Bill Text: NJ S2029 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S2029 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2029-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Senator ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Local education provider" means a public school district, charter school or renaissance school project, or partnership between a public school district, charter school or renaissance school project and one or more public school districts, charter schools, renaissance school projects, or nonpublic schools.
"Tutoring provider" means a non-profit organization or tutoring program administered by a local education provider that provides virtual or in-person accelerated learning programming and meets the qualifications determined by the Department of Education pursuant to section 3 of this act.
2. a. The Department of Education shall establish and administer the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program. The purpose of the program shall be to provide high-impact tutoring opportunities to students throughout the State.
b. The grant program shall support high-impact tutoring programs implemented by local education providers, in partnership with a tutoring provider included on the department's list pursuant to section 3 of this act. The tutoring programs shall meet, at a minimum, the following criteria:
(1) tutoring shall be developmentally appropriate and shall be offered across disciplines based on the needs identified by the school district;
(2) tutoring shall be provided in a manner based on research-supported best practices;
(3) tutoring shall occur at a time and in a setting that facilitates and promotes learning;
(4) tutoring shall be data-driven and the program shall use diagnostic assessments aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards to inform instruction and measure progress; and
(5) any other criteria the department deems necessary.
3. a. The Department of Education shall publish a list of tutoring providers with a record of high quality instruction in mathematics and English language arts. The department shall develop performance standards and guides, and shall establish a rubric to evaluate a tutoring program and determine the minimum qualifications for a tutoring program to be included in the department's list of high quality tutoring providers. The department shall compile and make the list publicly available on its Internet website no later than 90 days following the effective date of this act.
b. A tutoring program wishing to be included on the list of high quality tutoring providers shall submit an application to the department in a form prescribed by the department. The department shall establish multiple application periods in any school year for tutoring programs to submit applications, and shall update the list on its Internet website, as applicable.
4. a. A local education provider wishing to participate in the grant program shall submit an application to the Department of Education in a form prescribed by the department. A tutoring provider may apply for a grant on behalf of a local education provider. An application shall include, but need not be limited to:
(1) a detailed description of the tutoring program and how it addresses the elements of a high-impact tutoring program;
(2) a list of the subjects and grade levels to be available for tutoring;
(3) a description of how tutoring shall be delivered and how the delivery accommodates the possibility of virtual or remote instruction;
(4) information about whether tutors will follow a prescribed plan for instruction and how instructional materials align with grade-level standards;
(5) a description of how tutoring will be incorporated into daily learning, if tutoring is intended to be scheduled during the school day;
(6) a description of the goals of the program and a method of measuring student academic success and program outcomes;
(7) a description of the methods to be used to identify underperforming students for participation in the tutoring program;
(8) the number of students able to be supported by the tutoring program and the number of students expected to participate, if different;
(9) a description of how tutoring groups will be formed;
(10) a description of how the local education provider intends to recruit and support tutors;
(11) the projected per pupil and aggregate cost of implementing the tutoring program; and
(12) any other information the department deems necessary.
b. Grant awards shall be allocated to local education providers on a competitive basis, in a manner to be determined by the department. In determining grant recipients, the department shall consider, at a minimum, the local education provider's plan with respect to the alignment with elements of high impact tutoring programs, the potential number of students impacted by the program, the need of the local education provider to supplement classroom learning, and the estimated cost of implementing the program by the local education provider. The department shall give preference to applications for programs that:
(1) identify additional sources of funding and can demonstrate an ability to operate beyond the duration of the grant; or
(2) occur within regular school hours.
c. To the extent possible, the department shall select grant recipients from the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, and shall seek a cross section of local education providers from urban, suburban, and rural areas.
5. a. School employees shall only serve as tutors during times that do not conflict with existing school duties.
Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S.52:14-7 to the contrary, any individual hired as a tutor under the grant program shall not be required to have or maintain a principal residence in the State unless required to do so as a condition of another position of employment. Individuals employed as tutors under the grant program shall be required to adhere to all laws relating to the health and safety of students and all anti-discrimination laws.
b. The department is encouraged to provide information about teaching pathways to individuals employed as tutors under the grant program.
6. The Department of Education shall develop and release program guidelines and a grant application process for the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program within 180 days of the initial posting of the department's list of tutoring providers.
7. a. Any local education provider participating in the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program shall conduct an annual evaluation or provide an annual external evaluation of the tutoring program implemented according to the criteria developed by the Department of Education pursuant to section 4 of this act. The evaluation shall be reported in a manner determined by the department, in consultation with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. The evaluation shall include a report that provides the following information:
(1) the number of students who participated in the tutoring program and non-identifying demographic information;
(2) academic achievement results of participating students;
(3) the impact of student outcomes after participating in the tutoring program;
(4) a description of how the local education provider maintained consistent access to tutoring sessions for all participating students;
(5) a breakdown of the use of all grant funds;
(6) a description of any adjustments made to the program plan submitted in the application, why the adjustments were necessary, and the outcome of the adjustments; and
(7) any other information deemed necessary by the department.
The report shall be made publicly available on the local education provider's Internet website in a timely manner. The department shall treat any information received in the course of its duties that may contain personally identifiable information regarding students, parents, and others from whom information is acquired, as confidential.
b. Any tutoring program that does not meet the standards as determined by the department shall be ineligible to be a recipient of the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant unless the program works with the department to ensure program improvement and become eligible.
c. No later than July 31 following the completion of the third year of the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program, the department shall submit a report to the Governor, the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall contain a summary of Statewide program results and guidelines for best practices and shall be distributed to all public school districts, charter schools, renaissance schools, and nonpublic schools and posted on the department's Internet website.
d. No later than July 31 following the completion of the fifth year of the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program, the department shall submit a report to the Governor, the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall describe the impacts of accelerated learning programs in the State, including the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program, and recommendations for policies to continue implementing accelerated learning programs.
8. a. There is created a non-lapsing, revolving fund known as the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Fund. All monies annually appropriated by the Legislature, any federal or other grants received by the State, and any other monies made available for the purposes of the grant program shall be deposited in the fund. Monies deposited in the fund shall be used by the Department of Education to provide funding for grants awarded under the grant program.
b. Grant funds shall be awarded to participating local education providers on a matching basis, subject to the limits of available funding. Per student costs proposed by the local education providers for tutoring programs shall be matched at 100 percent. Any matching funds that are unexpended at the end of the State fiscal year shall revert to the State.
c. The department shall determine allowable uses for grant funds prior to accepting applications to participate in the grant program and shall describe the allowable uses in a Notice of Grant Opportunity. Allowable uses for grant funds shall include, but not be limited to, the direct cost of paying for tutors or instructional materials.
9. The Department of Education may utilize any federal or State funds allocated for the remediation of COVID-19 related learning loss, and any federal or State funds which are available for accelerated learning or workforce development programs for the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program. The Legislature may appropriate additional funds to the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Fund as it may deem necessary. The department shall be authorized to seek and accept gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for deposit in the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Fund, except that the department may not accept a gift, grant, or donation that is subject to conditions that are inconsistent with any other law of this State.
10. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Education to establish and administer the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to provide high-impact tutoring opportunities to students throughout the State. The grant program supports high-impact tutoring programs implemented by local education providers, in partnership with a tutoring provider included on the department's list. The bill details the criteria that a tutoring program must meet in order to be considered.
The bill also requires the Department of Education to publish a list of tutoring providers with a record of high quality instruction in mathematics and English language arts. The department will develop performance standards and guides, and will establish a rubric to evaluate each tutoring program and determine the minimum qualifications for a tutoring program to be included in the department's list of high quality tutoring providers. The department will compile and make the list publicly available on its Internet website no later than 90 days following the effective date of the bill. A tutoring program wishing to be included on the list of high quality tutoring providers will be required to submit an application to the department.
The bill outlines the application process for a local education provider wishing to participate in the grant program. A tutoring provider may apply for a grant on behalf of a local education provider. Grant awards will be allocated to local education providers on a competitive basis, in a manner to be determined by the department. In determining grant recipients, the department will consider the local education provider's plan with respect to the alignment with elements of high impact tutoring programs, the potential number of students impacted by the program, the need of the local education provider to supplement classroom learning, and the estimated cost of implementing the program by the local education provider.
The bill stipulates that school employees may only serve as tutors during times that do not conflict with existing school duties. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any individual hired as a tutor under the grant program is not required to have or maintain a principal residence in the State unless required to do so as a condition of another position of employment.
Under the bill, any local education provider participating in the High Efficiency Accelerated Learning Grant Program must conduct an annual evaluation or provide an annual external evaluation of the tutoring program implemented according to the criteria developed by the Department of Education. The evaluation will be reported in a manner determined by the department, in consultation with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. The bill also outlines information to be included in the evaluation.
The bill also requires updates to be made to the Governor and to the Legislature concerning the outcomes and efficacy of the program.
