Bill
Bill > A5099
NJ A5099
NJ A5099Establishes three-year pilot program for school-based mentoring in public schools located within 1,000 feet of gunfire.
summary
Introduced
12/12/2024
12/12/2024
In Committee
12/12/2024
12/12/2024
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/12/2026
01/12/2026
Introduced Session
2024-2025 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to establish a three-year pilot program for the implementation of school-based mentoring in public schools located in a crisis zone. The purpose of the pilot program is to improve the social-emotional and behavioral skills of young children in grades kindergarten through three who are at risk for mental health disorders and substance abuse. Under the bill, the commissioner will select the Jersey City School District and 6 additional school districts with schools located in a crisis zone to participate in the pilot program. A crisis zone is defined in the bill as an area within 1,000 feet of school property where gunfire occurred in the prior school year. The commissioner is directed to adopt a curriculum for the program that includes a series of hierarchically-ordered skill trainings in weekly, 25 minute one-on-one sessions. The curriculum must address the: monitoring of one's own and others' emotions; building resilience and gaining effective coping skills to deal with complex emotions; and skills for maintaining control and equilibrium. The commissioner is authorized to make grants to participating districts in such amounts as the commissioner determines to assist the school districts in the implementation of the pilot program. Under the bill, a participating school must:· designate and train three to five mentors to facilitate the program; · identify students for the program who have problems in certain developmental areas; · use the curriculum approved by the commissioner to deliver the program; and · evaluate participating students at the beginning, mid-point, and completion of the curriculum. This bill is modeled on the Rochester Resilience Project, which has shown promising results in improving the emotional regulation of at-risk children through the provision of targeted mentoring instruction.
AI Summary
This bill establishes a three-year pilot mentoring program targeting young students in public schools located within 1,000 feet of areas experiencing gunfire in the previous school year, which are defined as "crisis zones." The program will focus on kindergarten through third-grade students who are at risk for mental health disorders and substance abuse, aiming to improve their emotional resilience, social-emotional skills, and behavioral development. The Commissioner of Education will select the Jersey City School District and six additional districts (two in each of New Jersey's southern, central, and northern regions) to participate. Participating schools must designate 3-5 mentors who will work with up to 20 students each, delivering a carefully structured curriculum through 25-minute weekly one-on-one sessions. The curriculum will teach students skills like emotional monitoring, building resilience, coping with complex emotions, and maintaining self-control. Schools will identify students with challenges in behavioral, social-emotional, or learning areas and evaluate participants' progress at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the program by assessing disciplinary records, task orientation, behavior control, assertiveness, and social skills. The commissioner will receive grants to support implementation and will ultimately report to the Governor and Legislature about the program's potential for statewide expansion, with the program modeled after the successful Rochester Resilience Project.
Committee Categories
Education
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 12/12/2024)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A5099 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2024/A5500/5099_I1.HTM |
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