Bill Text: NJ S3031 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes Innovation Grant Program; appropriates $5 million to DOE.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-11-14 - Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [S3031 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S3031-Amended.html
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Senator THOMAS H. KEAN, JR.
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Innovation Grant Program; appropriates $5 million to DOE.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Education Committee on November 14, 2013, with amendments.
An Act establishing an Innovation Grant Program in the Department of Education, supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is created a special fund in the Department of Education, which shall be designated the "Innovation Fund." The fund shall be maintained in a separate account and administered by the Commissioner of Education to carry out the provisions of this act. The fund shall be credited with the amount appropriated pursuant to section 4 of this act and any contributions made to the fund. All interest or other income or earnings derived from the investment or reinvestment of moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.
2. a. Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the commissioner shall establish the Innovation Grant Program. Under the program, the commissioner shall award competitive grants to school districts 1[seeking] for professional development or1 to develop and implement innovative educational practices including, but not limited to, extended learning time, personalization of instruction to meet students' individualized needs, and the use of educational technology to promote student readiness for college and career. The commissioner shall not award a grant to a school district to implement:
(1) a program in which teaching staff members receive compensation or bonuses on a competitive basis or based on achieving specified objectives; or
(2) a program in which 1[instruction is provided to students via the Internet] students receive instruction exclusively via the Internet with the student and teacher geographically separated1.
b. The commissioner shall establish a 1[five-member] seven-member1 Innovation Grant Program Advisory Committee. The members appointed to the advisory committee shall have expertise in education policy and practice 1[, and] . The members shall consist of education stakeholders and1 at least one member shall be a representative of the New Jersey Education Association. No member of the advisory committee shall be an employee of, or consultant to, the Department of Education. The advisory committee shall advise the commissioner on the development, implementation, and assessment of the grant program.
c. As a condition of receiving a grant, the commissioner shall require a school district to participate in an innovation community. The purpose of the innovation community shall be to provide school districts that received a grant the opportunity to exchange information regarding the success and challenges associated with the implementation of the program.
d. The commissioner shall enter into an agreement with an independent entity to assess the effectiveness of the grant program. The assessment shall be conducted by an individual or entity primarily identified with expertise in the analysis of educational programs. The assessment shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:
(1) a description of the programs for which a grant was awarded, and a description of the programs for which an application was submitted to the commissioner, but did not receive funding;
(2) a discussion of the objectives of the programs that have been implemented by school districts that received a grant;
(3) a summary of any challenges encountered during the implementation of the program; and
(4) an analysis of the degree to which the program objectives have been met.
e. The commissioner may retain up to 1[6.5%] 2%1 of the amount appropriated to the Innovation Fund pursuant to this act to administer the program.
3. a. A school district that elects to apply for a grant from the Innovation Fund shall establish a 1[three-member] five-member1 innovation grant committee 1[. At least one member of the committee shall be a representative of the collective bargaining unit that represents teaching staff members in the district] consisting of at least two members selected by the majority representative organization1. The committee shall recommend projects to the board of education to submit 1to the Department of Education1 for approval for grant funding. 1Only grant proposals recommended by the innovation grant committee may be submitted to the department.1
b. A school district shall not apply for a grant to implement a program that is inconsistent with any provision of an existing collective bargaining agreement into which the school district has entered. 1[All] The1 terms and conditions of employment related to the implementation of a program shall be subject to collective bargaining 1, as provided by law1.
c. A charter school established pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-1 et seq.) and a renaissance school project established pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2011, c.176 (C.18A:36C-1 et seq.) shall not be eligible to apply for grant funding.
4. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Education the sum of $5,000,000 to be credited to the "Innovation Fund" to effectuate the provisions of this act.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
