posted on
[New Jersey – April 2, 2025] JerseyCAN, the only statewide advocacy organization in New Jersey committed to ensuring access to high-quality public schools for every child regardless of zip code, cultural background, and socioeconomic status, released today an easy-to-understand white paper regarding the recommendations produced by the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) Working Group on Student Literacy. The Working Group’s recommendations were formally released earlier this month.
The JerseyCAN white paper is provided at the end of this email and can also be found by clicking HERE.
On Monday of this week, prior to the New Jersey State Board of Education’s monthly meeting held on Wednesday, JerseyCAN Executive Director Paula White issued a statement applauding the results of the Working Group, which can be found by clicking HERE.
Last Summer, Governor Phil Murphy signed the Literacy Bill Package, which called for implementing a series of initiatives to address student achievement in reading. Included in the Package was the requirement that the NJDOE establish the New Jersey Working Group on Student Literacy and produce a report providing recommendations to address the issue. The 39-page report, calls for gold-standard literacy screenings; utilizing proven solutions already implemented in other states that have faced similar literacy challenges; needed teacher development programs, such as LETRS Trainings; incentives for our school districts to demonstrate measurable improvements in student achievement through more vigorous curriculum; and prioritizing stronger family engagement that goes beyond parent notification in addressing this issue at the student level. The full report from the Working Group can be found HERE.
The Literacy Bill Package, signed into law last summer, came on the heels of a broad grassroots effort led by JerseyCAN and the creation of the New Jersey Legacy of Literacy Coalition (NJLL), which continues to serve as a statewide umbrella alliance to advocate for adopting a high-quality statewide plan that addresses literacy in every public school in the state. Specifically, the NJLL Coalition’s Declaration of Principles includes investment in teacher training, student literacy screeners, parent engagement, and deep engagement with local universities and colleges to prepare future teachers to address the state’s literacy challenges. In addition to JerseyCAN, the NJLL Coalition includes the Urban League of Essex County, The Reading League New Jersey, New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Decoding Dyslexia NJ, The Racial Equity Initiative, Inc., New Jersey Business and Industry Association, Teach for America New Jersey, NJ Children’s Foundation, Read 4 NJ, Parent Impact, My Brother’s Keeper Newark, Westside Citizens United, Camden Education Fund, Roots & Bridges, Newark Opportunity Youth Network, and Unapologetic Parents.
#. #. #
Contact: Matthew Frankel, Matthew@MDFStrategies.com, (917) 617-7914