A4583

An Act establishing the “COVID-19 Learning Loss Study Commission.”

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

1. a. There is established the “COVID-19 Learning Loss Study Commission.” The purpose of the commission shall be to identify and quantify the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on student academic outcomes.

b. The commission shall consist of 13 members as follows:

(1) two members of the Senate, of whom one shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and one shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(2) two members of the General Assembly, of whom one shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and one shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly;

(3) the Commissioner of Education, ex officio, or a designee; and

(4) eight members to be appointed by the Governor including one each from the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and the New Jersey Parent Teacher Association, and two public members.

2. Appointments to the commission shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties within the limits of funds made available to the commission for its purposes.

3. The commission shall organize within 30 days after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its members and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.

4. Staff and related support services shall be provided to the commission by the Department of Education. The commission shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the service of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

5. It shall be the duty of the commission to study the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency on student academic outcomes. The study commission shall:

(1) compile and analyze data on the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on overall student academic outcomes, and shall include an analysis disaggregated by district size, grade level, and academic subject, where practicable; and

(2) compile and analyze data on the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on student achievement disparities that existed prior to the public health emergency.

In conducting its study the commission shall examine available data and information for the time period beginning on the date of a school district’s closure in March of 2020 and ending on the effective date of this act.

6. The commission shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Governor, to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991. c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and to the State Board of Education no later than six months after its organizational meeting.

7. This act shall take effect immediately and the commission shall expire 30 days after the submission of the final report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the COVID-19 Learning Loss Study Commission. The commission will consist of the following 13 members: two members of the Senate, of whom one will be appointed by the President of the Senate and one will be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; two members of the General Assembly, of whom one will be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and one will be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; the Commissioner of Education, ex officio, or a designee; and eight members to be appointed by the Governor including one each from the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and the New Jersey Parent Teacher Association, and two public members.

It will be the duty of the commission to study the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency on student academic outcomes. The commission will: (1) compile and analyze data on the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on overall student academic outcomes, and will include an analysis disaggregated by district size, grade level, and academic subject, where practicable; and (2) compile and analyze data on the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on student achievement disparities that existed prior to the public health emergency.

In conducting its study, the commission will examine available data and information for the time period beginning on the date of a school district’s closure in March of 2020 and ending on the effective date of this act. The commission will issue a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Governor and the Legislature no later than six months after its organizational meeting. The commission will expire 30 days after the submission of the report.