A2654

An Act establishing the Statewide Assessment Review Task Force

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. There is established the Statewide Assessment Review Task Force. The purpose of the task force shall be to assess the quality and effectiveness of State-required standardized assessments and to identify best practices that will enhance their application and use.

b. The task force shall consist of the following 16 members:

(1) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner’s designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(2) nine members appointed by the Governor, one upon the recommendation of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, one upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, one upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, one upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, one upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Education Association, one upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, one upon the recommendation of the New Jersey School Boards Association, one, who has demonstrated expertise in special education instruction and curriculum, upon the recommendation of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, and one public member with demonstrated expertise on the effectiveness of standardized assessment tools administered to K-12 students;

(3) three public members appointed by the Senate President, one of whom is the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a New Jersey public school, one of whom is a teacher with demonstrated expertise in language arts literacy instruction and curriculum, and one of whom is a teacher with demonstrated expertise in mathematics instruction and curriculum; and

(4) three public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom is the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a New Jersey public school, one of whom is a teacher with demonstrated expertise in language arts literacy instruction and curriculum, and one of whom is a teacher with demonstrated expertise in mathematics instruction and curriculum.

c. Appointments to the task force shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the task force within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.

2. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its member, but no later than 30 days after the appointment of the members. The task force shall choose one member of the task force to serve as the chairperson. The task force shall also appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.

3. The Department of Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other assistance, and such professional staff as the task force requires to carry out its work. The task force shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

4. The task force shall issue an interim report with recommendations no later than December 31, 2018 and a final report with recommendations no later than May 31, 2019. The reports shall be issued to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The task force shall expire on the 30th day after the issuance of its final report.

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Statewide Assessment Review Task Force. The task force will assess the quality and effectiveness of State-required standardized assessments and identify best practices that will enhance their application and use.

The task force will have 16 members, including the Commissioner of Education, or a designee, serving ex officio, and nine members appointed by the Governor, including one member each upon the recommendation of the following organizations: the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, the New Jersey School Boards Association, and the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network; and one member with demonstrated expertise on the effectiveness of standardized assessment tools administered to K-12 students. The Senate President and the Speaker of the General Assembly would each appoint three public members including a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a New Jersey public school, a teacher with expertise in language arts literacy instruction and curriculum, and a teacher with expertise in mathematics instruction and curriculum. The bill requires the task force to issue an interim report with recommendations by December 31, 2018 and a final report with recommendations by May 31, 2019.