Bill > S1546

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a 21-member task force to study issues and make recommendations related to the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf in New Jersey. The task force will study current issues concerning the school, identify areas for improvement, and make recommendations concerning the future direction of the school that will enable the school to achieve its goal of preparing students who are deaf or hard of hearing for a postsecondary education or career upon graduation. The task force will be comprised of: the Commissioner of Education; the Director of the Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs; two members appointed by the Senate President, including one student and one parent of a student who attends the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf; two members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, including one student and one parent of a student who attends the school; and 15 members appointed by the Governor. The Governor's appointees will include one representative of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority; two representatives of the New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; two representatives of the New Jersey Association of the Deaf; the current superintendent of the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf; a former superintendent of the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf; two alumni of the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf; two representatives of Leadership and Excellence in Education for the Deaf (LEED); two recognized experts in the area of deaf education, both of whom are residents of New Jersey and are deaf; and two representatives of the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf's Citizen Advisory Board. Under the bill, the duties of the task force will include, but need not be limited to:- reviewing facility conditions to identify repairs, modifications, and improvements to the school that are necessary to meet the educational and residential needs of the students;- identifying barriers, including any instructional challenges, that prevent the school from best achieving its goals, and identifying strategies to remove those barriers;- studying the demographics of the population of students who are deaf or hard of hearing in New Jersey, making projections regarding this population over the next 10 years, and generating strategies to increase enrollment at the school and better serve this population;- evaluating the current scope of programs and services provided by the school and in the State for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and assessing what additional programs and services are needed to improve educational opportunities for these students;- evaluating the current governance structure of the school and considering what type of governance system would best address current operating issues and provide support for the long-term viability of the school;- identifying and reviewing other successful public or private schools for the deaf nationwide, and drawing ideas for improvement to the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf from these models; and- developing a set of recommendations for the school regarding: an efficient and flexible system of school governance; programs and services that incorporate next generation methods of instruction and technology; state-of-the-art facilities that will best meet the needs of the students; and expanded Statewide services to meet the needs of a broader spectrum of deaf and hard of hearing children and youth, their families, and the New Jersey deaf community. The task force is required to issue a report to the Governor, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature within six months of its organization, which contains its findings and recommendations concerning the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf.

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Shirley Turner (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document