NJ Department of Education Updates 2024 Every Student Succeeds Plan

NJ Department of Education Seeks Public Comment on 2024 ESSA State Plan Draft

NEW JERSEY - The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) is inviting public comment on the 2024 Draft of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan. Building on the initial plan approved by the U.S. Department of Education (USED) in 2017 and last updated in 2023, the proposed updates introduce several changes aimed at better-capturing student progress and enhancing school accountability.

Key updates to the ESSA State Plan include:

• Six-Year Graduation Rate: In response to stakeholder feedback, a six-year graduation rate will be added to the existing four- and five-year rates, providing a more comprehensive measure of student progress.
• Revised Goals and Targets: The updated plan proposes flexible, six-year goals for identifying schools needing support, replacing the previous rigid 14-year goal structure. A new reporting category will track school progress toward goals rather than a simple pass-fail metric.
• Enhanced Accountability Metrics: The NJDOE is exploring additional changes to provide a more nuanced view of school performance, such as detailed proficiency reporting and a new student success metric measuring high school persistence rates. These changes will require USED approval and further stakeholder collaboration.

The draft plan also underscores New Jersey's educational priorities, including increased access to high-quality preschool, effective literacy instruction, diverse graduation pathways, and comprehensive mental health support.

The public can review the proposed updates on the NJDOE website and submit comments via email to essa@doe.nj.gov until August 28, 2024. Following the public comment period, the NJDOE will incorporate feedback as appropriate and submit the revised plan to the USED for approval.

Meaningful Consultation:

The NJDOE's review process involved extensive feedback from over 40 education organizations, researchers, stakeholders, parent groups, and state agencies. The NJDOE expresses gratitude to the stakeholders for their engagement and support in improving the ESSA accountability and support systems.

Participating Organizations:

• American Federation of Teachers New Jersey (AFTNJ)
• Arts Ed NJ
• Association of Schools & Agencies for the Handicapped (ASAH)
• Autism New Jersey
• Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey (BGCNJ)
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County
• Center for Future Educators (CFE) at the College of New Jersey (TCNJ)
• Education Law Center (ELC)
• Garden State Coalition of Schools (GSCS)
• Garden State Equality
• JerseyCAN
• Junior Achievement of New Jersey (JANJ)
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) New Jersey State Conference
• New Jersey Affiliate of the Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (NJASCD)
• New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA)
• New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO)
• New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL)
• New Jersey Association of School Psychologists (NJASP)
• New Jersey Children's Foundation (NJCF)
• New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE)
• New Jersey Congress of Parents and Teachers (New Jersey PTA)
• New Jersey Council for Exceptional Children (NJCEC) Ramapo College
• New Jersey Council for the Social Studies (NJCSS)
• New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools (NJCCVTS)
• New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD)
• New Jersey Education Association (NJEA)
• New Jersey Head Start Association (NJHSA)
• New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA)
• New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA)
• New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA)
• New Jersey Senate Majority Office
• New Jersey State School Nurses Association (NJSSNA)
• New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/NJ Bilingual Educators (NJTESOL/NJBE)
• New Jersey Tutoring Corps (NJTC)
• New Jersey's Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Professional Organization (NJSACC)
• Paterson Education Fund (PEF)
• Save Our Schools NJ (SOSNJ)
• Special Olympics New Jersey (SONJ)
• Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN)
• Teach For America (TFA) New Jersey
• Teacher Apprenticeship Network
• The Arc of New Jersey