Download - October 3, 2012
Division of Teacher and Leader Excellence
CERTIFICATION PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
PURSUANT TO THE GOVERNOR’S EDUCATOR EFFECTIVENESS TASK FORCE
October 3, 2012
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Contents
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Overview of Proposed Changes
Index of Individual Changes
Overview of Major Proposed Changes
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Mission: Pursuant to the 40 regulatory changes related to licensure and professional development in the ETTF Report, these amendments are designed to provide schools and districts with greater levels of flexibility and efficiency with their human capital practices
Goals of Proposed Changes:
1. Ease requirements that can be burdensome for districts in attracting, hiring and placing staff
2. Shift from compliance-driven professional development to a streamlined process that supports individualized development
Ease Requirements: An Overview
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• Issue: Cumbersome certification requirements and administrative processes create a limited pool of high-quality candidates
• Proposed Change: Streamline certification requirements in specific areas
• Rationale: Broaden the pool of high-quality staff and reduce the administrative burden on fully certified teaching and administrative staff
Ease Requirements: Details
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Type of Educator Issue Proposed Changes
Athletics Personnel
Difficulty recruiting high quality athletics
personnel
• Provide flexibility for districts to hire certified substitutes as athletic coaches• Clarify safety requirements only required of
swim coaches, and not other swimming personnel
SubstitutesDifficulty filling emergent positions with a certified
substitute
• Ease ability to use private vendors to secure services of a qualified sub• Eliminate BOE bottleneck by allowing
candidate/vendor to send documentation directly to county• Empower superintendent, rather than BOE,
to request emergent sub hires • Permit holders of CEs or CEAs permitted to
serve as subs without additional credential
Self-Contained 6th Grade Teachers
Difficulty finding self-contained 6th grade
teachers for small K-6 districts
• Expand the elementary endorsement to authorize teachers of elementary school to teach kindergarten through grade six
Ease Requirements: Details (continued)
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Type of Educator Issue Proposed Changes
Experience-Based CTE Educators
Basic skills test hinders interest in teaching and limits ability of school leader to fill position
• Shift the basic skills test requirement until the CTE educator applies for standard teaching certification
Middle School Teachers
Inflexible and cumbersome certification
requirements
• Expand options to qualify for middle school endorsements by allowing both elementary certificate and N-12 certificate holders to qualify
School Business Administrators
Limiting ability to fulfill two year residency
requirement to public schools
• Allow approved private schools for the disabled to count as residency sites
Ease Requirements: Details (continued)
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Type of Educator Issue Proposed Changes
School Nurses
Cumbersome certification
requirements overemphasize
differences between serving students and general population
• Reduce entry study requirements for regular school nurse and school nurse/non-instructional• Ensure that topics no longer covered by
coursework would have to be covered by professional development
Teachers in Documented
Shortage Areas
Difficulty attracting teachers in shortage
areas
• Grant Commissioner latitude in approving alternate route programs for documented teacher shortage areas
School Administrators and Principals*
Potentially burdensome residency
(apprenticeship) requirement
• Allow Commissioner to reduce or remove the residency requirement on a case-by-case basis depending on the prior experience of the candidate
*Not from ETTF
Changes That Have Been Deferred
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• Several recommendations from the task force will not be introduced in these proposed regulations, as they require further due diligence; examples include:
– Removing 6 credit limit on transfer of professional education (pedagogy) credits from community colleges to four year teacher prep colleges
– Restricting currently unlimited service of substitute nurses
– Offering flexibility in substituting experience for the required 24 seat hours training for alternate route candidates in basic classroom skills and pedagogy
– Reducing entry level study requirements for physical science, math, middle school, social studies and all other sciences
Shift from Compliance-Driven PD: An Overview
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• Issue: Compliance-driven, cumbersome PD planning and approval process lacks focus on PD that drives student learning
• Proposed Changes: – Clarify and expand PD-related definitions– Streamline planning process and consolidate oversight at local and
state levels
• Rationale: Focus PD on rich, aligned content while reducing committees and levels of oversight
Shift from Compliance-Driven PD: Details
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Type of Change Issue Proposed Changes
Clarify and Expand
Definitions
Separate, redundant chapters that outline PD
requirements for teachers and school
leaders
• Integrate teacher and school leader PD requirements into single chapter for clarification and simplification
Lack of emphasis on the importance of job-embedded learning opportunities and
student achievement
• Broaden the definition of “professional development” to include job-embedded activities and collaborative teamwork (e.g. PLCs, rigorous analysis of student data, job-embedded coaching) • Ensure definitions are grounded in a focus on
improving student outcomes
Lack of focus on educator learning
development that leads to successful student
learning
• Update set of professional development standards to include a reduction in number of standards and a focus on PD that leads to successful student learning
Shift from Compliance-Driven PD: Details (cont)
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Type of Change Issue Proposed Changes
Streamline PD Planning Process and Consolidate
Oversight
Compliance-focused hourly PD requirement
• Shift current requirement for 100 hours of PD over five years to a 20-hour annual requirement to simplify tracking of hours and allow PD to focus on real-time student needs and school/district priorities
Lack of clear accountability for
principals in developing school-level plan*
• Clearly identify principal as school-level leader responsible for developing plan, while continuing to solicit teacher input
Cumbersome planning process for district-level
PD planning, thereby creating multiple, often
redundant, levels of oversight*
• Eliminate requirements for district- and county-level committees, while continuing to solicit teacher input• Shift accountability for creating plans to
superintendents, while retaining Board of Ed as approving body• Provide flexibility for formation of regional
consortia
*See details on the following slide
Shift from Compliance-Driven PD: Details (cont)
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Current Structure
School-Level PD Planning
Elected School Professional Development Committee is responsible for developing plan
District-Level PD Planning
1. Local Professional Development Committee develops plan
2. District Board of Education reviews3. County Professional Development
Board approves4. District Board of Education has
final approval
Streamlining the PD Planning Process & Consolidating Oversight
Structure Under Proposed Amendments
Principal is responsible for development of plan, in consultation with teachers
1. Superintendents or designees oversee development of plan
2. District Board of Education reviews and provides final approval
Shift from Compliance-Driven PD: Details (cont)
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Type of Change Issue Proposed Changes
Streamline PD Planning Process and Consolidate
Oversight
Professional Teaching Standards Board and
Professional Development Advisory
Committee serve in similar capacity and
resulted in barriers to creating one cohesive
state strategy around PD
• Consolidate into one state committee on Professional Learning; membership will be representative of all stakeholders and appointed by the Commissioner
Peer Reviewers were required to review
Superintendent PD plans, thereby leading to inherent bias and misplacement of
accountability
• Provide local Boards of Ed with responsibility for approving superintendent-created PD plans and ensuring goals are met
Contents
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Overview of Proposed Changes
Index of Individual Changes
EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapters 4 & 5
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CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-4.2(a) Board of Examiners-Powers and duties
Report appendix recommends removing board authorization to issue, revoke or suspend certificates.
Removes content that is duplicative of statute. 194
6A:9-4.2(c) Board of Examiners-Powers and duties
Report recommends allowing Board committee chairs to decide motions for relief when this doesn't constitute the final decision in a case.
Speeds resolution of certification disputes; current procedure often requires Board to convene a special meeting because these motions must be decided within short time frames.
105
6A:9-5.2 (c) Certificates-general
Report recommends ending requirement for ECSs to annually collect staff certification reports from districts.
Ends burdensome report / monitoring requirement that will soon be replaced by NJSmart.
105
6A:9-5.6 Oath of Allegiance Report recommends deletion of the section that requires an oath of allegiance for any certificate applicant.
Removes content that is duplicative of statute. 195
6A:9-5.[18]17(a) Swim coaches Report recommends clarifying that this section applies only to persons serving as coaches rather than, for example volunteers or staff who serve as time keeper, aides, etc.
Necessary clarification.
106
6A:9-5.[19]18 Athletic personnel Allow districts to hire substitutes as coaches without having to prove that no qualified and regularly certified applicants are available.
Districts should be able to hire the best coaches available. 107
EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapter 6
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CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-6.5(a)1 Substitute credentials
Report recommends allowing districts to use private vendors in employing substitutes, i.e. as temp agencies.
Eases district administrative burdens / costs.107
6A:9-6.5 (c) Substitute credentials
Report recommends amendments to implement use of private vendors for securing substitutes.
Eases district administrative burdens / costs.107
6A:9-6.5(d) Substitute credentials
Report recommends that Superintendent rather than local Board would have authority to request emergent hires [prior to criminal history check] for substitutes.
Speeds process; local Board involvement results in delays. 108
6A:9-6.5(f) and (n) Substitute credentials
Report recommends at (f) allowing holders of instructional CEs and CEASs to serve as substitutes in their fields without having to purchase substitute credential. Report recommends at (n) allowing same for administrative and educational services certificate holders.
(f) reduces applicants' costs; (n) reduces applicants' costs and broadens pool of quality substitutes.
108
6A:9-6.5(g) Substitute credentials
Report recommends allowing holders of instructional CEs and CEASs to serve as substitutes outside their fields without having to purchase substitute credentials.
Reduces applicants' costs. This is a clarification of the proposed change in the line above. 109
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EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapters 9 & 11
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-9.1(a)1i Elementary School Teacher authorization
Report recommends changing grade range from K-5 to K-6.
Offers greater flexibility in assigning teachers for self-contained classrooms in smaller and K-6 districts. Therefore it has no implications for highly qualified status of such teachers. Grade range would be similar to CT, DE, MD.
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6A:9-11.2 (c) Career and Technical Education
Report would allow experience-based CTE alternate route teachers to pass basic skills tests prior to issuance of standard certificate or to renewal of provisional certificate, rather than prior to issuance of initial certificate. Related amendments require the hiring district to support basic skills in these teachers' classrooms and to support these novice teachers in preparing for the basic skills tests.
Provides flexibility to CTE districts in filling positions such as teachers of plumbing, electricity, and other trades.
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6A:9-11.11(a)1 "Middle School" Report recommends allowing holders of N-12 instructional endorsements to qualify for middle school endorsements upon meeting all other requirements, rather having to first obtain the elementary teacher endorsement as at present.
Offers regulatory flexibility to candidates and districts.
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EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapter 12
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-12.7(b) School business administrator
Residencies are a requirement for all novice SBAs. Report recommends permitting residencies for novice SBAs in approved private schools for the disabled, where they are currently not approved.
Offers regulatory flexibility to candidates and approved private schools for the disabled. 116
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EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapter 13
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-13.3 School nurse (also can teach health)
Report recommends reducing certification study requirements from 30 semester hour credits in addition to registered nurse (RN) license to 12 absolutely essential semester hour credits in addition to the RN license. Instead of fully adopting the report's recommended reduction, the proposed amendments would reduce requirements to 21 essential semester credit hours. These change other current requirements to professional development requirements that must be met within the first threeyears of novice employment (human growth and development; fundamentals of substance abuse; human and intercultural relations). Required study will continue in school nursing, including school health services, physical assessments, organization and administration of the school health program and clinical experience in a school nurse office; health assessment; special education and/or learning disabilities; methods of teaching health; public health; guidance and counseling; and school law. The report and amendments also eliminate the previously required practicum.
Addresses shortage of qualified school nurse candidates. Proposed requirements close to those of MA and NY.
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EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapter 13 (cont.)
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-13.4 School nurse, non-instructional
Report recommends reducing certification study requirements from 21 semester hour credits in addition to registered nurse (RN) license to 9 absolutely essential semester hour credits in addition to the RN license. Instead of fully adopting the report's recommended reduction, the proposed amendments would reduce requirements to 15 essential semester credit hours. These change other current requirements to professional development requirements that must be met within the first three years of novice employment (human growth and development; fundamentals of substance abuse; human and intercultural relations). Required study will continue in school nursing, including school health services, physical assessments, organization and administration of the school health program and clinical experience in a school nurse office; health assessment; special education and/or learning disabilities; methods of teaching health; public health; guidance and counseling; and school law. The report and amendments also eliminate the previously required practicum.
Addresses shortage of qualified school nurse candidates. Proposed requirements close to those of MA and NY.
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EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapter 15
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-15 Professional Development for Teachers and School Leaders
Report recommends combining requirements for teachers and school leaders at 6A:9-15 and 6A:9-16, respectively, into a single chapter.
Streamlines regulations.
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6A:9-15.1 General provisions Report recommends adding general provisions for school leaders to the subchapter that previously covered only teachers.
Consequence of combining teacher and school leader requirements into one chapter. 119
6A:9-15.2 Definition of professional development
Report recommends clarifying the definition of high quality professional development for teachers for enhanced student learning.
Reflects research and best practice; clarifies a continuous improvement model based on data and shared responsibility.
119
6A:9-15.3 Standards for professional learning
Report recommends updating teacher and school leader professional development standards to align with recommendations from representatives of leading education associations and organizations who reviewed research and best practices for effective professional learning. The revision would reorganize and reduce the previous number of standards to focus attention on educator learning development that leads to successful student learning.
Reorganizes and reduces the number of standards from 12 to seven; more succinct guide for district and school practices.
120
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EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapter 15 (cont.)
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-15.4 Requirements for individual teacher professional development planning and implementation
Report recommends stipulating the requirements for teachers' individual professional development plans and aligning these plans with annual evaluation results. Report specifically replaces the current 100 hour requirement spaced over 5 years with a 20 hour per year requirement that can be prorated based on family or medical leave.
Shifts focus from compliance to goal-setting for student outcomes and other school and district priorities; simplifies tracking of professional development hours. 120
6A:9-15.5 Requirements for school-level professional development planning and implementation
Report recommends giving the principal (in consultation with teachers) accountability for school-level professional development, instead of the elected School Professional Development Committee.
Overseeing the ongoing development and growth of professional staff is a core responsibility of the principal. 121
6A:9-15.6 Requirements for district-level professional development planning and implementation
Report recommends giving the superintendent and district board of education accountability for professional development across the district. Report also recommends including the professional development needs of school leaders in the planning process.
Streamlines the governance structure for plan development, approval and implementation by removing required external reviews by a county level board; makes planning inclusive of all professionals.
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EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapter 15 (cont.)
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-15.7 Implementation of the professional development requirement for school leaders
Report recommends stipulating the criteria for chief school administrators', principals' and supervisors' individual professional development plans; also would give accountability for the chief school administrator's professional development to the district board of education; also would align individual plans for principals and supervisors with annual evaluation results.
Localizes the oversight process; focuses school leader professional development on student outcomes and other school and district priorities.
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6A:9-15.8 Requirements for school leaders professional development in ethics, law and governance
Report recommends incorporating the currently existing statutory and regulatory requirement for ethics training into the professional development plan process.
Consolidates all professional development requirements as part of the individual professional development plan; provides individuals and districts with flexibility in meeting the requirement.
124
6A:9-15.9 Monitoring and assistance
Report recommends emphasizing the responsibility and duty of each district board of education to provide high quality professional development to its professionals.
High quality professional development is a key lever for student academic success; support for professional development must be a core responsibility of each district.
124
6A:9-15.10 State committee on professional learning
Report recommends replacing the separate Professional Teaching Standards Board and Professional Development Advisory Committee for School Leaders with a single state-level advisory committee on professional learning.
Reflects the need to integrate support and guidance for all professionals; centralizes advisory process and streamlines committee facilitation process. 126
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EETF Proposed Changes: Subchapter 16
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-16.1 and 16.2 Alternate Routes for Documented Teacher Shortage Areas
Report recommends allowing the Commissioner wide latitude in approving proposals for alternate route programs for documented teacher shortage areas such as math, science, special education, ESL, and bilingual ed. Programs would be able to propose a range of study requirements, clinical experience and mentoring / support. Programs would partner with districts. These amendments would for example allow the Commissioner to approve programs that reduce the entry level requirements for math and the sciences.
Allows Commissioner to address needs in documented shortage areas, including but not limited to the type of alternate route programs for math, the sciences, and social science that were proposed in the Governor's Report but not specifically included in these amendments. 126
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Proposed Changes Not From EETF
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
Throughout 6A:9 Recommend deletion of sections with expired deadlines. Also recommends the use of State to denote New Jersey and state to denote all other states
Cleanup and clarification.
N/A
6A:9-6.2 Provisional Certificate
Recommend an amendment clarifying that provisional certificates, which ordinarily do not require residencies for novice employees in educational service endorsements, may in fact be required for some of these endorsements.
Without this amendment, this section is in direct contradiction to novice employee residencies required for educational services endorsements such as library media specialists and student assistance coordinators.
N/A
6A:9-8.4(b)4, (c), (c)1 and (c)2
Mentoring Amendments delete the phrase “local Professional Development Committee” because this entity no longer exists in proposed new subchapter 15 on Professional Development, and replaces the phrase with “district superintendent,” who is now responsible for the overall district professional development plan.
For consistency with new professional development amendments proposed in 6A:9-15.
N/A
6A:9-11.12(c) Swimming and water safety (swim teachers)
Amendment requires substitutes for swimming and water safety teachers to hold all three of the safety certificates required of the regular teachers of swimming and water safety.
Student safety. Without this amendment, it is possible for a substitute teacher for such classes to have no lifesaving, CPR, or water safety instruction training. N/A
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Proposed Changes Not From EETF (cont.)
CITATION TITLE / TOPIC DESCRIPTION JUSTIFICATION ETTF PAGE #
6A:9-12.4(a)2i thru 2vi and 6A:9-12.5(a)2i thru 2vi
School Administrator and Principal, respectively
Amendments replace study requirements for School Administrator and Principal with new ISLLC standards.
Code update incorporates existing practices in new national standards. N/A
6A:9-12.4(e)2 and 6A:9-12.5(e)2
School Administrator and Principal, respectively
Amendments allow the Commissioner to reduce or remove the residency requirement based on the prior experience of the candidate.
Easing of induction rules for novice administrators.
N/A