New Jersey

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New Jersey is working to ensure its schools are safe and supportive. This page features school climate information for New Jersey, including a list of grants the State and its communities have received; State discipline and bullying policies; data for a selection of indicators; and related news articles.

Grants Received

State Grant Program

Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program falls under ESSA, subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. States receive funds in the form of block grants and then fund local education agencies. To learn more, visit the T4PA Center website.

Local Educational Agency and District Grant Program

Project Prevent (Cohort 2)

In 2019, Newark Public Schools received a Project Prevent grant. This district is using this 5-year grant to increase their capacity to help schools in communities with pervasive violence to better address the needs of affected students and to break the cycle of violence in those communities. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/projectprevent/index.html.

Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration

In 2019, the Newark Board of Education and Pennsauken Public Schools received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. These districts are using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/06/21/2019-13289/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.

Elementary and Secondary School Counseling

Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools received funding through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant program. This 3-year grant helped schools expand the capacity of their school mental health services by 1) hiring qualified mental health professionals and 2) supporting parental involvement and school staff professional development to increase their capacities for collaborating with mental health community-based service providers. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.

Selected Indicators

Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property

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Indicator 1: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Had Been Threatened or Injured with a Weapon (For Example, a Gun, Knife, or Club) on School Property One or More Times During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not participate in data collection in 2015 and 2017. This state did not have data for this indicator in 2021.

Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.

Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property
Year	New Jersey	US
2009	6.6	7.7
2011	5.7	7.4
2013	6.2	6.9
2019	7.6	7.4

Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property

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Indicator 2: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Having Been in a Physical Fight on School Property One or More Times During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not have data for this indicator in 2009, 2011, 2013, or 2021. This state did not participate in data collection in 2015 and 2017.

Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property
Year	New Jersey	US
2019	9.1	8.0

Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property

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Indicator 3: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported that they Were Offered, Sold, or Given an Illegal Drug by Someone on School Property During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not participate in data collection in 2015 and 2017.

Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property
Year	New Jersey	US
2009	32.2	22.7
2011	27.3	25.6
2013	30.7	22.1
2019	26.0	21.8
2021	19.6	22.2

Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide

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Indicator 4: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not have data for this indicator in 2009 or 2021. This state did not participate in data collection in 2015 and 2017.

Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide
Year	New Jersey	US
2011	12.9	15.8
2013	13.9	17.0
2019	14.5	18.8

Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property

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Indicator 5: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Being Bullied On School Property During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not participate in data collection in 2015 and 2017. This state did not have data for this indicator in 2021.

Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property
Year	New Jersey	US
2009	20.7	19.9
2011	20.0	20.1
2013	21.3	19.6
2019	16.4	19.5

Indicator 6: Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good

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Indicator 6: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good (Poor Mental Health Includes Stress, Anxiety, and Depression) During the 30 Days Before the Survey

Data for this indicator are not available before 2021.

Indicator 6: Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good
Year	New Jersey	US
2021	32.9	29.3

Grants Received

State Grant Program

Local Educational Agency and District Grant Program

Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property

Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property

Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property

Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide

Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property

Indicator 6: Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good

Grantee Highlights