N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:7-1.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 6A:7-1.4 - Responsibilities of the district board of education

(a) Each district board of education shall adopt and implement written educational equity policies that:

1. Recognize and value the diversity of persons and groups within the community and promote the acceptance of persons of diverse backgrounds regardless of the protected categories listed at N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.1(a); and

2. Promote equitable educational opportunity and foster through the policies, programs, and practices of the district board of education a learning environment that is free from all forms of prejudice, discrimination, and harassment based upon the protected categories listed at N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.1(a).

(b) The district board of education shall inform the school community of its policies in a manner including, but not limited to, the school district's customary methods of information dissemination.

(c) Each district board of education shall develop, once every three years, a comprehensive equity plan that shall identify and correct all discriminatory and inequitable educational policies, patterns, programs, and practices affecting its facilities, programs, students, and staff.

1. Prior to developing the comprehensive equity plan, the district board of education shall assess the school district's needs for achieving equity in educational activities and programs based on an analysis of data including, but not limited to, National Assessment of Educational Progress and State assessment results, preschool-through-grade-12 promotion/retention data, preschool-through-grade-12 completion rates, and re-examination and re-evaluation of classification and placement of students in special education programs if there is overrepresentation within the protected categories listed at N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.1(a); staffing practices; student demographic data; attendance data; quality of program data; the Federally mandated Civil Rights Data Collection; student access to educational activities and programs; discipline, graduation rate, and postsecondary enrollment; student, staff, and community member interviews; enrollment and scoring in advanced classes; teacher workforce diversity; and stakeholder satisfaction data. The needs assessment shall identify discriminatory practices and other barriers to achieving equity in educational activities and programs, if applicable.

2. The comprehensive equity plan shall address:

i. Professional development, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.6; and

ii. Equity in school and classroom practices, educational activities, and programs pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.7.

3. The comprehensive equity plan shall include measurable and actionable goals, objectives, timelines, and benchmarks for measuring progress.

4. The district board of education shall submit the comprehensive equity plan to the executive county superintendent for confirmation of completion.

i. If the executive county superintendent determines that the comprehensive equity plan is not complete, the district board of education shall revise the plan in accordance with the executive county superintendent's instructions and shall submit to the executive county superintendent the revised plan within 30 days of the notification of incompletion.

(d) Each district board of education shall submit to the executive county superintendent at the end of each school year a statement of assurance regarding achieving the objectives of the comprehensive equity plan. The chief school administrator also shall certify in the statement of assurance to the following:

1. The school district will continue to maintain compliance with N.J.A.C. 6A:7; Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Guidelines for the Desegregation of Public Schools in New Jersey; and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794);

2. The school district will perform all required activities as provided for in this chapter and annually report such assurances to the district board of education;

3. The school district will continue to implement its comprehensive equity plan; and

4. The school district has evaluated the comprehensive equity plan for effectiveness and has submitted a revised comprehensive equity plan to the executive county superintendent, if necessary.

5. The district board of education will provide a resolution approving the affirmative action officer for each school year of the three-year comprehensive plan.

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:7-1.4

Amended by 48 N.J.R. 590(b), effective 4/4/2016

Amended by 55 N.J.R. 1877(a), effective 9/5/2023