N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:13A-5.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 11, June 3, 2024

Section 6A:13A-5.4 - Classroom-quality assessment

(a) Starting in the first year of preschool program implementation, the school district shall use, at least annually, a reliable classroom-quality assessment instrument described in the three-year preschool program plan and/or annual update to assess program quality in each in-district, contracting private provider, and/or local Head Start agency preschool classroom, aggregate the data, and develop professional development plans for all teaching staff.

1. The school district shall score program quality on a graduated scale in each preschool classroom.

2. An action plan shall be developed and implemented by the school district and contracting private provider or local Head Start agency if any classroom falls below the minimum acceptable score established by the district board of education in the preschool program contract. The school district and the contracting private provider or local Head Start agency shall participate in joint discussions as part of the action plan's development to determine the classroom-quality improvements that are necessary based upon the observation instrument's results and to establish a timeframe for making the required changes.

3. The preschool instructional coach shall provide technical assistance to the classroom teacher based upon the action plan.

4. If the district board of education determines improvements have not been made according to the established plan and schedule, the district board of education, or contracting private provider or local Head Start agency, may request from the Department that the classroom or program be evaluated by a reliable, independent observer. If the reliable, independent observer verifies the action plan is not being satisfied in a contracting private provider or local Head Start agency classroom, the district board of education shall take steps to remove the contracting private provider or local Head Start agency teacher from the contracted classroom or to terminate or not renew the preschool program contract between the contracting private provider or local Head Start agency and the district board of education, pursuant to the provisions for nonrenewal and termination at N.J.A.C. 6A:13A-9.

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:13A-5.4

Amended by R.2009 d.334, effective 11/2/2009.
See: 41 N.J.R. 2530(a), 41 N.J.R. 4077(a).
In (a)1, substituted "described" for "and approved" and "and/or annual update as required and approved by the Department" for "and annual updates" and inserted "school district's".

Adopted by 54 N.J.R. 1595(b), effective 8/15/2022