N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:13A-5.5

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 9, May 6, 2024

Section 6A:13A-5.5 - Classroom quality assessment

(a) Starting in the first year of preschool program implementation, the school district shall, at least annually, use a reliable classroom quality assessment instrument described in the five-year preschool program plan and/or annual update, as required and approved by the Department, to assess program quality in each in-district, contracting private provider, and/or 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 all preschool classrooms.

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 their preschool program contract. Development of the action plan shall involve participation of the school district and the contracting private provider or local Head Start agency in joint discussions to determine the classroom quality improvements that are necessary based upon the results of the observation instrument and establishment of a timeframe for making the required changes.

3. The master teacher shall provide technical assistance to the classroom teacher based upon the action plan.

4. If the district board of education deems that 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 that the classroom or program be evaluated by a reliable independent observer approved by the Department. If the reliable independent observer verifies that the action plan is not being satisfied in a contracting private provider or local Head Start agency classroom, steps shall be taken to remove the contracting private provider or local Head Start agency teacher from the classroom or 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 non-renewal and termination set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:13A-9.

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:13A-5.5

Amended by R.2009 d.334, effective 11/2/2009.
See: 41 N.J.R. 2530(a), 41 N.J.R. 4077(a).
In the introductory paragraph of (a) and in (a)2 and (a)4, inserted "contracting" preceding "private provider" throughout; in the introductory paragraph of (a), substituted "Starting in the first year of preschool program implementation, the" for "The", "quality assessment" for "observation", "described in" for "approved by the Department as part of" and "and/or annual update, as required and approved by the Department," for "and annual updates"; in (a)2, inserted "established by the district board of education in their preschool program contract"; and in (a)4, substituted "terminate or not renew" for "not renew or terminate".
Modified by Executive Order No. 103(2020), effective 6/15/2020.
See: 52 N.J.R. 1361(a). Terminated effective 8/31/2021. See 53 N.J.R. 1655(a).