§ 18A:71C-83 — Definitions.

1. As used in this act: "Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71A-3. "Low-performing school" means any public school that meets the criteria of paragraph (1) or paragraph (2): (1) among all students in that school to whom a State assessment was administered, the sum of the percent of students scoring in the not-yet-meeting expectations and partially meeting expectations categories in both the language arts and mathematics subject areas of the State assessments exceeded 40% in each of the prior two school years; or (2) among all students in that school to whom a State assessment was administered, the sum of the percent of students scoring in the not-yet-meeting expectations and partially meeting expectations categories in either the language arts or mathematics subject areas of the State assessment exceeded 65% in each of the prior two school years. (3) A school shall continue to be designated a low-performing school until such time that the sum of the percent of students scoring in the not-yet-meeting expectations and partially meeting expectations categories in both the language arts and mathematics subject areas of the State assessments is less than or equal to the sum of the Statewide percent of students scoring in the not-yet-meeting expectations and partially meeting expectations categories on the corresponding Statewide assessments. "High-need field" means a subject area or field of expertise in which there is a shortage of qualified teachers in the State as determined by the Department of Education. The department shall reassess its designation of high-need fields at least every five years. "Program participant" means an undergraduate student borrower under the New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students (NJCLASS) Loan Program established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71C-21 who, following the effective date of this act, is initially hired by a school district to work as a teacher in a high-need field in a low-performing school, and who has executed a contract with the authority for participation in the loan redemption program. A program participant shall be a certified teacher and a resident of New Jersey. L.2021, c.384, s.1.