The New Jersey Department of Education invites comments on New Jersey’s Draft 2024 Every Student Succeeds Act State Plan, according to an advisory.
The 2024 ESSA State Plan is an updated version of the initial ESSA State Plan, which was approved by the United States Department of Education in 2017.
In 2015, ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind and reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The purpose of ESSA is to provide all students the opportunity “to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close achievement gaps.” Specifically, a foundational element of the ESSA State Plan sets the structure for how the NJDOE collects information that identifies the schools in need of state support.
In December 2023, an updated redlined amended version of the 2017 ESSA State Plan was approved by the USDOE. The redlined version reflected changes related to the 2019 New Jersey Performance Review Report and corrective action plan, revisions made per the COVID-19 State Plan Addendum and revisions made as the result of a 2017 USDOE Migrant Education Program monitoring and corrective action plan.
Meaningful Consultation
Throughout 2023 and 2024, the NJDOE reviewed and revised the 2017 ESSA State Plan in consultation with cross-agency staff, researchers and New Jersey stakeholders. This consultation included external stakeholders through the ESSA Stakeholder Working Group. Over 40 New Jersey organizations were represented in the ESSA Stakeholder Working Group, which met for five sessions to discuss and provide feedback on the various proposals, with a goal of making incremental changes that will serve to continually improve the NJDOE’s system of supports.
This document is an updated draft of the 2017 ESSA State Plan, which will be posted on the NJDOE website for 30 days for public review. All input, feedback and questions regarding this draft are encouraged and can be sent to the NJDOE via email.