The following words and terms shall have the following meanings when used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
"Administrative order" means a written directive ordering specific corrective action by a school district that has shown insufficient compliance with the quality performance indicators.
"Assistant commissioner" means an assistant commissioner, or designee, in the Department.
"Chief school administrator" or "CSA" means the superintendent of a school district or county vocational school district or, if there is no superintendent, the administrative principal.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Education or his or her designee.
"Components of school district effectiveness" means the areas in which school districts will be evaluated under NJQSAC. They are:
1. Instruction and program;
2. Operations;
3. Fiscal management;
4. Personnel; and
5. Governance.
"Comprehensive review" refers to the Department's evaluation process to measure each school district's performance, capacity, and need for State support, assistance, or intervention. The comprehensive review shall be based on the weighted quality performance indicators developed by the Department and set forth in the District Performance Review, incorporated in this chapter as the chapter Appendices.
"Declaration page" means the section of the District Performance Review that verifies the accuracy of the responses on the school district's District Performance Review.
"Department" means the New Jersey Department of Education.
"District improvement plan" means a plan developed in collaboration with the Department by a school district that fails to satisfy at least 80 percent of the weighted quality performance indicators in any of the five key components of school district effectiveness. The district improvement plan addresses critical areas of need identified through the comprehensive review.
"District Performance Review" or "DPR" means the Department-developed self-assessment tool that measures a school district's compliance with the quality performance indicators in all of the five key components of school district effectiveness.
"Evaluation team" means a Commissioner-designated team qualified by training and experience to examine specific conditions existing in a school district.
"Evidence based" means a program or service that has demonstrated success based on research, best practices, or other forms of evidence.
"High-performing school district" means a designation assigned to a school district that satisfies at least 80 percent of the weighted performance indicators in each of the five key components of school district effectiveness.
"Highly skilled professional" or "HSP" means a Commissioner designee who has skills and expertise based on education and/or experience that is relevant to one or more of the five key components of school district effectiveness.
"In-depth evaluation" means a process the Commissioner can authorize to evaluate school districts that satisfy less than 80 percent of the weighted quality performance indicators in one or more of the five key components of school district effectiveness as determined by the Department based on the comprehensive review.
"NJQSAC" means the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum.
"NJQSAC District Improvement Plan" means a plan developed, in collaboration with the Department, by a public school district that fails to satisfy at least 80 percent of the weighted quality performance indicators in any of the five key components of school district effectiveness, and that addresses critical areas of need identified through the comprehensive review.
"Performance continuum" means a measure that identifies a school district's performance with respect to each of the five components of school district effectiveness.
"Quality performance indicators" or "weighted quality performance indicators" mean the specific, objective criteria for each key component of school district effectiveness by which each school district's performance, capacity, and need for State support, assistance, or intervention are measured.
"State Board" means the New Jersey State Board of Education.
"Technical assistance" means guidance and support provided to a school district to enable the school district to meet State and Federal policy and regulatory requirements and to ensure the provision of a thorough and efficient education.
N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:30-1.2