Meanwhile, in New Jersey: Positioning Education for What's Next
The Worthy Educator is providing organizational support to create awareness for New Jersey Senate Bills S4652, S4653 and S4654:
S4652 requires the Department of Education to provide test results to school districts within 30 days of administration, school districts to communicate those results to families within 14 days of receiving them, and the Commissioner of Education to review grades 3 through 12 assessments, discontinuing any that are not strictly required by state or federal law. In particular, it removes the mandate for high school students to achieve a passing score on a Statewide proficiency test to graduate, and repeals related statutory sections. Upon passage, it will take effect immediately, with specific high school changes applying to students entering grade 12 in the 2027–2028 school year.
S4653 directs the Commissioner of Education to develop and implement a Statewide framework for high school graduation that establishes comprehensive standards to help ensure students are prepared for college, careers, and civic life.
S4654 shifts school districts away from a heavy reliance on test preparation towards a more proactive, multi-tiered support framework with targeted remediation for struggling 10th-grade students not on track for graduation, as well as 8th-grade students falling behind on promotion standards, using universal screenings, direct tutoring, evidence-based interventions, and continuous progress monitoring, alongside formal tracking and reporting requirements.
These bills combine to support students earlier by removing duplicative testing, honoring multiple pathways to student success and preparing graduates for opportunities in their postsecondary lives. Each aligns with The Worthy Educator mission to support educators in preparing students for their future. Learn more in Roadmap 2031 (The Worthy Educator Press, 2026).
Attention, New Jersey Educators, Stakeholders and Citizens!
Please contact your Senate Majority Leader, The Honorable Teresa Ruiz, as well as the five members of your Senate Education Committee below, and let them know your position on these three pieces of legislation:
We celebrate the efforts of Worthy Educator Sweety Patel, Director of School Counseling for the New Providence, New Jersey School District, who is working closely with State Senator Shirley K. Turner in crafting and submitting these bills for consideration by the New Jersey State Legislature. She is working tirelessly on behalf of the children of her state, making herself available to discuss these bills in further detail and answer questions about their implications for public schools. Thank you, Sweety!
-------------------
Comments