Bill Text: NJ A3861 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires school district or nonpublic school that is a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to certify that its student-athletes have completed character education program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-10-23 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A3861 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A3861-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school district or nonpublic school that is a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to certify that its student-athletes have completed character education program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning character education for student-athletes and supplementing chapter 11 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that interscholastic athletics can serve an important role in the development of students. In addition to promoting a healthy life style through exercise, interscholastic athletics has been identified as a mechanism to foster friendship and camaraderie and promote fair play and good sportsmanship. Unfortunately however, the example at times displayed in professional sports is an attitude of entitlement that lacks proper regard and concern for others, and this attitude at times trickles down to the college and high school levels. It is important therefore that students involved in public and nonpublic school interscholastic athletics participate in a program of character education that will serve as the foundation for their conduct as student-athletes.
2. a. As used in this section, "character education" means a program intended to foster the development in a student-athlete of a commitment to the core values of compassion, courtesy, honesty, integrity, responsibility, self-discipline, self-respect, respect for others, and tolerance.
b. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association shall require that a school district or nonpublic school that is a member of the association annually certifies to the association in writing that the school district's or nonpublic school's student-athletes have completed a character education program.
c. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the association, shall establish a model character education program for student-athletes for use by school districts and nonpublic schools. In the event that a school district or nonpublic school chooses not to use the model program, the school district or nonpublic school shall demonstrate to the association that its character education program addresses the elements included in the model program.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the 2015-2016 school year.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) must require that a school district or nonpublic school that is a member of the NJSIAA annually certifies to the association that the district's or nonpublic school's student-athletes have completed a character education program. The bill defines character education as a program intended to foster the development in student-athletes of a commitment to the core values of compassion, courtesy, honesty, integrity, responsibility, self-discipline, self-respect, respect for others, and tolerance.
The bill directs the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the NJSIAA, to establish a model character education program for student-athletes for use by school districts and nonpublic schools. If a district or nonpublic school chooses not to use the model program, it must demonstrate to the NJSIAA that its character education program addresses the elements included in the model program.
