This bill amends the Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TEACHNJ) Act to prohibit the use of standardized assessments as a measure of student growth or progress in the evaluations of teachers, principals, assistant principals, and vice-principals. Specifically, it removes the provision that allowed school districts to determine methods for measuring student growth in grades where standardized tests are not required. The bill emphasizes that standardized assessments shall not be used as a measure of student growth or progress and shall not be a factor in any evaluation of educational staff.

The legislation mandates that evaluation rubrics for educational staff must be based on multiple objective measures of student learning, professional standards of practice, and include provisions for ongoing observations and feedback. It requires school districts to adopt an approved rubric by December 31, 2012, and implement a pilot program by January 31, 2013, leading to full implementation in the 2013-2014 school year. The bill aims to ensure that evaluations are comprehensive and focused on improving instructional development rather than relying on standardized testing metrics.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:6-123