Bill Text: NJ A3989 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Removes basic skills testing requirements for certain teacher certification for three years.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A3989 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A3989-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM W. SPEARMAN
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Removes basic skills testing requirements for certain teacher certification for three years.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
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. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the State Board of Education shall not require a candidate seeking a certificate of eligibility to complete a Commissioner of Education-approved test of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in order to obtain a certificate of eligibility, including, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, for a period of three years.
b. As used in this section, "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.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill eliminates the requirement that a candidate seeking a certificate of eligibility (CE) pass a basic skills test as a condition of eligibility for a CE, for a period of three years.
Under current State Board of Education regulations, a provisional teacher candidate seeking a CE is required to demonstrate basic skills proficiency prior to being issued a CE through the achievement of a minimum score on a Commissioner of Education-approved test of basic reading, writing, and mathematics. Currently, the Department of Education uses the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test as the sole Commissioner-approved measure of basic skills proficiency.
Candidates seeking a CE must complete the Provisional Teacher Process for CE holders, commonly referred to as the alternate route program. The Provisional Teacher Process for CE holders is a non-traditional teacher preparation program designed for those who have not completed a formal teacher preparation program, but wish to obtain the necessary training to become a New Jersey certified teacher. Candidates seeking certification under the Provisional Teacher Process for CE holders must possess a four-year degree from an accredited college or university, and graduate with, at minimum, a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
