Education (Testing & Assessment)

This bill establishes the Public Education Innovation Fund within New Jersey's Department of Education to provide grants to low-performing public schools for implementing educational innovation programs. Schools qualify if they meet specific academic performance thresholds based on state assessment results, such as high percentages of students scoring below proficiency in math or language arts. Businesses that donate to this fund receive tax credits - up to $10,000 annually for gross income tax, and corporation business tax credits - directly tied to their donations. The total tax credits available annually are capped at $5 million, with certifications issued on a first-come, first-served basis. The fund aims to address academic barriers through innovative strategies in schools meeting the defined performance criteria.

This bill, S 247, would eliminate New Jersey's statewide high school graduation proficiency test requirement. It directly affects all New Jersey public high school students, removing the mandate to pass a state-administered test in reading, writing, and math for graduation. The bill deletes references to the "High School Proficiency Test" from existing education laws and shifts responsibility to local school districts to establish their own graduation standards. Instead of a statewide test, districts would set their own criteria for student proficiency, with the State Board of Education no longer requiring the test as part of graduation standards. The bill is pending before the Senate Education Committee.