At its April meeting, the New Jersey State Board of Education heard updates and acted on the following items:
- Resolution in Recognition of the Month of the Military Child in New Jersey: The State Board passed a resolution recognizing the unique needs of the children of military personnel. The State Board encouraged school districts to provide support to children of service members as they transition between schools to address their distinct physical, social and emotional needs and to prepare them to graduate as well-rounded citizens.
- Resolution in Recognition of School Library Month in New Jersey: The State Board passed a resolution recognizing April as School Library Month. The State Board noted school library media specialists help students to develop information literacy skills, so students are able to effectively locate, evaluate and apply knowledge. The State Board also acknowledged the role of certified school library media specialists in ensuring an environment that allows for reading and learning, investigation and research, and the lifelong pursuit of knowledge for all students in New Jersey.
- Resolution in Recognition of National Hearing and Speech Month in New Jersey: The State Board recognized May as National Hearing and Speech Month, which is a time to acknowledge the hard work of audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language and hearing scientists and the contributions they make that remarkably affect the lives of students in New Jersey. The resolution also recognized the many students with communication challenges and acknowledged the significance that the ability to communicate plays in building personal and societal relationships as students grow and mature.
- Resolution in Recognition of Autism Acceptance Month in New Jersey: The State Board recognized April as Autism Acceptance Month, dedicated to increasing awareness, understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder. The State Board stressed the importance of fostering understanding and support for individuals on the autism spectrum and recognizing their unique social and emotional needs. The State Board also recognized the ongoing efforts required to advance autism acceptance and awareness, contributing to the creation of a more compassionate and inclusive community.
- 2022-2023 School Performance Reports and Graduation Data Presentation: The State Board heard about the results of various assessments and other metrics concerning New Jersey’s students in the School Performance Reports.
- PSAT, SAT and ACT participation: Trends over the last three years in New Jersey align with trends across the nation. Nationwide, many colleges and universities no longer require these tests for admission. Average scores on all tests, both in New Jersey and nationwide, temporarily increased in 2020-2021 because a limited population of students took the test. New Jersey students have higher mean scores on the SAT than the national average.
- Advanced Placement exam participation: New Jersey is second in the country for highest percentage of schools offering at least one AP course. It has also had the fifth highest growth rate for increases in students taking at least one AP exam in high school as well as having the third highest percentage of students scoring a three or higher (out of five) on an AP exam during high school. Many colleges and universities grant course credit for scores of three or above.
- Industry-valued credentials: The number of students that earn industry valued credentials continues to increase with over 7600 students earning at least one industry-valued credential.
- Seal of biliteracy: The New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy recognizes graduating students who have demonstrated proficiency in at least one language in addition to English. Students must take the world language assessments between January of their junior year and February of their senior year. The number of students earning the seal of biliteracy continues to increase, with over 8700 students earning the recognition in 2022-2023.
- Chronic absenteeism rates: Increases in chronic absenteeism rates may have been due to more students staying home in the event of sickness or exposure to COVID-19. Based on states that have reported 2022-2023 data, New Jersey has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the nation at 16.6% for the 2022-2023 school year.
- Disciplinary and HIB incidents increased for 2022-2023: Similar trends in the number of disciplinary removals have been seen in other states that have reported data for 2022-2023. Unique violence, vandalism, HIB, and substance offenses increased to 36,000 incidents in 2022-2023 from 30,500 incidents in 2021-2022.
- Graduation rates: In New Jersey, students must meet state course requirements, local attendance requirements, and state graduation assessments requirements to graduate. For the Class of 2023, there were no graduation assessment requirements under L.2022, c.60, which required the spring 2022 New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment to be administered as a field test. Students were still required to meet all other state and local graduation requirements. State regulations also allow the Individualized Education Program team of a student with a disability to exempt a student from the above requirements and allow the student to satisfy the assessment requirements by meeting alternate requirements.
- Adoption of N.J.A.C. 6A:3 The State Board readopted with amendments the rules of procedure established by the New Jersey Department of Education for the filing of petitions with the commissioner of education to hear and decide controversies and disputes arising under school laws, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:6-9. The chapter also establishes special rules of procedure for the following specific types of controversies: the filing of tenure charges, the termination of sending-receiving relationships, appeals from decisions of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, denials of entitlement to attend school, review of penalties recommended by the School Ethics Commission and hearings prior to suspension or revocation of school bus driver endorsements.