Bill Text: NJ A4838 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires school report card to include information concerning number of mental health professionals and school safety specialists employed by each school district.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-12-20 - Substituted by S2811 (2R) [A4838 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A4838-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school report card to include information concerning number of mental health professionals and security personnel employed by each school district.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
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] P.L.1995, c.235 (C.18A:7E-2) 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;
(10) data identifying the number and nature of all reports of harassment, intimidation, or bullying;
(11) indicators of student career readiness;
(12) the number and percentage of students who were chronically absent, as defined in rules and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of Education within 90 days of the effective date of P.L.2018, c.23 (C.18A:38-25.1 et al.), including the number and percentage of students who were chronically absent disaggregated by multiple student subgroups to be determined by the commissioner; [and]
(13) the number and percentage of students who received a disciplinary suspension;
(14) the number of school psychologists, school counselors, social workers, student assistance coordinators, and other mental health professionals employed by, or under contract with, the school district to provide mental health services to students, and the ratio of students to the total number of mental health professionals providing services in the school and the district; and
(15) the number of school security personnel, including safe schools resource officers, Class Three special law enforcement officers, and any other security officers, respectively, and the ratio of students to each category of school security personnel; 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.2018, c.23, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the school report card issued for the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the annual school report card to include information concerning the number of mental health professionals and school security personnel employed by each school district.
Under current law, the Commissioner of Education is required to administer the School Report Card Program, which provides for the annual preparation and dissemination of school report cards for parents and other interested parties within each district. As required by law, the school report card contains information and data concerning academic achievement, district spending, student discipline, and various other items.
Under this bill, the annual report card submitted by a school district would also be required to include the following information for each school within the district: (1) the number of mental health professionals, including school psychologists, guidance counselors, social workers, student assistance coordinators, and other mental health professionals, and the ratio of students to the total number of mental health professionals; and (2) the number of school security personnel, including safe schools resource officers, Class Three special law enforcement officers, and any other security officers, respectively, and the ratio of students to each category of school security personnel.
