Bill Text: NJ A1853 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes pilot program in DOE to recruit disadvantaged or minority men to teach in certain failing schools under alternate route program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-11 - Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading [A1853 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1853-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Assemblyman TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman CHARLES MAINOR
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Wimberly, Assemblywoman Mosquera, Assemblymen Fuentes and Eustace
SYNOPSIS
Establishes pilot program in DOE to recruit disadvantaged or minority men to teach in certain failing schools under alternate route program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act establishing a teaching pilot program in the Department of Education and supplementing chapter 6 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. As used in this section:
"Chronically failing school" means any public school that meets the criteria of paragraph (1) or paragraph (2):
(1) among all students in that school to whom a State assessment was administered, the percent of students scoring in the partially proficient range in both the language arts and mathematics subject areas of the State assessments exceeded 40% in each of the prior two school years; or
(2) among all students in that school to whom a State assessment was administered, the percent of students scoring in the partially proficient range in either the language arts or mathematics subject areas of the State assessment exceeded 65% in each of the prior two school years.
"Minority" means a person who is a member of a racial-ethnic group that has been historically disadvantaged in obtaining access to equal educational opportunities.
"Eligible participant" means a male resident of New Jersey who is from a disadvantaged or minority background; is interested in pursuing a career as a teacher in New Jersey; and meets eligibility criteria for enrolling in the alternate route teacher preparation program, including the requirements for obtaining a certificate of eligibility under State Board of Education regulations.
b. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a pilot program in which the commissioner will recruit eligible participants and match them to teaching opportunities for which they may apply in chronically failing schools under the alternate route teacher preparation program. The purpose of the pilot program shall be to increase the access of disadvantaged or minority men to teaching opportunities and to provide needed high-quality teachers in chronically failing schools in the State.
c. The commissioner shall select for participation in the pilot program six chronically failing schools, including, if possible, two schools in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State. To the extent possible, the commissioner shall seek a cross section of schools from urban, suburban, and rural areas.
d. The commissioner shall establish policies and procedures for the recruitment and selection of eligible participants, and for matching the selected eligible participants to teaching opportunities for which they may apply at the participating schools under the alternate route teacher preparation program.
e. Two years following the establishment of the pilot program, the commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall contain information on the implementation of the pilot program and shall include the commissioner's recommendation on the advisability of continuing or expanding the program.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a pilot program in the Department of Education, in which the Commissioner of Education will recruit eligible participants and match them to teaching opportunities for which they may apply in chronically failing schools under the State's alternate route teacher preparation program.
Eligible participants will be male residents of New Jersey who are from disadvantaged or minority backgrounds, are interested in pursuing a teaching career in New Jersey, and meet the eligibility criteria for enrolling in the alternate route teacher preparation program, including State Board of Education requirements for obtaining a certificate of eligibility (CE). The purpose of the pilot program is to increase the access of disadvantaged or minority men to teaching opportunities and to provide needed high-quality teachers in chronically failing schools in the State.
Under the bill, the commissioner will select six chronically failing schools from throughout the State for participation in the pilot program. Chronically failing schools are defined as public schools that meet the following criteria: (1) among all students in the school to whom a State assessment was administered, the percent of students scoring in the partially proficient range in both language arts and mathematics exceeded 40% in each of the prior two school years; or (2) among all students in the school to whom a State assessment was administered, the percent of students scoring in the partially proficient range in either language arts or mathematics exceeded 65% in each of the prior two school years. The bill directs the commissioner to establish policies and procedures for the recruitment and selection of eligible participants for the program, and for matching the selected participants to teaching opportunities for which they may apply at the participating schools under the alternate route program.
The bill requires the commissioner, two years following the establishment of the pilot program, to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature, which contains information on the implementation of the program and the commissioner's recommendation on the advisability of continuing or expanding the program.