A5097

An Act establishing the New Jersey Partnerships for Results and Opportunity through Multisector Integration, Services, and Education Program, supplementing P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-1 et seq.), and making an appropriation.

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

1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “New Jersey Partnerships for Results and Opportunity through Multisector Integration, Services, and Education Act.”

2. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Families across New Jersey, regardless of income, home language, immigration background, disability status, or neighborhood, deserve access to high-quality schools, health care, and social supports services. These support services should strengthen the entire family’s stability and well-being, prepare young people for college and careers, and enable families to contribute to the economic and civic life of our State and nation.

b. In many of the State’s most distressed communities, families face housing instability, educational challenges, neighborhood safety concerns, and barriers to health care access. These are often treated as separate problems needing separate solutions. Families, however, often experience these challenges at the same time and the challenges interact and compound in real time within the context of specific places, especially neighborhoods.

c. Since these challenges are connected, communities need innovative, comprehensive, family-centered strategies that address education, health, housing, and safety together, rather than in isolation. This kind of coordinated approach can reduce crisis-driven responses and help families build stability over time.

d. Sustained, long-term investment is also required to strengthen family stability and build a reliable system of family and community support shared by schools, health providers, social service agencies, and neighborhood partners. When these stakeholders align their work, families can access support earlier, with fewer barriers, and communities can interrupt cycles of poverty and disinvestment.

e. Through the collaborative efforts described in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), communities are encouraged to coordinate services and resources more efficiently and effectively at the neighborhood level, so families and children in the State’s poorest neighborhoods can access what they need, when they need it, in ways that reflect lived reality.

3. a. The purpose of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) is to provide grants to significantly improve the outcomes and opportunities for children and their families living in New Jersey’s most distressed neighborhoods. By using results-driven accountability and leveraging federal, State, local, and private resources, the State seeks to provide children and their families in those neighborhoods with access to a community-based continuum of high-quality services and practices based on the best available evidence that shall address the needs of children from birth through college and career.

b. The vision of this competitive grant program is that all families in the targeted geographic area have access to quality early childhood programs, schools, health services, social services, and strong systems of family and community support services that will prepare them to attain thriving, economically secure lives. The State shall achieve this by:

(1) identifying and increasing the capacity of eligible entities that are focused on achieving results for families, children, and youth throughout a targeted geographic area;

(2) funding eligible entities who shall build a complete continuum of solutions of academic, health, and social programs and family and community support services. The State shall further ensure that the continuum of solutions is made accessible to all families;

(3) integrating programs and breaking down agency silos so that solutions are implemented effectively and efficiently across agencies;

(4) developing the local infrastructure of systems and resources needed to sustain and scale up proven, effective solutions across the broader region beyond the initial neighborhood; and

(5) learning about the overall impact of the State grant program and about the relationship between strategies in targeted geographic areas and student outcomes, including through a rigorous longitudinal evaluation of each geographic area’s cluster of supports as well as annual evaluation of different components of the continuum.

4. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

“Authority” means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-4).

“Continuum of solutions” or “solutions” means the academic, health, and social programs and family and community support services provided by the eligible entity as part of the grant program.

“Eligible entity” means a nonprofit organization, including faith- based organizations, an institution of higher education, or a State-recognized tribal community or tribal organization, which shall serve as the lead agency organization in the identified geographic area service area of the grant program and which shall act in partnership with at least one public or charter elementary or secondary school located within the same identified geographic area. In addition to the elementary or secondary school, the partnership may include multiple schools in the geographic area, a school district or school superintendent, the office of a chief elected official or a unit of local government, or a public or nonprofit social services agency.

“Grant program” means the New Jersey Partnerships for Results and Opportunity through Multisector Integration, Services, and Education Program established pursuant to section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Nonprofit organization” means a nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal taxation pursuant to section 501 (c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. s.501 (c)(3), and which qualifies for a grant pursuant to section 27 P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-27).

“Service area” means the area in which the eligible entity provides services under a continuum of solutions.

“Targeted geographic area” means a portion of a geographic area with demographics or experiences which include, but are not limited to, the following statistics:

(1) more than 20 percent of children living in poverty or with high concentrations of low-income families;

(2) schools that receive funding under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. s.6301 et seq.) and other indicators of high need such as poor health for children, high rates of students feeling unsafe in school, or feeling unsafe while traveling between home and school;

(3) high rates of juvenile delinquency, adjudication, or incarceration; or

(4) high rates of foster care placement.

5. a. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority shall establish and administer the New Jersey Partnerships for Results and Opportunity through Multisector Integration, Services, and Education Program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to implement a comprehensive, integrated continuum of solutions based on the best available evidence, in a targeted geographic area.

b. The authority shall review and approve applications submitted pursuant to section 6 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds for the grant program. An eligible entity shall be chosen pursuant to the eligible entity’s proposed continuum of solutions to improve academic achievement, including in early childhood education, child and youth social and health development, college and career readiness, and plan to build strong family and community support services by showing demonstrable improvement in outcomes.

c. The authority shall establish three grant tracks for the program, which shall be as follows:

(1) a one-year partnership development grant, focusing on building partnerships and increasing capacity within communities to develop a continuum of solutions to address neighborhood-specific challenges, in an amount not to exceed $100,000;

(2) a two-year planning grant, designed to help communities create comprehensive, actionable continuum of solutions to tackle neighborhood-specific challenges, in an amount not to exceed $500,000; and

(3) a five-year implementation grant, focused on implementing the approved continuum of solutions plans by delivering services and strategies directly to residents, in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000.

d. An eligible entity shall be required to pursue sources of matching funding to be eligible for a grant made pursuant to this section.

6. To participate in the grant program, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the authority, in a form and manner to be determined by the authority. The application shall include, but not be limited to:

a. a description of a plan to significantly improve the academic, health, and social outcomes of children and families living in an identified targeted geographic area and to support the healthy development and well-being of children and youth in the qualifying entity’s service area by providing a continuum of solutions to address the targeted geographic area’s needs. The authority shall ensure that a continuum of solutions awarded a grant is based on the best available research and evidence. A plan awarded a grant shall also ensure that, over time, students not living in the targeted geographic area who attend the school or schools in the service area have access to services provided by the eligible entity;

b. a description of the targeted geographic area to be served and the level of distress in that area based on indicators of need and other relevant indicators. The statement of need in the targeted geographic area shall be based, in part, on results of a comprehensive needs assessment and segmentation analysis;

c. whether the eligible entity intends to service multiple, non-contiguous targeted geographic areas;

d. a description of the applicant’s measurable short-term, long-term, and annual goals for expected outcomes based on grant program indicators, which shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) performance goals, in accordance with the metrics for each year of the grant award;

(2) projected participation rates and any plans to expand the number of children serviced by the grant award over time; and

(3) annual goals for evaluating the continuum of solutions, such as changes in policies, environments, or organizations that affect children and youth in the targeted geographic area;

e. an analysis of the needs and assets of the targeted geographic area including, but not limited to:

(1) a description of the process through which the needs assessment and segmentation analysis was produced pursuant to subsection b. of this section, including a description of how family and community members were engaged in the analysis;

(2) an explanation of how the applicant will use the needs assessment and segmentation analysis to determine the children and families with the highest needs and ensure that those children and families receive the appropriate services from the continuum of solutions; and

(3) an identification and description of the educational indicators and community and family support indicators the applicant used in conducting the needs assessment, which shall be used as continuum of solutions indicators to track the continuum of solutions’ progress;

f. an analysis of community assets within, or accessible to, the targeted geographic area, including, at minimum:

(1) early learning programs, including home visiting, high-quality childcare, early Head Start programs, and pre-kindergarten programs, community centers, after-school programs, and other opportunities for out-of-school time learning activities;

(2) public transportation and parks;

(3) the availability of healthy food options;

(4) youth sports programs or other opportunities for physical activity;

(5) existing family and student support programs;

(6) businesses and employers located in the community; and

(7) institutions of higher education;

g. evidence of successful collaboration between the applicant and individuals or entities in the applicant’s proposed service area that has led to positive changes in educational outcomes for children;

h. a description of solutions that shall be used in the continuum of solutions based on data collected, including a description of solutions specifically targeting children, family members, community members, and children not attending schools or programs operated by the applicant and its partners. The applicant shall also describe:

(1) the process by which each solution is to be implemented and an expected timeline for launching each solution;

(2) the partners that will participate in the implementation of each solution in any case the applicant does not implement the solution directly;

(3) the estimated per child cost and cost projections over time, including administrative costs, to implement each solution;

(4) the estimated number of children, by age, and families in the applicant’s proposed service area who will be served by each solution, including:

(a) the percentage of all children of the same age group within the applicant’s proposed service area proposed to be served with each solution and the annual targets required to increase the proportion of children served to reach scale over time;

(b) how the segmentation analysis as described in subsection b. of this section was used in targeting the children and youth to be served;

(d) the best available evidence supporting each proposed solution;

i. a description of the process used to develop the information used in the application, including the involvement of family and community members;

j. a description of the process through which the applicant proposes to develop, launch, and implement a longitudinal data system that integrates student-level data from multiple sources to measure progress on educational and family and community support indicators for all children in the service area, including how the applicant has:

(1) linked or is making progress to link the longitudinal data system to school-based and State data systems;

(2) made or will make data accessible to parents, families, community residents, program partners, researchers, and evaluators at either the individual or aggregate level as appropriate while abiding by federal, State, and other privacy laws and requirements; and

(3) planned to manage and maintain the system over time.

k. an explanation of how the applicant will continuously evaluate and improve the continuum of solutions, including a description of metrics that will be used to inform each solution and the process for using data to improve instruction, optimize integrated student supports, provide for continuous program improvement, and hold staff and partner organizations accountable;

l. identification of a fiscal agent, which may be any person or entity;

m. a list of federal, State, local, and private sources of funding that the applicant will secure to comply with the matching-funds requirement as provided in subsection d. of section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);

n. a preliminary memorandum of understanding signed by each partner entity the applicant intends to employ in executing the proposed continuum of solutions, which shall describe, at minimum:

(1) each partner’s commitment and contribution toward achieving each result at population level;

(2) each partner's financial and programmatic commitment with respect to the strategies described in the application, including identification of a fiscal agent;

(3) the governance structure proposed for the continuum of solutions’ within the applicant’s proposed service area, including a system for how the applicant will hold partners accountable, representation of the residents of the service area on the applicant’s governing and advisory board, and resident engagement from the service area in the applicant’s decision making;

(4) each partner’s long-term commitment to providing continuum of solutions services that, at minimum, account for the cost of supporting the continuum, including after grant funds have been exhausted, and potential changes in local government;

(5) each partner’s mission and plan that will govern the work that partners do together;

(6) each partner’s long-term commitment to supporting the continuum of solutions through data collection, monitoring, reporting, and sharing of information;

(7) each partner’s commitment to ensuring sound fiscal management and controls, including evidence of a system of supports and personnel; and

(8) information pertaining to the amount of assistance the applicant is seeking under the program to achieve measurable outcomes under authority performance standards.

7. The authority shall establish performance standards to annually measure progress on indicators and results of the continuum of solutions, as provided to the authority by the eligible entity. Each targeted geographic area representative shall select the performance standards the authority will track over a defined period of time, as determined by the authority; however, a targeted geographic area representative may propose additional standards aligned with local priorities. The authority may begin by tracking a limited set of standards and the targeted geographic area representative may add additional measures over time as capacity and initiatives expand. The following are the minimum required performance standards the authority shall measure:

a. kindergarten readiness:

(1) the number and percentage of children from birth to kindergarten age who have a place they may go, other than an emergency room, when they are sick or in need of healthcare;

(2) the number and percentage of three-year olds and children in kindergarten who demonstrate age-appropriate functioning across multiple areas of early learning as determined using developmentally-appropriate early learning measures; and

(3) the number and percentage of children from birth to kindergarten age participating in daycare center-based or formal home-based early learning settings or programs, which may include Head Start or preschool.

b. the number and percentage of students at or above grade level according to State mathematics and reading or language arts assessments in at least the grades required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. s.6301 et seq.);

c. the attendance rate of students in sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grades;

d. the four-year graduation rate, by cohort;

e. the number and percentage of students within the designated targeted geographic area who graduate with a regular high school diploma and obtain postsecondary degrees, vocational certificates, or other industry-recognized certifications or credentials without the need for remediation;

f. student health, including the number and percentage of children who participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily;

g. student safety, including:

(1) the number and percentage of students who feel safe at school and traveling to and from school, measured by a school climate of needs assessment or other instrument; and

(2) substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect;

h. community stability, including:

(1) student mobility rate in schools within the targeted geographic area; and

(2) percent of children in foster care, excluding kinship care, or otherwise living apart from their biological or adoptive parents;

i. family and community support of schools served by the continuum of solutions in the targeted geographic area, including:

(1) for children from birth to kindergarten age, the number and percentage of parents or family members who report that they read to their child three or more times a week;

(2) for children kindergarten through eighth grade; the number and percentage of parents or family members who report encouraging their child to read books outside of school; and

(3) for children ninth through 12th grades, the number and percentage of parents or family members who report talking with their child about the importance of college and career;

j. the number and percentage of students who have school and home access to broadband Internet and a connected, useable computing device, including how much time during the day the student has access to the device;

k. family stability, including:

(1) the number and percentage of families experience housing instability in the last 12 months;

(2) the number and percentage of families who are paying more than 30 percent of income on rent or mortgage; and

(3) the number and percentage of families with reliable access to food, including the number and percentage of families participating in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or federal WIC program, as those terms are defined in section 3 of P.L.2011, c.223 (C.4:10-25.5);

l. employment and earnings data, including:

(1) labor force participation rates among working-age adults in the service area;

(2) the employment rate among working-age adults; and

(3) the number and percentage of people receiving continuum of solutions services moving towards earning at least 300 percent of the poverty level;

m. connection to social services, including:

(1) the number and percentage of families successfully connected to at least one needed social service within 30 to 60 days of application;

(2) the average time from referrable to service start date, differentiated by service type;

(3) the number of repeat crises within 21 months, such as repeat shelter entry or repeat utility shutoff; and

(4) user satisfaction with partner supports.

8. a. Each eligible entity that receives a grant pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall prepare and submit an annual report to the authority, which shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) information concerning the number and percentage of children, family members, and community members in the continuum of solution’s service area, including a description of the number and percentage of children accessing each of the continuum of solution’s services and the number of family and community members served by the grant;

(2) disaggregated data at population and service area levels concerning the continuum of solution’s success in annual growth along continuum of solutions indicators, which shall be disaggregated by:

(a) gender;

(b) racial and ethnic groups;

(d) economic disadvantage status;

(3) information concerning the performance standards provided in section 7 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);

(4) an evaluation of the implementation and impact of the continuum of solutions funded by the grant, including the costs and benefits of the solutions, relative expenditures;

(5) the identification of best practices to improve the effectiveness of the continuum of solutions; and

(6) any other information deemed necessary by the authority.

b. The eligible entity shall disseminate to the public, in a form and manner determined by the authority, its findings on best practices to improve academic, social, and health outcomes for children, families, and communities in this State.

9. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority, in consultation with any public or private entity as deem appropriate by the authority, shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as necessary to implement the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

10. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Economic Development Authority the sum of $30,000,000 to provide grants pursuant to section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

11. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the New Jersey Partnerships for Results and Opportunity through Multisector Integration, Services, and Education program (grant program) in the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), which is to administer the grant program. The EDA is to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities, as defined in the bill, to implement a comprehensive, integrated continuum of solutions based on the best available evidence, within targeted geographic areas, as defined in the bill. A targeted geographic area is required to meet certain statistics enumerated in the bill.

The EDA is to review and approve grant applications on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds for the grant program. An eligible entity is to be chosen pursuant to the eligible entity’s proposed continuum of solutions in one or more service areas to improve academic achievement, including in early childhood education, child and youth social and health development, college and career readiness, and plan to build strong family and community support services by showing demonstrable improvement in outcomes.

The EDA is to establish three grant tracks for the program, as described in the bill. The bill requires an eligible entity to pursue sources of matching funding to be eligible for a grant.

To participate in the grant program, the bill requires an eligible entity to submit an application to the EDA, in a form and manner to be determined by the EDA. The application is to include, but not be limited to, information specified in the bill.

The EDA is to establish performance standards to annually measure progress on indicators and results of the continuum of solutions in service areas, as provided to the EDA by the eligible entity. Each targeted geographic area representative, required pursuant to the application process, is to select the performance standards the EDA will track over a defined period of time, as determined by the EDA; however, a targeted geographic area representative may propose additional standards aligned with local priorities. The EDA may begin by tracking a limited set of standards and the service area representative may add additional measures over time as capacity and initiatives expand. The bill provides for minimum required performance standards the EDA is to measure.

The bill requires an eligible entity that receives a grant under the bill to prepare and submit an annual report to the EDA, which is to include certain information enumerated in the bill.

The bill provides that the eligible entity is to disseminate, in a form and manner determined by the EDA, its findings on best practices to improve academic, social, and health outcomes for children, families, and communities in this State.

The EDA in consultation with the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Human Services, is to adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.

This bill appropriates from the General Fund to the EDA the sum of $30 million to provide grants pursuant to the bill.