Affirmative Action

1140

The Board of Education shall adopt and implement written educational equality and equity policies in accordance with the provisions of N.J.A.C. 6A:7 – Managing For Equality And Equity In Education.

The Board’s affirmative action program shall recognize and value the diversity of persons and groups within society and promote the acceptance of persons of diverse backgrounds regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status. The affirmative action program will also promote equal educational opportunity and foster a learning environment that is free from all forms of prejudice, discrimination, and harassment based upon race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status in the policies, programs, and practices of the Board of Education.

The Board shall inform the school community it serves of these policies in a manner including, but not limited to, the district's customary methods of information dissemination. The Board shall develop a Comprehensive Equity Plan once every three years, which shall identify and correct all discriminatory and inequitable educational and hiring policies, patterns, programs, and practices affecting its facilities, programs, students, and staff.

The Board shall assess the district's needs for achieving equality and equity in educational programs based on an analysis of student performance data such as: National Assessment of Educational Progress and State assessment results, Pre-Kindergarten through grade twelve promotion/retention data, Pre-Kindergarten through grade twelve completion rates; re-examination and re-evaluation of classification and placement of students in special education programs if there is an over representation within certain groups; staffing practices; student demographic and behavioral data; quality of program data; and stakeholder satisfaction data prior to developing the Comprehensive Equity Plan. The purpose of the needs assessment is to identify and eliminate discriminatory practices and other barriers in achieving equality and equity in educational programs.

The Board shall annually designate a member of its staff as the Affirmative Action Officer and form an Affirmative Action Team, of whom the Affirmative Action Officer is a member, to coordinate and implement the requirements of N.J.A.C. 6A:7 – Managing For Equality And Equity in Education. The Board shall assure that all stakeholders know who the Affirmative Action Officer is and how to access him or her.

The Affirmative Action Officer shall have a New Jersey standard certification with an administrative, instructional, or educational services endorsement, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9B et seq. The Affirmative Action Officer shall: coordinate the required professional development training for certificated and non-certificated staff pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.6; notify all students and employees of district grievance procedures for handling discrimination complaints; and ensure the district grievance procedures, which include investigative responsibilities and reporting information, are followed.

The Affirmative Action Team shall: develop the Comprehensive Equity Plan pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.4(c); oversee the implementation of the district's Comprehensive Equity Plan pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.4(c); collaborate with the Affirmative Action Officer on coordination of the required professional development training for certificated and non- certificated staff pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.6; monitor the implementation of the Comprehensive Equity Plan; and conduct the annual district internal monitoring to ensure continuing compliance with State and Federal statutes governing educational equality and equity, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.4(d).

The Board shall provide professional development training to all certificated and non- certificated school staff members on a continuing basis to identify and resolve problems associated with the student achievement gap and other inequities arising from prejudice on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status. All new certificated and non-certificated staff members shall be provided with professional development training on educational equality and equity issues within the first year of employment. Parents and other community members shall be invited to participate in the professional development training.

The Commissioner or his/her designee shall provide technical assistance to local school districts for the development of policy guidelines, procedures, and in-service training for Affirmative Action Officers so as to aid in the elimination of prejudice on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status.

N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.4; 6A:7-1.5; 6A:7-1.6

Adopted: 27 January 2011

Revised: 27 February 2014

Revised: 29 September 2016