LICENSING CODE READOPTION N.J.A.C. 6A:9 Sunset Date: January 20, 2009

The department proposes to readopt the Licensing Code with amendments in four critical areas: The department proposes to readopt the Licensing Code with amendments in four critical areas:

FOUR AMENDMENT AREAS: 1. Higher Education program approval and content-specific professional standards 2. Alternate route to teacher certification 3. Career and Technical Education / Educational Technology 4. Professional Responsibility

1. Higher Education Program Approval and Content-Specific Professional Standards The new program approval process involves:  College pre-service program alignment to content-specific professional standards within each licensure area; and  A two-stage peer review process with final approval by the department.

Examples of Content-Based Professional Standards Candidates understand how elementary age children develop and learn to read, write, speak, view, and listen effectively. Candidates teach children to read through a program that includes the use of letter / sound relationships (phonics), context (semantics and syntax), and text that has meaning for students.

Higher Education Program Approval Scheduled adoption phase-in for content- specific professional standards:  K-5 by January 20, 2009  P-3 by March 1, 2009  Middle school by June 1, 2009  K-12 instructional certificates by September 1, 2009  School leader certificates by September 1, 2009  Educational services certificates by December 1, 2009

Higher Education Program Approval Steps in the program approval process will include: An initial review by certificate-specific peer committees staffed by experts; A second review by an 11-member State Program Approval Council which will: Include six members from institutions of higher education; Include five members from the K-12 schools; Have authority to decide disputes raised at the peer committee level; and Recommend programs to the NJ Department of Education. A final decision by the Commissioner.

Higher Education Program Approval The review process will be: Based on program documentation including: Alignment to content-specific professional standards; Performance assessment of students; and Field experience for students. Required for new and substantially-revised programs; and Required for re-approval of existing programs every seven years at least six months prior to the program’s NCATE or TEAC review.

2. Alternate Route Our proposed amendments represent only the first step in a comprehensive process to improve the alternate route which is being developed as a result of the evaluation study by The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). The ongoing process will involve a task force facilitated by a national expert which will lead the work of:  Reforming the approval process for alternate route provider programs;  Redesigning the duration and scope of study for alternate route teachers;  Strengthening the mentoring process; and  Improving district recruiting and hiring procedures.

Alternate Route Proposed code amendments:  Before entering a classroom, all candidates will be required to complete 24 hours of training center study or equivalent coursework introducing them to the teaching profession, including instruction in classroom management and discipline, lesson planning, the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards, and student assessment.

Alternate Route Proposed code amendments (cont.):  To receive a certificate of eligibility, all K-5 and P-3 applicants, will also be required to: –Complete 45 hours of training center study or equivalent coursework in the content-based pedagogy of math appropriate to their certificate; and –Complete 45 hours of training center study or equivalent coursework in the content-based pedagogy of language arts / literacy appropriate to their certification.

3. Career and Technical Education, and Educational Technology Career and Technical Education proposed amendments:  Change the name of vocational-technical education to career and technical education;  Remove redundant language relating to career clusters; and  Clarify the requirements for experience-based alternate route certificates.

Career and Technical Education, and Educational Technology Educational Technology proposed amendment to support the integration of educational technology throughout the curriculum:  Update the authorization to teach computer literacy to include competency in legal and ethical issues relating to educational technology; and  Clarify the difference between educational technology (computer literacy), for which there is no endorsement, and technology education (pre-engineering), for which there is an endorsement.

4. Professional Responsibility The department will propose a new Professional Teaching Standard on Professional Responsibility: This amendment draws on national and other states’ codes of ethics that understand the importance of and the obligation to protect students from harmful or potentially harmful conduct, and to maintain professional relationships with students, parents, staff members, and community members.

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