A4770

An Act concerning the core curriculum content standards, amending P.L.2007, c.260, and supplementing chapter 7C of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

1. Section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46) is amended to read as follows:

4. a. The State Board of Education shall review and update the core curriculum content standards every five years. The standards shall ensure that all children are provided the educational opportunity needed to equip them for the role of citizen and labor market competitor. An update or revision made to the core curriculum content standards following the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall require the approval of the Legislature. The State board shall forward the update or revision to the Legislature, and the Legislature shall adopt a concurrent resolution within 45 days of submission to approve or disapprove the update or revision. In the event that the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to approve the update or revision, it shall be implemented. In the event that the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to disapprove the update or revision, it shall not be implemented.

The Commissioner of Education shall develop and establish, through the report issued pursuant to subsection b. of this section, efficiency standards which define the types of programs, services, activities, and materials necessary to achieve a thorough and efficient education.

b. By September 1 of 2010 and by September 1 every three years thereafter, the Governor, after consultation with the commissioner, shall recommend to the Legislature through the issuance of the Educational Adequacy Report for the three school years to which the report is applicable:

(1) the base per pupil amount based upon the core curriculum content standards established pursuant to subsection a. of this section;

(2) the per pupil amounts for full-day preschool;

(3) the weights for grade level, county vocational school districts, at-risk pupils, bilingual pupils, and combination pupils;

(4) the cost coefficients for security aid and transportation aid;

(5) the State average classification rate for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils;

(6) the excess cost for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils; and

(7) the extraordinary special education aid thresholds.

The base per pupil amount, the per pupil amounts for full-day preschool, the excess costs for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils, and the cost-coefficients for security aid and transportation aid shall be adjusted by the CPI for each of the two school years following the first school year to which the report is applicable.

The amounts shall be deemed approved for the three successive fiscal years beginning from the subsequent July 1, unless between the date of transmittal and the subsequent November 30, the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution stating that the Legislature is not in agreement with all or any specific part of the report. The concurrent resolution shall advise the Governor of the Legislature's specific objections to the report and shall direct the commissioner to submit to the Legislature a revised report which responds to those objections by January 1.

(cf: P.L.2007, c.260, s.4)

2. (New section) Any revisions made to a Statewide assessment or the adoption of a new Statewide assessment shall require the approval of the Legislature. The State board shall forward the revised or new Statewide assessment to the Legislature, and the Legislature shall adopt a concurrent resolution within 45 days of submission to approve or disapprove the new or revised Statewide assessment. In the event that the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to approve the new or revised Statewide assessment, it shall be implemented. In the event that the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to disapprove the new or revised Statewide assessment, it shall not be implemented.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

Under current law, the State Board of Education is directed to review and update the core curriculum content standards every five years. This bill provides that any update or revision made to the core curriculum content standards following the bill’s effective date will require the approval of the Legislature. The State board must forward the update or revision to the Legislature, and the Legislature must adopt a concurrent resolution within 45 days of submission to approve or disapprove the update or revision. In the event that the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to approve the update or revision, it may be implemented. In the event that the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to disapprove the update or revision, it may not be implemented.

Similarly, the bill requires that any revision made to a Statewide assessment or the adoption of a new Statewide assessment will also require the approval of the Legislature through the adoption of a concurrent resolution. In the event that the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to approve the revised or new Statewide assessment, it may be implemented. In the event that the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to disapprove the new or revised Statewide assessment, it may not be implemented.