S4053

An Act establishing the Post-Pandemic Education Recovery and Acceleration Task Force.

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

1. a. There is established the Post-Pandemic Education Recovery and Acceleration Task Force. The purpose of this task force shall be to study pandemic-related learning loss and to assist in the development of a Statewide education recovery and acceleration framework for students across the State.

b. The task force shall consist of 17 members as follows:

(1) The Commissioner of Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(2) Eight public members, each of whom shall have educational experience and expertise related to the purpose of the task force, including: two members appointed by the Senate President, two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, two members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and

(3) Eight members appointed by the Governor, including: one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey School Boards Association; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Education Association; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; one member upon the recommendation of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association; and two members of the public who have specialized knowledge or expertise in issues related to the purpose of the task force.

c. The appointments to this 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.

d. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members. The task force shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.

e. The task force shall hold meetings at the request of the chairperson and shall hold a minimum of three public meetings, which shall each be held in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State. The task force shall invite public comment, including testimony at its meetings, on the issues the task force is required to address as part of its responsibilities, in a manner that encourages public participation. The meetings may take place in-person or through remote means.

f. The Department of Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the task force requires to carry out its work.

2. It shall be the duty of the task force to develop a Statewide education recovery and acceleration framework for students across the State of New Jersey. The task force shall study and consider issues, including, but not limited to, the following:

a. an assessment of learning loss, including an evaluation of available data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall student academic outcomes, as well as an evaluation of available data on the impact of the pandemic on student achievement disparities that existed prior to the pandemic;

b. an analysis of potential opportunity gaps during the pandemic, including, but not limited to, the effects on students brought on by the lack of access to technology, in-person learning versus virtual learning, absentee rates, consideration of how to provide for students who have left the education setting, the lack of stable housing and transportation, access to healthy food and nutrition, and health and wellness resources;

c. evidence-based strategies for learning acceleration, including the development of a framework that identifies and responds to the strengths and needs of the school system, students, and families;

d. he perceptions of teachers, parents, administrators, and staff of potential opportunity gaps and outcome areas for recovery; and

e. the development of a practical approach to ensuring that the acceleration and recovery strategies and framework are accessible to all students, including the State’s most vulnerable populations.

3. The task force shall issue a final report detailing its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) no later than one year after the task force organizes.

4. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire 30 days after the task force issues its final report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Post-Pandemic Education Recovery and Acceleration Task Force. The purpose of the task force is to study available data on pandemic-related learning loss, and to develop a Statewide education recovery and acceleration framework for students across the State of New Jersey.

The task force will consist of 17 members, including: the Commissioner of Education or a designee; eight public members, each of whom shall have educational experience and related to the purpose of the task force, with two each appointed by the Senate President, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and eight members appointed by the Governor, including one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey School Boards Association, one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Education Association, one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, one member upon the recommendation of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, and two members of the public who have specialized knowledge or expertise in issues related to the purpose of the task force.

Under the bill, the duty of the task force is to provide recommendations and develop a framework for education recovery and acceleration. The task force shall study and consider issues, including, but not limited to, the following:

· an assessment of learning loss, including an evaluation of available data on the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on overall student academic outcomes, as well as an evaluation of available data on the impact of the public health emergency on student achievement disparities that existed prior to the public health emergency;

· an analysis of potential opportunity gaps during the pandemic, including, but not limited to, the effects on students brought on by the lack of access to technology, in-person learning versus virtual learning, absentee rates, consideration of how to provide for students who have left the education setting, the lack of stable housing and transportation, access to healthy food and nutrition, and health and wellness resources;

· evidence-based strategies for learning acceleration, including the development of a framework that identifies and responds to the strengths and needs of the school system, students, and families;

· the perceptions of teachers, parents, administrators, and staff of potential opportunity gaps and outcome areas for recovery;

· the development of a practical approach to ensuring that the acceleration and recovery strategies and framework are accessible to all students, including some the State’s most vulnerable populations.

The bill requires that the task force will issue a final report detailing its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and to the Legislature, no later than one year after the organization of the task force.