Posted on August 1, 2024
Many private child care providers face significant challenges that prevent them from participating in the state's public preschool expansion. This video highlights the barriers these providers encounter, including regulatory, financial, and logistical issues, and explores potential solutions to ensure all children have access to quality early education.
Posted on July 31, 2024
Watch the forum recording to get the latest news and events impacting children and families in the child welfare system. You will hear about the recently approved fiscal 2025 budget, DCF Strategic Plan update, Staffing and Oversight Review Subcommittee (SORS) and more.
Evolution of NJ DCF's Strategic Plan - Begins at 0:00
Christine Beyer
Commissioner, NJ Department of Children and Families
Staffing Oversight Review Subcommittee(SORS) Update - 41:35
Mary Coogan
President & CEO, Advocates for Children of New Jersey
PSB in Children Update - 57:04
Nydia Monagas
Director of Training and Statewide Initiatives, New Jersey Children’s Alliance
Office of Resilience (OOR) Update - 1:13:20
Rebecca Bryan
Executive Director, DCF Office of Resilience
Language Access - 1:31:13
Brian Ross
Assistant Commissioner, NJ Department of Children and Families
Noreen Kroslin
Administrative Analyst 3, DCF Office of Policy and Regulatory Development
Universal Home Visiting - 1:37:57
Sanjna Shah, M.D.
Medical Advisor Family Connects NJ, NJ Department of Children and Families
Posted on July 26, 2024
By Alena Siddiqui
Data Analyst
For more information on this topic or kids count data, contact Alena at asiddiqui@acnj.org
Third grade is the time when students shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” It is desired that students should read proficiently by the end of third grade because in fourth grade, they will be exposed to a broader range of texts. This switch is also because while in a child’s early years they are just starting out as new readers, it is intended that as they grow older they will become more independent and critical readers, which will help them in their future studies. Unfortunately, this will be difficult for many New Jersey students to achieve when more than half of third graders in the state are not at or above proficiency in reading. There are several consequences to children not being able to read by fourth grade, some of which include less likelihood for the students to complete high school or enroll in college, and an increased struggle to keep up with their peers.
What does the data show?
After the Covid-19 pandemic, in-person instruction resumed in schools again, as did the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments. The state-mandated standardized testing took place in the Spring of the 2021-22 school year. Students were tested in English Language Arts and Math, while grades five, eight, and 11 were tested on Science as well. The tests aim to evaluate student performance on concepts and skills related to their grade level. In 2021-22, only 42% of third graders were meeting or exceeding expectations statewide on the English Language Arts portion of the NJSLA, while 45% met or exceeded expectations in Math. After the scores were released, many attributed the results to learning loss due to the pandemic since in 2018-19, 50% of third graders met or exceeded expectations for English Language Arts and 55% for Math. Many were rightfully concerned with these results and made calls to action to improve literacy in New Jersey. Despite this, during the following year, the English Language Arts results remained unchanged while Math had a small increase of 1%.
Data featured in the 2024 Kids Count Data Book from Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) shows the same trend for fourth graders as well. In 2022, 38% of fourth graders in New Jersey were proficient in reading according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a decrease from the 42% in 2019. If unfamiliar with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), it is “known as the nation’s report card [and] has measured student achievement since 1969 in every state in reading, mathematics, science, the arts, history, and other subjects” as described in the AECF 2024 Kids Count Data Book. It is important to note that children are not defined by their test scores but these assessments give insight into how they are struggling and should serve as a wake up call to dig into how to resolve this issue.
What can be done?
There has been much discussion on the topic of the high percentage of children not meeting or exceeding expectations on the NJSLA and some strides are being made. In the summer of 2023, Newark’s Mayor Baraka announced a 10-point youth literacy action plan that aimed to involve schools, parents and community partners/nonprofits to support child literacy. This plan truly takes the idea of “it takes a village” to heart. Earlier in 2024, Governor Murphy addressed the need to improve literacy rates by creating new initiatives focused on the fundamentals of reading and phonics. New Jersey has over 680 school districts and no law or statutory provision on best practices for student literacy.
However, that may be changing soon due to the introduction and recent progress of legislation, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, which seeks to tackle this issue. Senate bill 2647 seeks to establish the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery in the DOE while Senate bill 2644, which focuses on literacy, would do the following:
While in the midst of summer, it is important to remember that learning does not only happen in schools. In fact, remember to have children take time to read between the play dates and trips to the beach during the summer. Reading is not just identifying words on paper; by fostering a love of reading in children, not only will it help them succeed in school, but also allow them to build empathy, grow their creativity, and boost their language skills. In order to get children to enjoy reading, it is important to have children choose books that engage them, and by visiting the library, children can check out a diverse selection of books to explore their interests. Many libraries offer summer reading programs to encourage children to read and give out prizes.
To learn more, visit the following sources:
Posted on July 19, 2024
By Shadaya Bennett
Senior Legislative Analyst
For more information on this topic, contact Shadaya at sbennett@acnj.org.
What is the State Budget
After months of deliberation, New Jersey's Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget was officially passed by the Legislature and signed into law on June 28th, just ahead of the constitutionally mandated June 30th deadline. This annual policy measure is crucial as it dictates how the state will fund essential programs that serve New Jersey residents, including policy and funding measures that impact quality of life for children, families, and communities. This year, the budget process was notably influenced by funding constraints which challenged lawmakers, stakeholders, and advocates in their efforts to effectively allocate and advocate for limited resources. In the end, the final budget is set to appropriate $56.6 billion in state funds and $27.5 billion in federal funds of which will be used to operate the state for the next fiscal year.
What is in the Budget for Kids
The State Fiscal Year 2025 Budget includes several investments that impact New Jersey children. From measures to mitigate food insecurity and address mental health amongst children and adolescents to investments in early childhood education, these provisions highlight a collective commitment to investing in the development of New Jersey’s youngest residents. Examples of measures in the budget that impact children and families include:
Budget Advocacy and Engaging in the Process
Advocates for Children of New Jersey participated in the state budget process, advocating for investments in the child care infrastructure and to bolster the state's preschool mixed delivery system to ensure children have access to high-quality early childhood education. Like ACNJ and other stakeholders, New Jersey residents can also engage in the process to influence how resources are distributed to their communities and support causes they care about.
Members of the public can start by contacting their state legislators throughout the year to make their voices heard. Legislative hearings, including state budget proceedings, are also open to the public and they provide an effective way to observe legislative activity. During designated hearings, the public is allowed to testify on legislation including the state budget, affording an opportunity to highlight to the Legislature individual and organizational investment priorities. Additionally, becoming informed through engagement with organizations or coalitions that advocate for issues of interest can further amplify one’s impact.
By staying informed about legislative proceedings and the budget timeline, citizens can effectively contribute to shaping policies that impact their daily lives. With ample time to prepare for the fiscal year 2026 budget process, which tentatively begins in February 2025 when the Governor delivers the annual budget address, now is the perfect opportunity to start getting involved. For more information on how to engage in the legislative process, connect with representatives, and stay updated on proposed legislation, visit the state legislative website.
Posted on July 14, 2024
