Bill Text: NJ A4006 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Postpones New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) review for certain school districts to accommodate disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2020-10-19 - Absolute Veto, Received in the Assembly [A4006 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-A4006-Introduced.html

ASSEMBLY, No. 4006

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED MAY 4, 2020

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  NICHOLAS CHIARAVALLOTI

District 31 (Hudson)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Postpones New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) review for certain school districts to accommodate disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum and supplementing P.L.1975, c.212 (C.18A:7A-3 et seq.).

 

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

 

     1.    a.  Notwithstanding the provisions of section 11 of P.L.1975, c.212 (C.18A:7A-11) or any other section of law to the contrary, the Department of Education shall postpone the comprehensive review under the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum until the 2021-2022 school year for any school district that is required to undergo:

     (1)   a comprehensive review in the 2019-2020 school year, which review was not completed due to the COVID-19-related school closures; or

     (2)   a comprehensive review in the 2020-2021 school year.

     b.    If a school district is required to undergo a comprehensive review in the 2021-2022 school year due to the postponement provided under subsection a. of this section, then the school district shall undergo its next following comprehensive review three years after the school year in which its comprehensive review was originally scheduled to take place.

     c.     The postponement of the comprehensive review for school districts under subsection a. of this subsection shall not disrupt the comprehensive review schedule for any other school district.

     d.    Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the contrary, the Commissioner of Education may exempt a school district, upon request, from the postponement of the comprehensive review required pursuant to this section.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     Under current law, each school district is required to undergo a comprehensive review under the State monitoring system, the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC).  To accommodate the workload involved in monitoring the school districts in the State, only a certain number of school districts are required to undergo the monitoring in any one year according to a schedule established by the Commissioner of Education.

     This bill would postpone the comprehensive review under NJQSAC for certain districts in order to allow the school districts and the Department of Education to focus their time and resources in addressing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The bill provides that the comprehensive review will instead take place in the 2021-2022 school year for any school district that is required to undergo (1) a comprehensive review in the 2019-2020 school year, which review was not completed due to the COVID-19-related school closures; or (2) a comprehensive review in the 2020-2021 school year.  These districts will be required to undergo their next comprehensive review, however, as if the postponement had not occurred.  Additionally, the bill stipulates that all school districts that are not subject to the bill's provisions will continue to be monitored according to their regular three-year schedule.  The postponements permitted under this bill will not disrupt the schedule for any other school district's comprehensive review.

     The bill provides, however, that a school district may request and receive an exemption from the postponement of the comprehensive review under the bill.  The school district would undergo the comprehensive review when it was originally scheduled.

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