New Jersey Department of Education

Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

Office of Student Support Services

OSSS Website Guide (August 2023)

School Health Services

Ensuring all students are healthy and ready to learn through the support of the school health team.

Safe & Positive Learning Environments

Developing and maintaining safe and positive learning environments utilizing a focus on prevention and intervention efforts.

Student Wellness

Supporting the physical and mental well-being of students in conjunction with fostering their social and emotional development.

Out of School Time Programs

Out of school time programs provide not only a safe place to go, but also provide our youth with necessary workforce development skills, while equipping them with life skills that will nurture and encourage positive, healthy choices

New Jersey Tiered System of Supports (NJTSS)

A multi-tiered framework of supports and interventions designed to meet the academic, behavioral, health, and social-emotional needs of all students.

In odd-numbered calendar years, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) conducts a survey of students’ self-reported health behaviors using questions from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with additional questions selected from other sources. In some years, school and student survey participation rates have reached the 60 percent threshold established by CDC for statistical comparisons of findings over time, including among population groups. In those years for which the New Jersey survey reached this threshold, the New Jersey findings were published by CDC as a Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and included in the CDC online data tool Youth OnLine. Beginning with the 2003 survey, the NJDOE initiated a rotation schedule for some questions so that they are asked every four years. 

The NJDOE recognizes that all students may not flourish in the same learning environment and some students require additional supports to maximize their achievement.  External forces like socio-economics, health, home and the community environments can influence how a student learns, what a student learns and what supports he/she needs to ensure success in school.  Students that are at risk of school failure often require supports that go beyond that of the “traditional” classroom environment.  Alternative education programs provide such students with educational options to meet their unique learning needs by offering support mechanisms including, but not limited to: case management; flexible scheduling; modified instruction; personalized learning; and comprehensive support services to address their health, social and emotional development and behavior.  Students whose health condition or behavior prevents them from participating in the “traditional” school setting on a short-term basis are eligible to receive educational programs or services at home or other out-of-school setting.
 
The NJDOE also recognizes that all school-age students do not participate in the public education system and may be provided with equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school.  While the NJDOE does not regulate or provide oversight of these categories of students, there is useful information available to assist the public in the areas of nonpublic school and homeschooling. 

The information on the linked pages is organized according to the following topics:

Getting a copy of school records

The New Jersey Department of Education does not maintain copies of individual student records.

From a public school

To get a copy of school records from a public school, contact the local school district. For contact information, the NJ School Directory is available at the following address:  http://homeroom5.doe.state.nj.us/directory/.

From a nonpublic school

If the nonpublic school had an affiliation with a larger organization, contact that organization to see if they can help you.  For example, a Catholic school is part of a Diocese.  If the school was not part of a larger organization, you will have to pursue other ways of investigating and tracking down records.  Most nonpublic schools are listed in the NJ School Directory, which is available at the following address:  https://homeroom5.doe.state.nj.us/directory/nonpub.php

Certifying school records

All states have the authority to authenticate documents.  This is necessary when people go oversees for various reasons, such as adoption, employment, school, dual citizenship, foreign exchange, etc., and the country requires the certification of important documents.  Depending upon the country, documents can include marriage licenses, high school/GED diplomas, college degrees, transcripts from high schools/colleges, employment records, health records, date of birth, etc.
In New Jersey, the Division of Revenue in the Department of the Treasury reviews the applicable documents which already must be notarized.  Constituents must send a cover letter, along with notarized documents and application, and indicate which country they will be traveling to.  There are also applicable fees.
Depending upon the country, some require a certification only and others require the Apostilles, which is a special authentication issued for documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961.

For information on how to certify school records:

Go to Treasury’s Web site at:  http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/revenue/apostilles.shtml 
State of New Jersey - Department of the Treasury
Division of Revenue
33 West State Street, 5th Floor
Trenton, NJ 08608

Student Education Records and Privacy Rights (U.S. Department of Education)

There are several federal laws governing students' rights as it pertains to public records, which include the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). For information on these laws and student and family rights, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Protecting Student Privacy webpage here.

Every even-numbered calendar year, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) conducts a survey of middle and high school principals and lead health educators, using questions developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). New Jersey School Health Profiles monitors the status of the following: school health education requirements and content; physical education and physical activity; school health policies related to HIV infection/AIDS, tobacco-use prevention, and nutrition; asthma management activities; family and community involvement in school health programs; and school health coordination. Information on national and state School Health Profiles data from prior years, including New Jersey's, can be found at CDC School Health Profiles.

If you see an alligator

Dont forget to scream By: Unknown Author

If you see an alligator

 

Disclaimer: The resources provided on this webpage and associated Office of Student Support Services’ webpages are for informational purposes only. All resources must meet the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) accessibility guidelines. Currently, the NJDOE aims to conform to Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). However, the NJDOE does not guarantee that linked external sites conform to Level AA of the WCAG 2.1. Neither NJDOE nor its officers, employees or agents specifically endorse, recommend or favor these resources or the organizations that created them. Please note that the NJDOE has not reviewed or approved the materials related to the programs.


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