Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

Assembly Education Committee hearing Feb 2-10-11
Bills A3344 and A3399 passed out of committee at the hearing on February 10 Assembly Education meeting; A3399 was passed with the understanding that floor amendments are required to clarify its application...GSCS supported A3344 which extends QSAC reporting requirement from 3 to 7 years for high performing districts. This is consistent with GSCS' recommendations to the Education Transition Team December 2009 and the Red Tape Review Committee in early 2010; GSCS also supported A3399 given its stated intent: "The purpose of this bill is to ensure that a school district is not using scarce resources to have transportation services available to pupils who do not intend to utilize them during the course of the school year because they may have alternate means of transportation."

Garden State Coalition of Schools/GSCS

Assembly Education Committee,  February 10, 2011

A3344  Sponsored by: Assemblyman  McKeon

SYNOPSIS: Permits high performing school districts to be monitored by the DOE under the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJ QSAC) every seven years rather than every three years.

Garden State Coalition of Schools supports A3344, Consistent with its stated positions (below),:

An Act concerning the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum and amending P.L.1975, c.212.

 

STATEMENT

 Under the current school district monitoring system, the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJ QSAC), every school district must submit a report every three years on its progress in complying with all of the quality performance indicators.  The quality performance indicators comprise standards for each of five key components of school district effectiveness – instruction and program; personnel; fiscal management; operations; and governance.  Based on a district’s compliance with the indicators, the Commissioner of Education assesses district capacity and effectiveness and places the district on a performance continuum that determines the type and level of oversight and technical assistance and support the district receives.  Districts that satisfy 80 percent to 100 percent of the quality performance indicators in each of the five key components of school district effectiveness are deemed “high performing districts.”

     This bill would permit high performing districts to submit the report every seven years, rather than every three.

 

Excerpts from: GSCS Recommendations to the 1) Governor’s Educational Transition Team, December 2009, and to 2) Lt. Governor’s Red Tape Review Committee:

a call for the state to move away from the "one size fits all" approach to governing local districts

a recommendation that high performing districts already in compliance should only need to go through QSAC monitoring every seven years; Eliminate 3 year turnaround for all school districts - lengthen QSAC monitoring to at least 7 years apart in districts that are succeeding.

a call for allowing well-performing districts to be released from burdensome central controls and oversight

Per A3344 “If a district effectively implements its improvement plan and is able to satisfy 80 to 100 percent of the quality performance indicators in each of the five key components of school district effectiveness through the interventions set forth in this subsection, the commissioner shall issue the district a letter of recognition designating the district as a high performing district.  The commissioner shall recommend that the State board certify the school district for a period of [three] seven years as providing a thorough and efficient system of education, contingent on continued progress in meeting the quality performance indicators.  If the district has not effectively implemented its improvement plan and has not satisfied 80 to 100 percent of the quality performance indicators in each of the five key components of school district effectiveness through the interventions set forth in this subsection, the commissioner shall issue the district a letter detailing the areas in which the district remains deficient.”

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Garden State Coalition of Schools/GSCS

Assembly Education Committee, February 10, 2011

A3399  Sponsored by: Assemblyman Wagner/ McKeon

SYNOPSIS: Allows the parent of a public school pupil eligible for transportation services to waive pupil’s right to those services for the school year.

 

Garden State Coalition of Schools supports A3399, its intent is to conserve school districts resources

 

A3399 STATEMENT: Under current law a school district must provide transportation services to a public elementary school pupil who lives more than two miles from his public school of attendance or to a secondary school pupil who lives more than 2 ½ miles from his public school of attendance.  This bill provides that a school district will not be required to provide transportation services to an eligible public school pupil if the pupil’s parent or guardian signs a written statement that the pupil waives transportation for the school year. The statement must be in such form as determined by the Department of Education.

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure that a school district is not using scarce resources to have transportation services available to pupils who do not intend to utilize them during the course of the school year because they may have alternate means of transportation.