New Jersey Department of Education Resources

• High School Students Displaced Due to Emergency Circumstances

This guidance can assist New Jersey schools in supporting high school students displaced due to emergency circumstances. 

• Dual Language Programs Resource Guide.

N.J.A.C. 6A:15 defines a dual language bilingual education program as, “a full-time program of instruction in elementary and secondary schools that provides structured English language instruction and instruction in a second language in all core content areas and for native English-speaking students enrolled in the program.”

• Bilingual Child Study Team (CST) Professionals Directory 2023-2024
• New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy
• Model Program Information Bilingual/ESL
• Portfolio Appeals and High School Graduation for MLs

Districts may submit portfolio appeals for MLs. Districts may translate constructed response tasks (CRTs) into an ML native language, and an ML may respond in his/her native language.  The Appeals program also allows electronic translators, Dragon speak, etc.   The district must translate or transcribe the student's responses and the CRTs into English before sending the Appeals to NJDOE.

• Implementation of World Languages Graduation Requirements for MLs 

The following options may be considered with regard to satisfying the 5-credit high school graduation requirement for MLs: World Language Other than English - MLs may elect to study any world language in addition to English offered in the district's world language program.

Students' Native Language - MLs may use their native language to satisfy the requirement when entering the ninth grade or at subsequent grade levels as newly arrived students from their native country. Students that have been speaking their native language since a very young age and throughout their prior educational experience will satisfy the world languages requirement. Districts may do proficiency testing, if desired. Study of English - MLs who take an additional English or English as a Second Language (ESL) class may use that second English class to fulfill the world languages requirement. 

Further Study of the Native/Heritage Language - MLs may continue to further develop and enhance heritage language speaking and literacy skills in an out-of-school program in a world language not taught in the public school district. Further related to this option is the passage of legislation in August 2001, that required the Department of Education to establish a World Languages Instruction Committee to develop a plan which would provide students in public schools the opportunity to receive instruction in and graduation credit for a world language not taught in the public school district (N.J.S.A.18A:35-4.18). The procedures developed by the World Languages Instruction Committee are very similar to those outlined in N.J.A.C. 6A:8-5.1(a)1ii, known as Option Two of the code regarding implementation of graduation requirements. 

The following options may be considered with regard to satisfying the 5-credit high school graduation requirement for MLs  for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year. The NJDOE will undertake a series of stakeholder engagement sessions to revisit the implementation of World Languages Graduation Requirements for MLs beyond the 2021-2022 school year. 

Note: For an ML to test in his/her native language, ML status must be determined by a State-approved English language proficiency test, and an ML must currently be enrolled in a language assistance program. In addition, he/she must have entered a U.S. school, not including Puerto Rico, in the ninth grade or later. If you have questions regarding the eligibility requirements for MLs, please contact ML@doe.nj.gov.