New Jersey
Teaching Standards and Leadership Standard
Teaching Standards
Is working with and meeting the needs of students with disabilities addressed in state teaching standards?
Updated in 2014, the New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers incorporate current research on teaching practice, new understandings of learners and the learning process, and align to the 2011 the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards. Multiple elements of the Professional Standards for Teachers address working with students with disabilities:
Standard 2: Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
Performances:
- The teacher makes appropriate and timely provisions for individual students with particular learning differences or needs.
- The teacher accesses resources, supports, and specialized assistance and services to meet particular learning differences or needs and participates in the design and implementation of the IEP, where appropriate, through curriculum planning and curricular and instructional modifications, adaptations, and specialized strategies and techniques, including the use of assistive technology.
Essential Knowledge:
- The teacher utilizes resources related to educational strategies for instruction and methods of teaching to accommodate individual differences and to employ positive behavioral intervention techniques for students with autism and other developmental disabilities.
- The teacher understands students with exceptional needs, including those associated with disabilities and giftedness, and knows how to use strategies and resources to address these needs.
Standard 6: Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in examining their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision-making.
Performances:
- The teacher prepares all learners for the demands of particular assessment formats and makes appropriate accommodations in assessments or testing conditions, especially for learners with disabilities.
Essential Knowledge:
- The teacher understands how to prepare learners for assessments and how to make accommodations in assessments and testing conditions, especially for learners with disabilities.
Critical Dispositions:
- The teacher is committed to making accommodations in assessments and testing conditions, especially for learners with disabilities.
Standard 7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Performances:
- The teacher plans collaboratively with professionals who have specialized expertise (for example, special educators) to design and jointly deliver, as appropriate, learning experiences to meet unique learning needs.
Essential Knowledge:
- The teacher knows when and how to access resources and collaborate with others to support student learning (for example, special educators).
Standard 8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
Performances:
- The teacher uses appropriate strategies and resources to adapt instruction to the needs of individuals and groups of learners.
Critical Dispositions:
- The teacher is committed to deepening awareness and understanding the strengths and needs of diverse learners when planning and adjusting instruction.
Standard 11: Ethical Practice. The teacher acts in accordance with legal and ethical responsibilities and uses integrity and fairness to promote the success of all students.
Essential Knowledge:
- The teacher understands laws related to learners’ rights and teacher responsibilities (for example, appropriate education for learners with disabilities).
Sources:
New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers
New Jersey Administrative Code (NJAC), 6A:9-3.3, Professional Standards
School Leadership Standards
Is knowledge of working with students with disabilities included in leader standards?
The Professional Standards For School Leaders do not specifically address required knowledge of working with students with disabilities. However, the Standards build on the idea that school administrators are “educational leaders who promote the success of all students.” Standard two addresses diversity and ensuring all students can learn.
Standard 2: School administrators shall be educational leaders who promote the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
- Administrators believe in, value and are committed to: the proposition that all students can learn; the variety of ways in which students can learn; and the benefits that diversity brings to the school community.
- Administrators facilitate processes and engage in activities ensuring that barriers to student learning are identified, clarified and addressed; and diversity is considered in developing learning experiences.
Sources:
NJDOE, New Jersey Professional Standards for School Leaders
NJAC, 6A:9-3.4, Professional Standards
Teacher and Principal Preparation
Teacher Preparation – Program Approval/Accreditation
Required course work in teaching students with disabilities/diverse learners
Teacher preparation programs must align their learning opportunities with the New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers. The standards related to learning differences, assessment, planning for instruction, instructional strategies, and ethical practice address the learning needs of students with disabilities. Programs also must offer course work devoted to “educating linguistically diverse and special education students.” Preparation programs for the Students with Disabilities endorsement require additional course work.
Sources:
NJAC, 6A:9-3.3 and 6A:9A-3.2
NJDOE, New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers
Clinical time in diverse settings/teaching special populations
State policy requires a student teaching experience equivalent of a full-time experience of one semester’s duration during initial teacher preparation. The student teacher must be under the direct and continuous personal supervision of an appropriately certified cooperating teacher. Preparation programs for the Students with Disabilities endorsement require practical experiences in a special education setting and student teaching experience that includes a special education component.
Source: NJAC 6A:9A-3.2
Teacher Preparation – Accountability
Quality of teacher preparation programs
New Jersey collects some program-specific, objective data that reflect program performance, including placement and retention rates and follow-up surveys of program graduates and employers. Currently, the state only collects data for alternate-route programs in the aggregate, but is improving its data collection tools to be able to differentiate by program in the near future.
By law, all educator preparation programs must obtain accreditation through, CAEP or another national professional education accreditation body recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation or the Commissioner. In addition, programs must undergo a review every seven years. The NJDOE operates a program-approval system that includes committees and the State Program Approval Council. The Council must review the following documentation during the seven-year review:
- Data on candidates’ performance on assessments at program completion;
- Numbers of educator candidates prepared in critical shortage areas and from diverse backgrounds;
- Placement and retention rates;
- Data on candidates’ performance at the end of the provisional period;
- Praxis scores and pass rates;
- Follow-up survey of graduates and employers; and
- Where relevant, P-12 student achievement data.
Sources:
National Council on Teacher Quality, 2012 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: Improving Teacher Preparation in New Jersey
NJAC 6A:9A-3.1
Email communication with NJDOE, September 5, 2014
Principal Preparation – Program Approval/Accreditation
Require course work in leading a school/district that serves special education students/diverse learners
New Jersey administrative code requires that school leader preparation programs align their learning opportunities with the Professional Standards For School Leaders. While these standards do not specifically address required knowledge of working with students with disabilities, they do build on the idea that school administrators are “educational leaders who promote the success of all students.”
Sources:
NJAC 6A:9A-3.1
NJDOE, New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers and School Leaders
Principal Preparation – Accountability
Are programs reviewed based on outcomes of graduates’ success? Can school principals be linked back to institutions of higher education and preparation programs?
Our state policy analysis did not identify a principal/school administrator preparation program accountability system. By law, all educator preparation programs must obtain accreditation through CAEP or another national professional education accreditation body. In addition, programs must undergo a review every seven years. The Department of Education operates a program approval system that includes program approval committees and the State Program Approval Council.
Source: New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:9A-3.1
Teacher and Principal Certification/Licensure
Teacher Certification/Licensure – Structure
Is a specific certificate, license or endorsement related to special education required?
The state of New Jersey does not offer a K-12 certification. Although the state does offer a generalist endorsement in special education, it is added to a general education license that restricts the grade level or subject matter that can be taught. New Jersey holds its elementary special education teachers to the same preparation and subject-matter testing requirements as general elementary teachers. An elementary subject-matter test required for an elementary special education license. The content test required for secondary special education teachers depends on the initial general license. A secondary subject-matter test in at least one subject is required for a secondary special education license.
Source: National Council on Teacher Quality, 2012 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: Improving Teacher Preparation in New Jersey
Teacher Certification – Examination
Does the state require teachers to pass a basic skills exam for initial certification? What are the pass rates on the exams? Does the state require Praxis II or more pedagogical assessment for licensure? Does it include anything about teaching diverse learners or special populations?
Prior to entering a teacher education program, students may also be required to take the Praxis I tests to demonstrate qualifications and Praxis II tests for each area of certification. Additionally, the state of New Jersey recently passed regulations requiring a performance assessment to be completed by teachers prior to receiving their standard or professional license.
Sources:
ETS, New Jersey Test Requirements
Email communication with NJDOE, September 5, 2014
Teacher Certification/Licensure – Requirements
Is professional development around working with special populations required to move from initial to a professional license?
Our state policy analysis did not identify required professional development in working with special student populations for teachers to move from an initial to a professional license.
Source: NJDOE, Licensure & Credentials
Principal Certification/Licensure – Requirements
Is prior teaching experience required to become a principal and/or a superintendent? Is specific coursework or other evidence required around working with special populations?
The state of New Jersey requires school leaders to obtain a master’s degree, have prior teaching experience, complete a state-approved preparation program, and pass a licensure exam. Below are the specific requirements for principals and superintendents:
Principals: Candidates must hold a master’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university in educational leadership, complete graduate study, either within the master’s program or in addition to it in specified topics and pass a state-approved examination.
Superintendents: Candidates must hold a master’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university in educational leadership or in one of the recognized fields of leadership or management such as public administration or business administration, or in curriculum and instruction. Candidates must complete graduate study, either within the master’s program or in addition to it and pass a state-approved examination of knowledge that is acquired through study of topics aligned with the Professional Standards for School Leaders and that is most directly related to the functions of superintendents.
Sources:
NJAC 6A:9-12.4 through 6A:9-12.5;
ECS, Administrator License Requirements, Portability, Waivers and Alternative Certification
George W. Bush Institute, Operating in the Dark
Teacher and Principal Induction
Teacher Induction
Is mentoring required for all new teachers and for how many years? If so, do program guidelines/requirements specifically address teaching diverse learners?
State policy requires all new teachers with less than one year of experience to participate in the Provisional Teacher Program. All first-year provisional teachers receive a full year of mentoring, with more intensive mentoring provided for teachers enrolled in an alternate route program. District mentoring programs must align to the NJ Professional Standards for Teachers. In addition, there are separate induction/mentoring requirements for substance abuse coordinators and school librarians. [New Jersey Administrative Code (NJAC) § 6A:9-8.4
Sources:
New Teacher Center, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction
Email communication with NJDOE, September 5, 2014
Principal Induction
Is coaching/mentoring required for all new principals/administrators/ superintendents and for how many years? If so, do program guidelines/requirements specifically serving diverse learners?
State policy requires all new principals to participate in a two-year residency program for principal certification. [NJAC 6A:9-12.5(e)] The program, New Jersey Leaders to Leaders (NJ–L2L), is a state-approved comprehensive mentoring and induction program for new school leaders. It provides trained mentors and a range of continuing professional development programs and services to support new school leaders in successfully completing the state-required two-year Residency for Standard Principal Certification.
The state also has separate residency/mentoring program requirements for school administrators and school business administrators. State policy requires new school administrators to complete a one-to-two-year state-approved residency program. Administrators are supervised by an experienced mentor and must demonstrate “competencies in promoting excellence in teaching and learning and providing educational leadership to the district.” [NJAC 6A:9-12.4(e)] Likewise, new school business administrators must complete a one-to-two-year state-approved residency program, supervised by a mentor who works with the district superintendent “to design a program of training and professional experiences for the candidate.” [NJAC 6A:9-12.7] Administrator residency programs must align to the NJ Professional Standards for School Leaders.
Sources:
New Teacher Center, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction
Email communication with NJDOE, September 5, 2014
Teacher and Principal Professional Development Standards
Teacher Professional Development Standards
Does the state have professional development standards for teacher PD?
New Jersey has specific Standards for Professional Learning based on the national Learning Forward standards. The standards govern professional development for teachers. New Jersey administrative code requires teacher professional development programs to align their learning opportunities with the Standards. Multiple elements of the New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers address working with students with disabilities.
Sources:
NJDOE, New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers
NJAC, 6A:9-15.3, Required Professional Development for Teachers and School Leaders
Principal Professional Development Standards
Does the state have professional development standards for leadership PD?
New Jersey has specific Standards for Professional Learning based on the national Learning Forward standards. The standards govern professional development for school leaders. New Jersey administrative code requires that school leader professional development programs align their learning opportunities with the Professional Standards For School Leaders. While these standards do not specifically address required knowledge of working with students with disabilities, they do build on the idea that school administrators are “educational leaders who promote the success of all students.”
Sources:
NJDOE, New Jersey Professional Standards for School Leaders
NJAC, 6A:9-15.3, Required Professional Development for Teachers and School Leaders