Bill Text: NJ S3096 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires school districts to provide instruction on history of Latino and Hispanic Americans as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-11 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S3096 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3096-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to provide instruction on history of Latino and Hispanic Americans as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning instruction on Latino and Hispanic Americans in public schools and supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The State Board of Education shall adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies and English Language Arts on Latino and Hispanic American history.
b. A board of education shall include instruction on the history and contributions of Latino and Hispanic Americans in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the school district's implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies and English Language Arts. The instruction shall be historically accurate, culturally relevant, community-based, contemporary, and developmentally appropriate.
c. The Commissioner of Education shall provide professional development resources to teachers and administrators relating to the curriculum required pursuant to this section.
d. The commissioner, in consultation with the Commission on Latino and Hispanic Heritage established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2019, c.321 (C.18A:4-48), shall provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources that may be used to support implementation of the instructional requirement.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the State Board of Education to adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies and English Language Arts on Latino and Hispanic American history.
Under the bill, a board of education is to include instruction on the history and contributions of Latino and Hispanic Americans in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the school district's implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies and English Language Arts. The instruction is to be historically accurate, culturally relevant, community-based, contemporary, and developmentally appropriate. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Education to provide professional development to teachers and administrators relating to this newly required curriculum required.
Finally, the bill requires the commissioner, in consultation with the Commission on Latino and Hispanic Heritage, to provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources that may be used to support implementation of the instructional requirement.
