Gov. Phil Murphy with a group of legislative and education leaders at the bill signing ceremony at Park Elementary School in Newark.
On Aug. 13, Gov. Phil Murphy signed two bills into law to establish initiatives that will provide young learners with access to tools and resources that will help them become strong, confident readers while empowering educators with professional development opportunities.
The New Jersey School Boards Association supported both measures while advocating for the necessary funding and resources to ease implementation of the provisions of each bill. The Association participated in a working group, convened by Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, which reviewed the package as introduced and collaborated in the development of both pieces of legislation.
Dr. Timothy J. Purnell, executive director and CEO of the NJSBA, applauded the signing of the bills, stating. “Literacy is the essential skill that serves as the foundation for all learning. The New Jersey School Boards Association thanks Governor Murphy for prioritizing this issue and Senate Majority Leader Ruiz for her leadership in spearheading these critical measures that demonstrate her commitment to the children of New Jersey.” He added, “And we applaud the entire Legislature for taking swift and bipartisan action in promoting and approving these bills, which will better prepare New Jersey’s students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens. We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have on students’ academic achievement.”
The first bill – S2644/A4303 – aims to strengthen foundational literacy instruction by establishing a Working Group on Student Literacy. This group, comprised of members appointed by the commissioner of education from all regions of the state, will make recommendations to the New Jersey Department of Education on the implementation of evidence-based literacy strategies, screening methods, and instruction for students, in addition to investigating ways to expand professional learning.
Based on these recommendations, the NJDOE will develop and publish guidance for school districts to use beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and shall establish an online resource center to aid school districts in the selection of evidence-based, high-quality literacy instructional materials, including data analysis tools, as part of the school district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in English Language Arts. Additionally, the NJDOE will create a professional development program for early education teaching staff, including librarians, and those serving multilingual learners and/or students with disabilities. This will be available to all districts at no cost.
Under the bill, districts will be required to conduct literacy screenings at least twice annually for students in grades K-3, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. Districts must notify parents and guardians of their child’s results within 30 days of the close of the initial screening period. The fiscal year 2025 budget includes $5.25 million for literacy initiatives to advance this work.
The primary sponsors of S2644/A4303 are Ruiz, Sen. Vin Gopal, Assemblywoman Carmen Morales, Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano and Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin.
The second bill – A2288/S2647 – establishes the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery in the Department of Education to promote student literacy and advance learning equity through academic recovery practices.
The office will be responsible for improving the Department’s capacity to make data-driven decisions, coordinate resources, and research best practices to support the creation of effective literacy, learning equity, learning acceleration policies, and professional development opportunities.
The primary sponsors for A2288/S2647 are Ruiz, Sen. Shirley Turner, Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly, and Assemblyman Sterley Stanley.
A joint statement in support of the bills that was submitted by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the New Jersey Education Association, the Garden State Coalition of Schools and the NJSBA can be found here.
Legislators, Stakeholders Applaud Legislation
The governor celebrated the passage of the bills during a bill signing ceremony at Newark’s Park Elementary School. Ruiz, Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin and numerous other legislative and educational leaders attended the ceremony, including Jonathan Pushman, senior director of advocacy at the NJSBA.
“Literacy education represents the foundation upon which all future learning is built, and we owe it to our children to give them the strongest foundation possible,” Murphy said. “By bolstering support for literacy education, we are enabling New Jersey students to thrive both academically and in life, helping them to become informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens.”
Murphy observed that schools and students have faced many challenges in recent years. “Understanding that strong reading skills have the potential to open countless doors for young learners, we must work together to support accelerated literacy learning in communities across the state,” he said. “This legislation balances targeted intervention, tested learning strategies, teacher training and continuous monitoring to ensure we deliver for our students. I thank Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz for championing this important work in the Legislature, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of these initiatives on our school communities.”
The bills establish a framework to address the alarming fact that 57.6% of all third graders statewide are not meeting reading proficiency levels, with even more troubling rates for students of color, with 73.6% of Black and 72.5% of Latino third graders not reading at grade level, Ruiz said. “These initiatives are a major step toward reversing these trends by strengthening foundational literacy instruction and addressing long standing educational inequities across New Jersey,” she said.
She went on to note that reading is the “cornerstone of learning and academic achievement, and if we do not intervene now, another generation of children will fail to achieve their academic and economic potential.” She continued, “Early success in school significantly boosts the likelihood of students obtaining a high school diploma, pursuing higher education, and improving their future earning potential. The data is clear: Median earnings rise from $35,500 for those without a high school diploma to $66,600 for those with a bachelor’s degree. Setting our children up for success in life begins in the classroom. This is not only an investment in their futures but in the future of our communities.”
Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin said, “Increased equity in education, especially for foundational literacy, will serve every community in New Jersey. When every child in our state has a greater opportunity to succeed, we all benefit. These laws will ensure more strategic use of resources for our best-in-the-nation public schools. I want to commend my colleagues for all of their work on this legislation, partnering with teachers and other experts and advocates in the field to deliver for New Jersey’s kids.”
Kevin Dehmer, acting commissioner of education, noted that student literacy, especially for our youngest learners, is fundamental to all student learning and a core element to bridging achievement and opportunity gaps. “These new initiatives, when coupled with our other programs to foster literacy, such as high-impact tutoring for students and existing professional development for teachers, can help students build those foundational skills that are so crucial to learning. These combined efforts will have lasting benefits for generations of students,” he said.
Watch the bill signing ceremony at Park Elementary School.
Read the governor’s news release on the signing of the legislation.
To view the full text of any of the bills summarized above, please visit the New Jersey Legislature’s website.