Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain school districts and Commissioner of Education to submit reports on social and emotional learning.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning social and emotional learning in school districts.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A school district that has elected to implement the New Jersey Social and Emotional Learning Competencies and Sub-Competencies shall, within 180 days of the effective date of this act, submit a report to the Commissioner of Education on the district’s implementation of these competencies and sub-competencies.
b. The report shall be submitted in a manner and form to be determined by the commissioner and include:
(1) examples of how the district has implemented the competencies and sub-competencies, including curriculum samples;
(2) the impact of the district’s implementation of the competencies and sub-competencies on student behavior including, but not limited to, the impact on student emotional regulation, conflict resolution, bullying, and overall student discipline;
(3) the impact of the district’s implementation of the competencies and sub-competencies on overall school climate;
(4) any measurable impacts of the district’s implementation of the competencies and sub-competencies on student outcomes; and
(5) any other information the commissioner deems necessary.
2. a. The Commissioner of Education shall, within one year of the effective date of this act, submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), that summarizes the information submitted pursuant to section 1 of this act and provides any additional information on the implementation of social and emotional learning the commissioner deems necessary.
b. The commissioner may elect to survey each school district on the implementation of social and emotional learning to assist in preparing the report required pursuant to this section.
c. The commissioner’s report shall make recommendations to the Governor, and to the Legislature, for any improvements to how school districts implement social and emotional learning concepts.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the Commissioner of Education’s report required pursuant to section 2 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires school districts and the Commissioner of Education to submit reports on the implementation of social and emotional learning.
The purpose of the bill is to study the voluntary implementation by school districts of the New Jersey Social and Emotional Learning Competencies and Sub-Competencies. The competencies and sub-competencies were adopted by the State Board of Education in 2017, and school districts were encouraged by the board to implement the competencies and sub-competencies. Under the bill, each school district that has elected to implement the Social and Emotional Learning Competencies and Sub-Competences will submit a report to the Commissioner of Education on the district’s implementation of these competencies and sub-competencies. The commissioner would subsequently submit a report on the implementation of these competencies and sub-competencies to the Governor and the Legislature.