Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
Limits certain requirements for certification of career and technical education teachers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning teacher certification and amending P.L.2021, c.420.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2021, c.420 (C.18A:26-34) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. (1) Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the State Board of Education shall not require a candidate for or the holder of a certificate of eligibility in a career and technical education endorsement or a certificate of eligibility with advance standing in a career and technical education endorsement to complete a Commissioner-approved test of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in order to obtain a standard certificate, including, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, if the candidate can demonstrate proficiency in the use of English language and mathematics through an alternate measure.
(2) Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the State Board of Education shall not require a candidate for a certificate of eligibility in a career and technical education endorsement to complete an educator preparation program which exceeds 200-hours of instruction or one academic year.
b. As used in this section:
"Alternate measure" means any demonstration of basic skills proficiency, other than a test, that is approved by the Department of Education, including, but not limited to: a portfolio of work products as approved by the superintendent of a candidate's employing school district; obtainment of an occupational license or certification; or an industry certificate or registration.
"Certificate of eligibility" means a certificate with lifetime validity issued by the State Board of Examiners to candidates who meet degree, academic, and applicable test requirements for teacher certification.
"Certificate of eligibility with advanced standing" means a certificate with lifetime validity issued by the State Board of Examiners to candidates who meet degree, academic, and test requirements for teacher certification and complete an educator preparation program.
(cf: P.L.2021, c.420, s.1)
2. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill limits certain requirements for certification of career and technical education teachers. The bill prohibits the State Board of Education from requiring a candidate for a certificate of eligibility in a career and technical education endorsement to complete an educator preparation program which exceeds 200-hours of instruction or one academic year.
Currently, an individual may become certified with a career and technical education endorsement by going through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Alternate Route program. The program is designed for those who have not completed a formal teacher preparation program at an accredited institution of higher education, but wish to become a State certified teacher. Alternate route teachers earn a Certificate of Eligibility (CE).
The individual is required to first complete a minimum of 50 hours of pre-professional experience in an approved educator preparation program. After completing the 50 hours of formal instruction, the individual is to enroll in a two-year, 350-hour CTE Certificate of Eligibility educator preparation program at Brookdale Community College or William Paterson University.
There is currently a shortage of qualified CTE educators. The two-year, 350-hour program has been criticized as having a detrimental effect on the recruitment of CTE teachers as it is viewed as expensive, time-consuming, and lacking in the practical experience currently offered by county vocational-technical school districts.
It is the sponsor’s intent to address the shortage of CTE teachers by requiring the educator preparation programs to limit the approved CTE alternate route programs to 200-hours of instruction or one academic year.