Commissioner’s Annual Report on Student Safety and Discipline in New Jersey Public Schools - July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021

Oct 15, 2026

Commissioner’s Annual Report to the Education Committees of the Senate and General Assembly covers student safety and discipline across New Jersey public schools for July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. The report analyzes SSDS statewide data on incidents of school violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying, professional development, and disciplinary consequences including suspensions, removals, and arrests. It highlights baseline years after SSDS adoption, summarizes key 2020–21 findings, and outlines department initiatives aimed at improving school climate through social emotional learning and research-based discipline strategies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages35

Reading Time1 h 28 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Key Findings

SSDS Incidents

School Police Reports

HIB Investigations and Confirmed Incidents

Nature of HIB

HIB Trainings

HIB Programs

Disciplinary Actions

Initiatives to Improve School Safety

Department’s Response

Department’s Future Objectives

Commissioner’s Annual Report to the Education Committees of the Senate and General Assembly on Student Safety and Discipline in New Jersey Public Schools July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 New Jersey Department of Education 100 River View Plaza, P.O. Box 500 Trenton, NJ 08625-0500 State Board of Education | Kathy Goldenberg
President | Burlington | | --- | --- | | Andrew J. Mulvihill
Vice President | Sussex | | Arcelio Aponte | Middlesex | | Mary Beth Berry | Hunterdon | | Elaine Bobrove | Camden | | Fatimah Burnam-Watkins | Union | | Ronald K. Butcher | Gloucester | | Jack Fornaro | Warren | | Mary Elizabeth Gazi | Somerset | | Nedd James Johnson, Ed. D | Salem | | Ernest P. Lepore | Hudson | | Joseph Ricca, Jr., Ed.D | Morris | | Sylvia Sylvia-Cioffi | Monmouth | Angelica Allen-McMillan, Ed.D. Acting Commissioner Secretary Table of Contents Executive Summary............................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 6 Key Findings........................................................................................................................... 7 SSDS Incidents ............................................................................................................... 7 School Police Reports .................................................................................................. 11 HIB Investigations and Confirmed Incidents .............................................................. 12 Nature of HIB ............................................................................................................... 15 HIB Trainings ................................................................................................................ 20 HIB Programs ............................................................................................................... 22 Disciplinary Actions ..................................................................................................... 24 Initiatives to Improve School Safety................................................................................... 27 Department’s Response .............................................................................................. 27 Department’s Future Objectives ................................................................................. 33 Executive Summary Annually, the Department of Education (Department) collects data from school districts across the state on disciplinary infractions and their consequences. These data are analyzed in a state-level report developed by the Department for the Governor and the Legislature to fulfill the requirements of the Public School Safety Law N.J.S.A. 18A:17-46 through 48. This report includes statewide data on incidents of school violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying and school suspensions as well as related professional development for educators. School districts can use both statewide data and their local data to evaluate the efficacy of efforts to maintain a positive school climate, foster social emotional learning, and provide interventions for students who exhibit patterns of violating school conduct policies. Beginning with the 2017-18 school year, the Department migrated to a new reporting system, the Student Safety Data System (SSDS), which includes improved definitions, new reporting fields, and updated guidance for reporting incidents. Data from both the 2018-19 and 2017-18 school years should be considered baseline years since school districts continued to align local systems with the SSDS to reflect new data elements and improve data accuracy. Among reported incidents in 2020-21: • School personnel reported incidents to the police on 1,312 occasions, 482 of which were mandatory referrals, leading to

FAQs

What data source does the report use to analyze student safety and discipline?

The report uses the Student Safety Data System (SSDS), which replaced EVVRS and the HIB-ITP system starting in the 2017-18 school year.

What kinds of incidents and disciplinary outcomes are included?

It includes statewide data on school violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB), school suspensions, and related professional development, along with outcomes such as arrests, removals to other programs, and expulsions.

How should districts use the report’s results?

Districts are encouraged to compare their local incidents with state-level results and take proactive steps to improve school climate and student safety, including interventions for patterns of policy violations.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jordan Avery