New Jersey
April 30, 2015
NJ: Lawmakers Mull Extending Special Education Eligibility for Older Students
March 14, 2021
Under a proposal being considered by New Jersey lawmakers, schools would be able to provide special education services for an additional year beyond what is required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. By maintaining eligibility for students through the age of 22, as would...
New Jersey Amends Graduation Rules, Causing Spike in Grad Rate
September 27, 2020
Changes to New Jersey’s graduation requirements have resulted in an almost five percent increase in the preliminary graduation rate for schools in Newark. State officials scrapped a rule requiring high school graduates to pass state standardized tests after state tests were cancelled in the spring...
New Jersey Mental Health Program Folded Into Larger State Health Resources, Sparks Concern
September 1, 2020
The decision to cut funding for an in-school mental health program resulted in some confusion and concern for the communities of the 90 New Jersey schools where the program operates. In response, a spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families said that mental health...
New Ratings for NJ Schools Describe Performance Before Pandemic
August 26, 2020
New Jersey has released new ratings of its more than 2,100 schools, as required by ESSA. The ratings are based on multiple factors, including data from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment. Though they are the most recent available, the ratings were determined prior to...
New Jersey School District Expands ESSA-Funded Program to Target High School
January 22, 2020
In Paterson, New Jersey, education officials are “expanding a federally-funded program” that has shown success among younger students to its JFK High School in order to help overcome barriers to education by offering students “a host of support services, ranging from tutoring and other forms...
Debate Over School-by-School Spending Data in Empire State
March 19, 2018
Newsday’s John Hildebrand reports that ESSA’s requirement that districts “disclose per-pupil spending for each school worries many Long Island educational leaders, who said the data could well convince the public that some students are being shortchanged, even when this is not the case.” However, supporters...
State Plan Submissions and Drafts
October 17, 2017
Approved State Plans Alabama: Final Plan Approved (5/7/18) Alaska: Final Plan Approved (5/16/18) Arizona: Final Plan Approved (9/6/17) Arkansas: Final Plan Approved (1/16/18) Colorado: Final Plan Approved (5/7/18) Connecticut: Final Plan Approved (8/15/17) Delaware: Final Plan Approved (8/2/17) District of Columbia: Final Plan Approved (8/28/17) Georgia:...
Lexington Institute Scholars Examines NJ’s ESSA Plan
September 1, 2017
Lexington Institute scholars Doug Mesecar and Don Soifer write that turning New Jersey’s ESSA plan into “improved student outcomes,” as well as “narrowing gaps in student achievement,” depends on the state “effectively getting schools the support necessary to accomplish this crucial work, and also monitoring...
U.S. Dept. of Ed Approves NV, NJ, and NM’s ESSA Plans
August 9, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved Nevada, New Jersey, and New Mexico’s ESSA plans. States must implement their plans for the 2017-2018 school year.
July 31, 2017
New Jersey is seeking a waiver from the Dept. of Education on the ESSA requirement for testing middle school students. The state would like “to test its middle school students in the mathematics course in which they are enrolled, rather than with the state tests...
NJ Dept. of Ed Releases First Draft ESSA Plan
February 15, 2017
The New Jersey Dept. of Education released its first draft ESSA implementation plan. The plan is available for public comment and consideration until March 20, 2017.
NJ Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Bob Menendez Host Roundtable to Discuss ESSA
October 6, 2016
U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), with U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr., hosted a roundtable at Montclair State University. They discussed New Jersey’s implementation of ESSA with students, educators and community leaders.
President of NJ Education Association Highlights Opportunities ESSA Provides
September 16, 2016
Wendell Steinhauer, president of the 200,000-member New Jersey Education Association penned an opinion piece highlighting the opportunity that ESSA provides and emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement during the state’s four regional listening sessions later this fall.
NJ Dept. of Ed Issues Press Release Requesting Input From Stakeholders
September 2, 2016
The New Jersey Department of Education issued a press release requesting input from stakeholders on how the state should implement provisions of ESSA. The NJDOE will host four regional listening sessions in September.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Releases State ESSA Primers
May 16, 2016
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s primers include individual state by state accountability system fact sheets, which detail each state’s current accountability system, what could change under ESSA, and what to be asking state leaders. See details about your state here.
New Jersey Dept. of Ed to Have Their Final State Plan by the “Winter of 2016-17
March 29, 2016
Peter Shulman, Deputy Commissioner Division of Talent and Performance at the state Department of Education issued a memo to public and non-public chief school administrators and charter school and renaissance school project leads outlining several goals for the state’s implementation of ESSA. They mention that...