On Dec. 1, the Murphy administration announced the launch of the New Jersey Partnership for Student Success, an initiative designed to harness the energy of volunteers and community organizations to help students, educators and schools accelerate student learning in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the goal of engaging up to 5,000 individuals, the NJPSS will seek to recruit, screen, train and support tutors, mentors, student success coaches, wraparound service coordinators and postsecondary transition coaches. These individuals will work in coordination with educators, parents and other stakeholders to accelerate student learning, empower educators and strengthen community partnerships.

Over the next several months, the New Jersey Department of Education will expand the NJPSS initiative. The NJPSS website will serve as a central point of reference for district administrators, educators and parents to access resources, professional development opportunities and funding opportunities.

For example, in the coming months, the NJDOE will launch three key funding opportunities and guidance geared toward academic recovery. These opportunities include a statewide high impact tutoring program supported by at least $10 million in federal funding from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund, two targeted early literacy professional development programs, including the $2 million Reading Acceleration Professional Integrated Development program allocated in the fiscal year 2023 state budget and a complementary $3 million ARP ESSER-funded program targeting upper elementary grades, and guidance in maximizing scheduling to address academic recovery.

“As schools across our state and the nation deal with the impact of COVID-19 on both students and educators, we must address the challenges facing our school community, including learning loss,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “This initiative will create the opportunity for members of the broader community to get involved in supporting the social, emotional and academic needs of students. I encourage interested individuals and organizations to learn more about how they can help ensure the success of our students by participating in the New Jersey Partnership for Student Success.”

“Accelerating student learning post pandemic is of the utmost importance to ensure students are recovering from the pandemic and achieving and exceeding educational goals,” said Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education. “Our New Jersey Partnership for Student Success initiative will utilize the support of our community to help our students thrive.”

The NJPSS aims to provide additional adults in and out of the school setting to help fuel student learning and address challenges that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative complements the National Partnership for Student Success, a recent coalition created at the federal level to support student well-being and academic recovery.

New Resource to Support Early Literacy

As part of the initiative, the New Jersey Department of Education announced in a broadcast a new resource: the New Jersey Tiered System of Supports for Early Reading website.

The website is designed to support local educational agencies in strengthening their early literacy instruction through the application of the New Jersey Tiered System of Supports framework. It was developed through activities funded by Federal State Personnel Development Grant, New Jersey Tiered System of Supports-Early Reading, which was awarded to the NJDOE by the United States Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs in June 2021.

In its broadcast, the NJDOE outlines the goals of the New Jersey Tiered System of Supports for Early Reading project and how the new website will support local educational agencies in helping students succeed.

The New Jersey Tiered System of Supports for Early Reading grant project is facilitated through a partnership between NJDOE and Rutgers University. The website and future webinars and other professional development opportunities will help local educational agencies implement evidence-based early reading instruction.

Read the full advisory to get additional details on the website’s resources and to learn more about the project. You can contact the Office of Student Support Services via email if you have questions.

To learn more about NJPSS and apply to serve as a mentor, tutor, or wraparound service coordinator to offer additional support for students and educators, complete the NJPSS request form.