement efforts.
Contact Information
Questions regarding the Disconnection Prevention and Student Re-engagement initiative may be directed to StayEngagedNJ@doe.nj.gov.
