ASSEMBLY BUDGET COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[Second Reprint]

SENATE, No. 896

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 27, 2022

      The Assembly Budget Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 896 (2R).

      As amended, this bill provides that the State Board of Education is prohibited from requiring a candidate for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing (CEAS) or a certificate of eligibility (CE) to complete a Commissioner of Education approved performance-based assessment in order to be eligible for CEAS, CE, or standard certification.  Under current State Board of Education regulations, all CEAS and CE candidates are required to pass a commissioner approved performance-based assessment, currently the edTPA.

      The bill permits educator preparation programs to require that CEAS and CE candidates complete a performance-based assessment.  Under the bill, an educator preparation program performance-based assessment will meet requirements set by the commissioner approved professional education accreditation body for the educator preparation program.  Additionally, the bill prohibits a CEAS educator preparation program, or a CE educator preparation program, from considering whether a candidate for a CEAS or a CE has completed a commissioner approved performance-based assessment when making a determination as to whether to recommend a candidate for CEAS or CE certification.

      The bill also provides that a person who earned a CEAS or a CE during the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school years, and who was unable to complete a Commissioner of Education approved performance-based assessment due to abrupt changes in teaching placements or modalities, asynchronous virtual learning environments, school district policies, or other restrictions or disruptions caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency, is exempt from the requirement to complete a performance-based assessment as a condition of earning a standard certificate.

      As amended and reported by the committee, this bill is identical to the Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill Nos. 677 and 3562, which was also amended and reported by the committee on this same date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to clarify that the State Board of Education is prohibited from requiring a candidate for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing (CEAS) or a certificate of eligibility (CE) to complete a Commissioner of Education approved performance-based assessment in order to be eligible for standard certification, in addition to CEAS or CE certification. 

      The committee amendments also provide that a person who earned a CEAS or a CE during the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school years, and who was unable to complete a Commissioner of Education approved performance-based assessment due to abrupt changes in teaching placements or modalities, asynchronous virtual learning environments, school district policies, or other restrictions or disruptions caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency, is exempt from the requirement to complete a performance-based assessment as a condition of earning a standard certificate.

      Finally, the committee amendments define “standard certificate” to mean a permanent instructional certificate issued by the State Board of Examiners to persons who meet all instructional certificate requirements.