6:8-2.12 Certifying a district with or without conditions
(a) The following pertains to certification without conditions:
1. For each district that receives an acceptable rating on all indicators in the eight elements required by this chapter, the county superintendent of schools shall submit a summary report of findings and a recommendation for certification to the Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner, with approval of the State Board of Education, shall notify the district of State certification for a period of seven years.
(b) The following pertain to certification with conditions:
1. When a district does not meet the required standards of the evaluation of school districts pursuant to this subchapter, the county superintendent of schools shall meet with the chief school administrator and board secretary to review the identified deficiency(ies) and determine if the district:
i. Can correct the identified deficiency(ies) without additional diagnostic monitoring or technical assistance within a period of time not to exceed 12 months: or
ii. Should be directed by the Commissioner to enter Level II.
2. Following the meeting with the school district representatives, the county superintendent of schools, in consultation with the Assistant Commissioner, Division of Field Services, shall recommend to the Commissioner that the district be granted certification with conditions or be directed to Level II pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6:8-3.1.
i. Any district rated as unacceptable may, with approval of the district board of education, petition the county superintendent of schools to rescind the rating by presenting written documentation of its performance on indicators rated as unacceptable. The Assistant Commissioner, Division of Field Services, shall rule on petitions where there is a lack of agreement on acceptable performance.
3. Within 30 days of the county superintendent's recommendation, the district shall be formally notified by the Commissioner of Education that the district is certified with conditions and that the deficiency(ies) must be corrected within the specified period of time.
4. The district shall proceed with the correction of monitoring deficiencies according to established timelines.
5. At the conclusion of the established timeline for correction of deficiencies, the county superintendent of schools, in consultation with the Assistant Commissioner, Division of Field Services shall determine the validation necessary to document the district's current status with regard to previously approved indicators.
6. The county superintendent of schools shall verify the district's correction of deficiencies and its current status with regard to previously approved indicators; and shall, in consultation with the Assistant Commissioner, Division of Field Services, recommend to the Commissioner that the district be:
i. Recommended to the State Board of Education for certification;
ii. Granted an extended amount of time to correct deficiencies; or
iii. Directed by the Commissioner to enter Level II monitoring pursuant to law.
(1) The district board of education of a school district which is directed to enter Level II monitoring may appeal that decision to the State Board of Education pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7A-14A(2).
Amended by R. 1998 d. 457, effective September 8, 1998. See: 30 N.J.R. 1479(a), 30 N.J.R. 3261(b). In (b), changed N.J.A.C. references and substituted references to the Division of Field Services for references to the Division of County and Regional Services throughout.