The New Jersey State Board of Education met on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at the Riverview Executive Plaza in Trenton. During their meeting, the State Board recognized and celebrated Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month in New Jersey, approved proposed amendments to School District Operations for publication in the New Jersey Register, and heard a presentation at first discussion proposed changes to Chapter 8, Standards and Assessments.
Proposed Amendment to School District Operations
The Department of Education proposes to amend N.J.A.C. 6A:32, (School District Operations) to align the chapter with P.L. 2023, c. 274, which allows a public school student in grades six through 12 to have one State-excused absence each school year for the purpose of attending a civic event.
The State Board unanimously approved for publication in the New Jersey Register the proposed amendments at N.J.A.C.6A:32 related to a State-excused absence for civic events, pursuant to P.L. 2023, c. 274, and N.J.S.A. 18A:4-15. The proposal level document includes three sections – comments and responses, a summary of the proposed amendments and the rule text of the proposed amendments.
Proposed Readoption with Amendments and Repeals to Standards and Assessment
The State Board heard, at first discussion, the proposed readoption with amendments and repeals to Chapter 8, Standards and Assessment. The chapter, which implements the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) and the Statewide assessment system, is scheduled to expire on May 3, 2025.
As part of this readoption of N.J.A.C. 6A:8, the Department proposes amendments to streamline and clarify rules, procedures, and operations, and update terminology and rules to align to provisions throughout Title 6A of the New Jersey Administrative Code and Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. The Department also proposes throughout the chapter to delete rules that were effective during a limited timeframe or reference defunct programs. The Division of Teaching and Learning Services within the Department presented their initial proposed changes to the Board, and explained the goals of the proposed amendments:
- Alignment with Federal and State Laws and Regulations
- Ensuring compliance with federal requirements such as ESSA and IDEA
- Reflecting recent legislative changes and updates to state laws
- Streamlining and Modernizing Terminology
- Replacing outdated language (i.e., 21st Century Skills) and references to obsolete programs and terms (e.g., Common Core, PARCC)
- Updating definitions for clarity and alignment with current practices
- Aligning Instruction to Student Needs
- Focus on meeting the needs of all learners, including students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and gifted students
- Improving access to advanced coursework and postsecondary preparation opportunities
- Emphasizing civic responsibility and information literacy
- Preparing Students for the Modern Workplace
- Strengthening career readiness through enhanced career counseling, work-based learning, and dual enrollment programs
- Provide clarity around authentic learning experiences and individual student learning opportunities
- Supporting Continuous Improvement
- Introducing accountability measures like corrective action plans for non-compliance with NJSLS
- Include professional development focusing on evidence-based instructional practices and diverse learner needs
- Using disaggregated data to monitor and improve student outcomes across various student groups
The first discussion level document includes two sections – a summary of the rulemaking and the rule text of the chapter’s rules and the proposed amendments and repeals .
There was no public testimony in the month of February. The State Board will meet again on March 5th. Further information on the NJ State Board of Education may be found here.