Requires school report card to include information about placement of graduates, including apprenticeships.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Tony Bucco and 4 co-sponsors

The bill adds post-graduation placement data, including apprenticeships, to school report cards to show graduates’ outcomes beyond graduation and enrollment.

Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

Summary of Bill S 1773 (Session 222, New Jersey)

Purpose and intent

Bill S 1773 requires the New Jersey Department of Education to expand school performance reports (often referred to as school “report cards”) by adding information about student placement after graduation, including apprenticeships. The overarching goal is to provide a more complete picture of how graduates fare after high school and to inform stakeholders about post-graduate pathways.

Key provisions and changes

Inclusion of placement data in report cards (primary change):

The bill adds a new data element under the section that describes school and district outcomes. Specifically, it requires reporting the number of students achieving placement after graduation, with explicit mention of placements in apprenticeships.
This data would be included alongside existing indicators such as graduation/dropping-out rates, post-secondary enrollment, and other outcomes.

Scope of reporting (for each district and each school):

The placement statistic is to be reported for the district and, where appropriate, for individual schools, consistent with other listed metrics.

Additional related reporting requirements (existing or ongoing items):

The bill retains and reiterates several other data categories already present in the statute, such as:
Results from various assessments (elementary assessments, Early Warning Test, High School Proficiency Test)
Attendance, graduation/dro dropout rates
Postsecondary indicators (e.g., SAT scores, college enrollment)
School characteristics and resources (teacher/student ratio, class size, instructional time)
Demographic and accountability data (enrollment, ELL percentage, etc.)
Narrative from the principal
Data on harassment/bullying reports
Indicators of student career readiness
Chronic absenteeism, with subgroup disaggregation
Disciplinary data (suspensions/expulsions and law enforcement involvement)
Mental health staffing and ratios
A future update clarifies a uniform methodology for reporting administrative personnel on a full-time equivalent basis.

Administrative framework:

The Commissioner of Education is tasked with establishing the uniform methodology for reporting administrative personnel data and ensuring consistency across districts.

Who would be affected

Schools and school districts: They would need to collect, compile, and report the new post-graduation placement data (including apprenticeships) in their annual report cards.

Students and graduates: The new metric would influence the information publicly available about post-graduation outcomes.

Timeline and effective date

The act takes effect immediately and applies to the first full school year following enactment.

Additional notes

The bill has bipartisan sponsorship and has progressed through Senate committees, with the most recent action indicating passage by the Senate and referral to the Assembly Education Committee. The change integrates apprenticeship placement into the spectrum of post-graduation outcomes used for school accountability.