ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 912
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: MAY 5, 1997
The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 912.
This bill requires each board of education to establish a program for the early identification and evaluation of gifted and advanced students and to provide a curriculum to address the needs of those students. The identification program, which would apply to students in grades kindergarten through 12, would seek to identify students with exceptional creative thinking ability, general intellectual ability or talent, leadership, communication, and management skills, and outstanding abilities in the performing arts. In adopting the program, the board of education must solicit the input and participation of parents and teachers and must conduct public hearings. The identification program would be implemented no later than the 1998-99 school year.
The bill further provides that each school district must adopt a curriculum to address the needs of gifted and advanced students by the 1998-99 school year for grades kindergarten through six, and by the 1999-2000 school year for grades seven through 12. The curriculum may include pull-out classes, cluster groupings across grade and age levels, special schools, such as magnet schools, independent study, seminars and mentorships, and co-curricular activities. An eligible student would be required to spend at least 200 minutes a week in the curriculum program.
Under the bill's provisions, each school district is to issue an annual report on its progress in conforming with the bill's requirements. Further, the identification program and curriculum would be included in the evaluation of each school which is currently required under existing statutes. If it is determined by the Commissioner of Education or by a court of the State that a school district has failed to comply with the provisions of the bill, the commissioner may order whatever budgetary changes are necessary to implement the identification and curriculum programs.
This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 1996 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review which has been performed.