SENATE, No. 2312
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
INTRODUCED DECEMBER 1, 1997
By Senator EWING
An Act concerning the monitoring of public school districts and supplementing chapter 7A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. It is the goal of the State of New Jersey to prepare its students to be internationally competitive and to meet world class standards through our system of public education.
b. In order to achieve this State priority, leaders from government, education, business and our local communities must work collaboratively to promote quality, creativity, and accountability in the delivery of educational services.
c. An alternative program of monitoring and evaluation of schools may be used to promote the goals of quality and excellence in our schools and to effectuate educational improvement in this State.
d. The utilization of an alternative program of monitoring and evaluation of schools could effectuate educational improvement by promoting greater use of quality management principles, increasing the exchange of information concerning best practices and the achievement of excellence in education, and promoting partnerships between the public and private sectors in pursuit of educational excellence.
e. The State could benefit from the use of an alternate program of monitoring and evaluation of schools because:
(1) the alternate program stimulates increased cooperation among internal and external stakeholders in a school system;
(2) the program mobilizes the business community to assist school districts by sharing its expertise in total quality management principles;
(3) the program fosters consensus in establishing district goals, clear values, high standards, and organizational excellence;
(4) the ongoing nature of the districts' self assessment process will result in continuous improvement and increased accountability for public schools; and
(5) State and local resources will be more efficiently utilized by the application of quality management principles and a self assessment process.
2. a. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a school district at Level I may apply to participate in an alternative program of monitoring and evaluation for the purpose of certification pursuant to section 14 of P.L.1975, c.212 (C.18A:7A-14). Prior to the application of the school district to the Commissioner of Education for participation in the alternative program of monitoring and evaluation, there shall be consensus between the school district and the majority representative of the school employees in the district concerning the district's participation in the program.
b. A school district approved to participate in the alternative program of monitoring and evaluation shall conduct ongoing monitoring and evaluation according to criteria established by the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commission on Business Efficiency of the Public Schools. The criteria shall include, but not be limited to, the criteria used in the education eligibility category of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, established pursuant to subsection (a) of section 3 of Pub.L. 100-107 (15 U.S.C. §3711a), and the New Jersey Quality Achievement Award established pursuant to Executive Order No. 47 of 1991, such as: (1) leadership; (2) information and analysis; (3) strategic and operational planning; (4) human resource development and management; (5) educational and business process management; (6) school performance results; and (7) student focus and stakeholder satisfaction.
c. The commissioner may eliminate a school district from participation in the alternative program of monitoring and evaluation, if the commissioner deems it to be advisable. The commissioner shall inform the school district of its elimination from the alternative program of monitoring and evaluation and shall direct that the school district comply with the program of evaluation provided for in sections 10, 11 and 14 of P.L.1975, c.212 (C.18A:7A-10, 18A:7A-11 and 18A:7A-14).
3. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
4. This act shall take effect immediately and the Commissioner of Education shall make the alternative program of monitoring and evaluation available to eligible school districts in the 1998-1999 school year.
STATEMENT
This bill provides for an alternative program of monitoring and evaluation for school districts at Level I for the purpose of certification pursuant to section 14 of P.L.1975, c.212 (C.18A:7A-14). The alternative program of monitoring and evaluation will be based on the district's continuous process of self-assessment according to criteria established pursuant to this act.
A school district which participates in the alternative program of monitoring and evaluation will conduct ongoing monitoring and evaluation according to criteria established by the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commission on Business Efficiency of the Public Schools. The criteria will include, but not be limited to, the criteria used in the education eligibility category of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, established pursuant to subsection (a) of section 3 of Pub.L. 100-107 (15 U.S.C. §3711a) and the New Jersey Quality Achievement Award established pursuant to Executive Order No. 47 of 1991, which focus on key requirements for organizational excellence. The criteria will address leadership; information and analysis; strategic and operational planning; human resource development and management; educational and business process management; school performance results; and student focus and stakeholder satisfaction. The bill provides that the Commissioner of Education may eliminate a school district from participation in the alternative program of monitoring and evaluation, if the commissioner deems it to be advisable. The Commissioner of Education will make the alternative program of monitoring and evaluation available to eligible school districts in the 1998-1999 school year.
Provides for an alternative program of monitoring and evaluation for school districts.