A2562

An Act concerning teacher certification and supplementing chapter 26 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Teacher Certification Reform Act of 2025.”

2. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. It is necessary to revise the State’s teacher certification requirements in a manner that streamlines the certification process and creates more accessible pathways towards employment as a teacher, thereby easing the State’s teacher shortage, particularly in high-need areas such as special education, STEM, and bilingual education.

b. Teacher certification requirements have undergone various changes throughout the past 20 years, in part, as a result of evolving federal requirements.

c. The federal “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,” 20 U.S.C. s.6319, established rigorous teacher certification requirements, including that teachers be “highly qualified.” These changes, while well intentioned, have created barriers that are contributing to a growing teacher shortage.

d. In 2015, Congressional action culminating in the “Every Student Succeeds Act,” 20 U.S.C. s.6301, provided states with more flexibility in setting teacher certification standards.

e. New Jersey’s current certification process, which includes extensive coursework and standardized testing requirements, has been criticized for its complexity and financial burden, deterring potential educators from entering the profession.

f. Moreover, the financial and logistical barriers posed by the current certification process disproportionately affect candidates from lower-income and underrepresented backgrounds, reducing diversity in the teaching workforce.

g. New Jersey is facing a significant teacher shortage, with many school districts reporting a continued rise in unfilled positions from year-to-year.

h. It is essential that New Jersey meets the critical need to grow the teacher workforce by reforming the teacher certification process to be more accessible and equitable, while maintaining high standards for teacher quality.

3. a. The State Board of Education shall authorize a Students with Disabilities Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement to the instructional certificate. The endorsement shall authorize the holder to teach students with disabilities in all content areas and all grade levels in all public schools, with the exception of students who are blind or visually impaired or auditorily impaired.

b. The holder of a Students with Disabilities endorsement issued prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall, upon application to the State Board of Examiners, be issued the Students with Disabilities Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement established pursuant to this section.

c. Upon the establishment of the Students with Disabilities Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement, the State Board of Examiners shall no longer issue a Students with Disabilities endorsement.

4. a. (1) The State Board of Education shall rename the Deaf or Hard of Hearing for Oral/Aural Communication endorsement to the instructional certificate as the Teacher of the Auditorily Impaired for Oral/Aural Communication endorsement to the instructional certificate.

(2) The State Board of Education shall rename the Deaf or Hard of Hearing for Sign Language Communication endorsement to the instructional certificate as the Teacher of the Auditorily Impaired for Sign Language Communication endorsement to the instructional certificate.

b. The holder of a Deaf or Hard of Hearing for Oral/Aural Communication or Deaf or Hard of Hearing for Sign Language Communication endorsement issued prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be granted the appropriate successor endorsement named in subsections a. and b. of this section upon application to the State Board of Examiners.

5. a. The State Board of Education shall authorize a revised Elementary School endorsement to the instructional certificate. The endorsement shall authorize the holder to:

(1) serve as a teacher in grades kindergarten through eight in all public schools;

(2) teach language arts literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies full-time in grades kindergarten through eight;

(3) teach world languages full-time in grades kindergarten through eight;

(4) teach all remaining subjects for no more than one-half of the daily instructional assignment; and

(5) teach reading, writing, arithmetic, and spelling, for basic skills purposes only, in grades nine through 12.

The State board shall establish appropriate requirements for the endorsement that provide a teacher with the specialized knowledge and skills necessary to teach students in these content areas and grades.

b. The holder of a kindergarten through grade six Elementary School endorsement received prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall, upon application to the State Board of Examiners, be issued the Elementary School endorsement established pursuant to this section.

c. Upon the establishment of the Elementary School endorsement pursuant to this section, the State Board of Examiners shall no longer issue a kindergarten through grade six Elementary School endorsement.

6. a. The Department of Education shall not require a teacher candidate seeking an Elementary School endorsement to the instructional certificate to achieve a minimum score on each individual subtest of the State test for subject matter knowledge.

b. The department shall require a teacher candidate seeking an Elementary School endorsement to the instructional certificate to achieve a minimum average composite score on the State test for subject matter knowledge. The minimum average composite score shall be determined by the Commissioner of Education.

7. a. The State Board of Education shall authorize a Bilingual and Bicultural Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement to the instructional certificate. The endorsement shall authorize the holder to teach bilingual and bicultural education in all content areas and grade levels in all public schools.

b. A candidate for the endorsement shall:

(1) demonstrate oral and writing competence in English and the target language;

(2) complete an approved bilingual and bicultural education program; and

(3) meet any other requirements established by the State board.

b. The holder of a Bilingual/Bicultural endorsement issued prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall, upon application to the State Board of Examiners, be issued the Bilingual and Bicultural Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement established pursuant to this section.

c. Upon the establishment of the Bilingual and Bicultural Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement, the State Board of Examiners shall no longer issue a Bilingual/Bicultural endorsement.

8. The State Board of Education shall not require a candidate seeking a Middle School with Subject Matter Specialization: World Languages/Other World Languages endorsement to an instructional certificate to complete subject matter preparation credits if:

a. the candidate is a native speaker of the language covered by the endorsement;

b. the candidate has completed college-level study in a country other than the United States; and

c. the completed college-level study was taught in the candidate’s native language.

9. a. The State Board of Education shall authorize the issuance of a General Science endorsement to the instructional certificate. The endorsement shall authorize the holder to teach biological science, chemistry, earth science, physical science, or physics in grades nine through 12. The State board shall establish appropriate requirements for the endorsement that provide a teacher with the specialized knowledge and skills necessary to teach students in these subject areas.

b. The holder of a biological science, chemistry, earth science, physical science, or physics endorsement received prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall, upon application to the State Board of Examiners and subject to the requirements established by the State board, be issued the General Science endorsement established pursuant to this section.

c. Upon the establishment of the General Science endorsement, the State Board of Examiners shall no longer issue individual endorsements in biological science, chemistry, earth science, physical science, or physics.

10. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) as necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.

11. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the “Teacher Certification Reform Act of 2025.”

The bill specifically directs the State Board of Education to authorize the following endorsements to the instructional certificate: (1) a Student with Disabilities Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement; (2) a revised Elementary School endorsement; (3) a Bilingual and Bicultural Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement; and (4) a General Science endorsement. The bill permits teachers holding certain similar endorsements prior to the establishment of the new endorsements to obtain the new endorsements upon application to the State Board of Examiners.

Under the bill, a candidate seeking a Middle School with Subject Matter Specialization: World Languages/Other World Languages endorsement is not required to complete subject matter preparation credits if certain listed requirements are met. The bill also directs the State Board of Education to rename the Deaf or Hard of Hearing for Oral/Aural Communication and the Deaf or Hard of Hearing for Sign Language Communication endorsements as Teacher of the Auditorily Impaired for Oral/Aural Communication and Teacher of the Auditorily Impaired for Sign Language Communication endorsements.

Finally, the bill prohibits the Department of Education from requiring a teacher candidate seeking an instructional certificate with an Elementary School endorsement to achieve a minimum score on each individual subtest of the State test for subject matter knowledge, but instead to achieve a minimum average composite score of all the subtests.

According to the sponsor, by creating the new standalone endorsements in the bill, adjusting testing requirements, and renaming certain endorsements, the bill seeks to make the certification process more accessible and equitable while maintaining high standards for teacher quality. These changes are essential for attracting and retaining a diverse and qualified teacher workforce in New Jersey.