Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Thompson, Codey, Weinberg, Corrado, Cryan, Gill, Schepisi, Diegnan, T.Kean, Turner, Lagana and Cunningham
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to provide instruction on history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning instruction on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in public schools and supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A board of education shall include instruction on the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the school district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies.
b. A board of education shall have policies and procedures in place pertaining to the selection of instructional materials to implement the requirements of section a. of this section. When adopting instructional materials for use in the school district, a board of education shall adopt inclusive instructional materials that portray the cultural and economic diversity of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the 2022-2023 school year.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a board of education to include instruction on the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies. The bill would also require a board of education to have policies and procedures in place pertaining to the selection of instructional materials that comply with the provisions of this bill. In adopting materials for use in the school district, a board of education would be required to adopt inclusive instructional materials that portray the cultural and economic diversity of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.