SENATE, No. 1777
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes three-year pilot program for school-based mentoring in public schools located within 1,000 feet of gunfire.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Education Committee on December 5, 2024, with amendments.
An Act establishing a three-year pilot program for the implementation of school-based mentoring in certain 1[school districts] public schools1 and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, “crisis zone” means an area within 1,000 feet of school property where gunfire occurred in the prior school year.
b. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a three-year pilot program for the implementation of school-based mentoring in public schools located in a crisis zone. The purpose of the pilot program shall be to build emotional resilience and improve the social-emotional and behavioral skills of young children in grades kindergarten through three who are at risk for mental health disorders and substance abuse. The program is designed to improve the task orientation, behavior control, assertiveness, and peer social skills of participating students.
c. The commissioner shall select the Jersey City School District and 1, upon application in a form as required by the commissioner,1 six additional 1[school districts with] public1 schools located in a crisis zone to participate in the pilot program. The six additional 1[school districts] public schools1 selected by the commissioner shall include two 1[districts] public schools1 in each of the southern, central, and northern regions of the State.
d. The commissioner shall adopt a curriculum for the program that includes a series of hierarchically-ordered skill trainings in weekly, 25 minute one-on-one sessions. The curriculum shall address the:
1(1)1 monitoring of one’s own and others’ emotions;
1(2)1 building resilience and gaining effective coping skills to deal with complex emotions; and
1(3)1 skills for maintaining control and equilibrium.
e. The commissioner is authorized to make grants to participating 1[school districts] public schools1 in 1[such]1 amounts as 1determined necessary by1 the commissioner 1[shall determine]1 to assist the 1[districts] schools1 in the implementation of the pilot program.
1f. The commissioner may contract with a qualified third party to establish and administer the pilot program.1
2. It shall be the responsibility of a participating school to:
a. designate and train three to five mentors to facilitate the program. Each mentor shall be assigned to work with no more than 20 students;
b. identify students for the program who have problems in at least two of the following areas:
1(1)1 behavioral development;
1(2)1 social-emotional development; 1[and] or
(3)1 on-task learning abilities in the school setting;
c. use the curriculum approved by the commissioner pursuant to section 1 of this act to deliver the program. The curriculum shall be offered slowly and sequentially in order to allow the student to absorb and understand the lesson and practice the new skills in the classroom setting; and
d. evaluate participating students at the beginning, mid-point, and completion of the curriculum in each of the following areas:
1(1)1 recent disciplinary referrals and actions;
1(2)1 task orientation;
1(3)1 behavior control;
1(4)1 assertiveness versus withdrawn behavior; and
1(5)1 peer social skills.
3. Upon the conclusion of the pilot program, the commissioner shall report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the feasibility of implementing the program on a Statewide basis.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.