STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Diegnan and Burgess
SYNOPSIS
Removes obstacles to teacher certification for certain teachers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
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. As used in this act:
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.
Provisional certificate means a certificate issued by the State Board of Examiners to candidates who hold either a certificate of eligibility or a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing and are employed as part of a State-approved district training program or residency leading to standard certification.
Standard instructional certificate means a permanent certificate issued to a person who has met all teacher certification requirements.
b. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the State Board of Education shall not require a candidate seeking a certificate of eligibility, a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, a provisional certificate, or a standard instructional certificate to complete a Commissioner of Education-approved test of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills including, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, in order to obtain a certificate of eligibility, a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, a provisional certificate, or a standard instructional certificate.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill eliminates the requirement that a teacher candidate complete a basic skills test. Specifically, this bill eliminates the requirement that a candidate seeking a certificate of eligibility, a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, a provisional certificate, or a standard instructional certificate complete a Commissioner of Education-approved test of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills, including, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, in order to obtain any of these certificates.