Bill Text: NJ S4116 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires certain school districts and DOE to address chronic absenteeism.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-03 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S4116 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S4116-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain school districts and DOE to address chronic absenteeism.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning chronic absenteeism and supplementing P.L.2018, c.23 (C.18A:38-25.1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
"Chronically absent child" means a student who meets the criteria to be considered chronically absent, as defined in rules and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to P.L.2018, c.23 (C.18A:38-25.1 et al.).
"District chronic absenteeism rate" means the total number of chronically absent children enrolled in a school district in the previous school year divided by the total number of children enrolled in the district in the previous school year.
"School chronic absenteeism rate" means the total number of chronically absent children for a school in the previous school year divided by the total number of children enrolled in the school in the previous school year.
b. (1) A school district shall establish an attendance review team to address chronic absenteeism in the district or at one or more of the schools in the district, as applicable, if:
(a) the district chronic absenteeism rate is greater than or equal to 10 percent; or
(b) one or more schools in the district has a school chronic absenteeism rate greater than or equal to 15 percent.
(2) An attendance review team established pursuant to this section may consist of school administrators, guidance counselors, school social workers, teachers, and representatives from community-based programs that address issues related to student attendance. The attendance review team shall be responsible for reviewing the cases of any chronically absent children enrolled in the district or at the school, as applicable, discussing school interventions and community referrals for the chronically absent children, and making any additional recommendations for the chronically absent children and their parents or guardians. The attendance review team shall meet a minimum of once per month.
2. Within six months of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Department of Education shall develop and make available on its Internet website a chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan for use by school districts to reduce chronic absenteeism.
The chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
a. information that describes chronic absenteeism, including the definition of chronically absent and common causes of chronic absenteeism;
b. information on the effect of chronic absenteeism on a student's academic performance;
c. information on ways in which family and school partnerships with community resources can reduce chronic absenteeism and improve student attendance; and
d. a means of collecting and analyzing data related to student attendance and chronic absenteeism for the purpose of:
(1) disaggregating the data by school district, school, grade, and subgroups, such as race, ethnicity, gender, eligibility for free or reduced price lunches, and students whose primary language is not English; and
(2) assisting school districts in tracking chronic absenteeism over multiple years and throughout the school year, developing indicators to identify students who are at risk of being chronically absent children, monitoring students' attendance over time, and making adjustments to interventions for chronic absenteeism as they are being implemented.
The chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan may also include a research-based and data-driven mentorship model that attempts to reduce chronic absenteeism through the use of mentors, such as students, teachers, administrators, athletic coaches, school resource officers, and community partners. Additionally, the department may develop incentives and rewards that recognize schools that reduce the school chronic absenteeism rate and students who improve attendance.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires certain school districts to establish attendance review teams and requires the Department of Education to develop a chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan.
Under the bill, a school district is required to establish an attendance review team to address chronic absenteeism in the district or at one or more of the schools in the district, as applicable, if the district chronic absenteeism rate is greater than or equal to 10 percent, or one or more schools in the district has a school chronic absenteeism rate greater than or equal to 15 percent. The attendance review team is to be responsible for reviewing the cases of any chronically absent children enrolled in the district or at the school, as applicable, discussing school interventions and community referrals for the chronically absent children, and making any additional recommendations for the chronically absent children and their parents or guardians. An attendance review team may consist of school administrators, guidance counselors, school social workers, teachers, and representatives from community-based programs that address issues related to student attendance.
The bill also requires the Department of Education to develop and make available on its Internet website a chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan for use by school districts to reduce chronic absenteeism. The chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan is to include information on: the definition of chronically absent and common causes of chronic absenteeism; the effect of chronic absenteeism on a student's academic performance; and ways in which family and school partnerships with community resources can reduce chronic absenteeism and improve student attendance. Additionally, the plan is to include a means of collecting and analyzing data related to student attendance and chronic absenteeism for the purpose of disaggregating the data by school district, school, grade and student subgroups, and assisting school districts in tracking chronic absenteeism over multiple years and throughout the school year, developing indicators to identify students who are at risk of being chronically absent children, monitoring students' attendance over time, and making adjustments to interventions for chronic absenteeism as they are being implemented. The plan may include a research-based and data-driven mentorship model that attempts to reduce chronic absenteeism through the use of mentors. Additionally, the department may develop incentives and rewards that recognize schools that reduce the school chronic absenteeism rate and students who improve attendance.
