The New Jersey State Board of Education convened on June 3, 2026, for its regular monthly meeting, at the NJ Department of Education, 100 Riverview Plaza in Trenton. It was a packed agenda, during which the Board recognized their outgoing permanent Student Representative and welcomed the new incoming student rep, announced upcoming public meetings to gather public input on revisions to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in four content areas, announced their slate of candidates for leadership positions on the State Board for next year, presented Lighthouse Award recipients, made changes designed to expand the pool of qualified school nurses and adopted updated Science Student Learning Standards and more!
Student Representative Honored
The Board recognized outgoing Permanent Student Representative Kayn De Rose of East Brunswick High School for her year of service as the student voice on the State Board. During her farewell remarks, De Rose reflected on her experiences advocating for students across New Jersey and thanked educators, family members, and Board staff who supported her work.
The Board unanimously adopted a ceremonial resolution commending De Rose for her leadership and contributions, which included presentations on topics such as student perspectives on assessments, artificial intelligence, school start times, and student advocacy.
The Board also welcomed incoming student representative Amelia Reynolds of Collingswood High School, who will begin her term later this summer.
Public Hearings Announced on Student Learning Standards
Board President Kathy Goldenberg announced three regional public hearings to gather feedback on proposed revisions to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in:
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- Visual and Performing Arts, and also on
- Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards.
The hearings will be held:
- The Northern Regional Public Hearing will be held at Hudson County Community College, 4800 Kennedy Boulevard, Union City, NJ 07306 on the second floor, Room N203 at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Members of the public seeking to testify in person may register online by noon on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
- The Southern Regional Public Hearing will be held at Camden County College, 200 College Drive, Blackwood, NJ 08012 in the Connector Building, Room 105, Civic Hall at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Members of the public seeking to testify in person may register online by noon on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
- Central Regional Public Hearing will be held at the Department of Education, 100 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, NJ 08625 in the first floor conference room at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Members of the public seeking to testify in person may register online by noon on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
- Written comments about the draft revisions to the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards can be submitted to njptlsreview@doe.nj.gov.
Lighthouse Awards Recognize Educational Excellence
The New Jersey Department of Education launched the Lighthouse Awards Program in 207 to recognize advancements made by the NJ LEAs toward education improvements and equitable outcomes. This month, the Board recognized the fifth cohort of New Jersey Lighthouse Award recipients, honoring districts demonstrating measurable progress in educational equity and student opportunity.
Awardees were recognized in three areas:
Increasing Equity in Dual Enrollment
- Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology
- Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District
- Saddle Brook Public Schools
Increasing Equity in AP and IB Enrollment
- Emerson Public Schools
- Hamilton Township School District
- Lower Cape May Regional School District
- Salem City School District
- South Hunterdon Regional School District
Increasing Diversity in the Teacher Workforce
- Vineland Public Schools
The Department highlighted each district’s efforts to expand access to rigorous coursework, remove financial barriers, and increase opportunities for traditionally underrepresented student populations.
Corrections to Standards Review Process
The Department provided an update regarding corrections to draft revisions of several New Jersey Student Learning Standards documents.
Department officials explained that formatting and presentation issues in previously released draft documents made some revisions appear more extensive than intended. Corrections were made to improve clarity and accurately distinguish between new language, revised language, and existing standards.
Officials emphasized that the corrections do not change the substance, rigor, or intent of the proposed standards.
The public comment period on the standards revisions remains open through July 31, 2026.
Commissioner Laux Monthly LIteracy Update
New Commissioner of Education Lily Laux has announced that she will have a brief standing update on literacy. This month she had the opportunity to work with her team and some of their partners who have been with the learning equity and academic recovery team. They met with executive county staff, who had an opportunity to attend and give feedback. What was planned to be a 2-hour experience turned into a fantastic three-hour experience, and due to today’s packed agenda, the Commissioner stated she could not bring that full experience to this meeting, but looks forward to a longer item on a future agenda again with more time to talk through the training opportunities that we are currently developing and making available to teachers throughout the state.
Board Approves School Nurse Certification Amendments
The Board unanimously adopted amendments to certification regulations that recognize multi-state nursing licenses issued through the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) as eligible for school nurse certification in New Jersey. The amendments stemmed from a successful petition for rulemaking submitted in 2025 and are intended to address ongoing school nurse shortages across the state.
Under previous regulations, candidates seeking school nurse credentials were generally required to hold a New Jersey-issued nursing license. The revised regulations now allow registered nurses holding valid multi-state licenses from participating NLC states to qualify for:
- School Nurse Certificates
- School Nurse Non-Instructional Endorsements
- Substitute School Nurse Credentials
The department noted that many nurses already practicing legally in New Jersey healthcare settings hold multi-state licenses and that the previous certification requirements unnecessarily limited the candidate pool.
Public comments overwhelmingly supported the change, with stakeholders citing workforce shortages and the need to remove barriers for qualified candidates while maintaining credentialing standards.
Board members expressed strong support for the amendments, noting their potential to help districts recruit and retain school nurses. The resolution was approved unanimously.
Science Standards Revisions Adopted
The Board also unanimously adopted revisions to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for Science.
The department emphasized that the revisions are intentionally limited in scope and are designed primarily to improve clarity and usability rather than significantly alter instructional expectations.
According to the Department, only four of the state’s 208 science performance expectations were revised following a comprehensive review process involving educators, content experts, public hearings, and stakeholder feedback.
Among the changes:
- Certain language was revised to improve clarity and alignment with current scientific understanding.
- Supporting materials previously embedded within the standards document—including assessment boundaries, clarification statements, and cross-disciplinary connections—will now be housed within the Department’s STAMP resource platform.
- Minor technical edits were made to improve readability and accuracy.
The department stressed that the revisions do not add new content and are expected to have minimal impact on district curriculum implementation. The revised standards remain aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards framework and are scheduled to take effect in September 2026.
Board members asked questions regarding the continued integration of mathematics and science concepts. Department staff explained that cross-content connections remain intact and will continue to be available through supplemental implementation resources.
New Middle School Social Studies Certification Assessment
At the discussion level, the Board reviewed a proposal to adopt a revised Praxis content knowledge assessment and qualifying score for candidates seeking the Middle School Social Studies (Grades 5–8) endorsement.
Educational Testing Service (ETS) redesigned the assessment for the first time since 2011. The revised exam places greater emphasis on critical thinking and the ability to connect historical, geographic, economic, and civic concepts.
Key changes include:
- Increasing multiple-choice questions from 120 to 140
- Eliminating the essay component
- Reorganizing content categories
- Aligning the assessment with current national standards and expectations
The department emphasized that while the proposed qualifying score appears lower than the current cut score, it reflects a different assessment and should not be interpreted as a lowering of standards.
Board members raised questions about test development, demographic representation during field testing, the removal of the essay component, and the psychometric process used to establish the recommended passing score. Department staff indicated additional information requested during committee discussions would be provided to Board members before any final action is taken.
The item was presented for discussion only and will return to the Board for future consideration.
2026-2027 State Board of Education Meeting Dates
Mark your calendars! The Board also approved the 2026–2027 State Board of Education meeting schedule. The State Board of Education will meet for its regular public business meetings on:
- July 1, 2026
- August 5, 2026
- September 2, 2026
- October 7, 2026
- November 4, 2026
- December 2, 2026, with an alternate Board meeting date in the event of snow cancelation on December 9, 2026
- January 6, 2027, with an alternate Board meeting date in the event of snow cancelation on January 13, 2027
- February 3, 2027, with an alternate Board meeting date in the event of snow cancelation on February 10, 2027
- March 3, 2027, with an alternate Board meeting date in the event of snow cancelation on March 10, 2027
- April 7, 2026
- May 5, 2027
- June 2, 2027
The State Board of Education will hold “Open Topic” Public Testimony Sessions for the 2026-2027 school year will be held on:
- September 2, 2026
- January 6, 2027
- May 5, 2027
State Board of Education Announced Slate of Candidates
Board member Jeanette Peña presented the slate of candidates for the leadership roles of president and vice president for the 2026-2027 school year. The committee recommended Kathy Goldenberg for president. The committee also recommended the two state board members as candidates for vice president: Mary Bennett and Jeanette Peña. As per the Board’s bylaws, the election will occur after June 30th. So stay tuned for more information about the July meeting!
Looking Ahead
The Board will continue its review of revised student learning standards throughout the summer, with additional public input opportunities scheduled before the standards revision process concludes later this year.
You can watch this meeting its entirety via the New JerseyDepartment of Education YouTube channel. If you have any questions, or would like to provide testimony to the State Board of Education, please contact your NJPSA Government Relations team!