TRENTON – Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) Acting Commissioner Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli June 28 announced a series of coordinated recommendations and guidance documents to assist school districts and educators as they develop local reopening plans for the 2021-2022 school year.
According to a release, all public school districts in New Jersey are expected to provide full-time, in-person instruction for the 2021-2022 school year. Documents released June 28 will be critical as districts plan for full-time instruction and continue the pathway to recovery from Covid.
The guidance includes health and safety recommendations that provide strategies to reduce risks to students and staff from Covid while still prioritizing full-time, in-person learning; a self-assessment of district readiness to accelerate learning and to provide supportive school climates; and a compilation of specific, research-backed priorities and practices to accelerate learning. The health and safety guidance document replaces the protocols outlined in Executive Order No. 175 and in the NJDOE’s The Road Back.
“The recommendations we are releasing today will provide school districts with a roadmap to bring students and staff back to safe, enriching school environments,”stated Murphy. “This guidance will help districts and educators develop plans to meet their student’s educational, social, emotional and mental health needs. Our students and educators have displayed amazing resiliency during the pandemic, and I am pleased that the upcoming school year will provide a sense of normalcy that students haven’t had since March 2020.”
“These documents mark a significant milestone in our battle against Covid-19; an actionable blueprint for the return to full-time, full-day in-person instruction,” stated Allen-McMillan.“I am hopeful that these resources will empower our school communities to return all students safely to the classroom and ensure that all students, regardless of zip code or circumstance, receive a high-quality education that empowers them to compete for educational and work opportunities in the increasingly global marketplace.”
“While this guidance will help schools plan for fall, the best way to keep schools open and safe is to get vaccinated,” stated Persichilli. “Now is the time for parents of children, between the ages of 12 and 17, to schedule a Covid-19 vaccine appointment to allow enough time for that second shot before school starts.”
School Year 2021-2022 Health and Safety Guidance
The guidance document details recommendations designed to provide a healthy and safe environment for students and staff during the 2021-2022 school year. These strategies are recommendations, not mandatory standards. The absence of one or more of these strategies should not prevent school facilities from opening for full-day, in-person operation. Schools are encouraged to implement as many layers as feasible while providing full-time in-person instruction.
The strategies and procedures include, but are not limited to:
- Maintaining physical distance between students to the extent practicable. This recommendation must not prevent a school from offering full-time, in-person learning; districts should implement physical distancing only to the extent they are equipped to do so while still providing regular in-person school operations.
- Putting procedures in place to identify and respond to a student or staff member who becomes ill with Covid symptoms.
- Maintaining close communication with local health departments to share information and resources on Covid transmission, prevention, and control measures and to establish procedures for notification and response to illness. Schools should also maintain transparent and ongoing communication, as appropriate, with their staff, students, and caregivers regarding school operations and health and safety information.
Updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on masking in this setting is expected prior to the start of the 2021-2022 school year and will factor into the final recommendations from the state for masking this fall. However, barring a significant change in health metrics, school districts will be able to determine masking policies at the local level. Regardless of the district’s policy on masking, schools cannot prevent students or staff from wearing masks if they choose.
Reopening Self-assessment for the 2021-2022 School Year
DOE is also releasing a self-assessment tool that school districts may use to develop and implement interventions needed to successfully transition to full-time, in-person learning. The self-assessment provides guiding questions and resources in various topics, including learning acceleration, supporting the social-emotional needs of students and educators, attendance, discipline, support for student subgroups and districts’ financial obligations.
Learning Acceleration Guide: A Compilation of Principles and Practices in New Jersey
Additionally, DOE is releasing a guidance document that will complement the self-assessment by providing specific research-based principles and strategies to accelerate learning and prepare students for the new school year. This resource is designed not only to help recover from Covid, but as a long-term, comprehensive framework that anchors districts’ academic, social and behavioral interventions to the common purpose of promoting global competitiveness for all students.
The three documents can be found on the DOE website.
