Bill Text: NJ A3334 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Requires New Jersey School Report Card to include indicators of student career readiness.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-7)
Status: (Passed) 2014-12-03 - Approved P.L.2014, c.71. [A3334 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A3334-Chaptered.html
�2 - Note
An Act concerning the New Jersey School Report Card and amending P.L.1995, c.235.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.1995, c.235 (C.18A:7E-3) is amended to read as follows:
3. Report cards issued pursuant to section 2 of this act shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for:
a. the school district and for each school within the district, as appropriate:
(1) results of the elementary assessment programs;
(2) results of the Early Warning Test;
(3) results of the High School Proficiency Test;
(4) daily attendance records for students and professional staff;
(5) student graduation and dropout rates;
(6) annual student scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test;
(7) total student enrollment, percentage of limited English proficient students, percentage of students in advanced placement courses, and any other school characteristics which the commissioner deems appropriate;
(8) instructional resources including teacher/student ratio, average class size and amount of instructional time per day, as calculated by formulas specified by the commissioner;
(9) a written narrative by the school principal or a designee which describes any special achievements, events, problems or initiatives of the school or district; [and]
(10) data identifying the number and nature of all reports of harassment, intimidation, or bullying; and
(11) indicators of student career readiness; and
b. the school district, as appropriate:
(1) per pupil expenditures and State aid ratio;
(2) percent of budget allocated for salaries and benefits of administrative personnel;
(3) percent of budget allocated for salaries and benefits of teachers;
(4) percentage increase over the previous year for salaries and benefits of administrative and instructional personnel;
(5) the number of administrative personnel and the ratio of administrative personnel to instructional personnel;
(6) a profile of the most recent graduating class concerning their educational or employment plans following graduation; and
(7) any other information which the commissioner deems appropriate.
For the purposes of this section, the Commissioner of Education shall establish a uniform methodology for the reporting of the data concerning administrative personnel on a full-time equivalent basis.
(cf: P.L.2010, c.122, s.5)
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the School Report Card issued by the Commissioner of Education for the 2015-2016 school year.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that the School Report Card issued annually by the Commissioner of Education include indicators of student career readiness.
Under current law, the School Report Card annually provides to parents and other interested taxpayers information and data on the demographics of enrolled students, district spending, and academic achievement. The data related to student achievement tends to emphasize the issue of college readiness. While a student's ability to perform well in college is certainly important, New Jersey's emphasis on preparing students for four-year colleges ignores the fact that many well-paying careers can be launched with an industry certificate or an associate degree. Many of these jobs will pay as much, or more, than those held by the average bachelor degree recipient. These employment realities argue for the fact that our public schools need to place a greater focus on career and technical education, and the technical and career skills that students will need to meet these workforce demands. Requiring the School Report Card to annually include indicators of student career readiness will enable the school district, parents, and the State to evaluate the success of our schools in preparing students for real-world jobs.
Requires New Jersey School Report Card to include indicators of student career readiness.
