Sponsored by:
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Turner
SYNOPSIS
Directs State Board of Education to authorize computer science education endorsement to instructional certificate.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning computer science education 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. The State Board of Education shall authorize a computer science education endorsement to the instructional certificate. The endorsement shall authorize the holder to teach computer science in all public schools, and shall be required to teach computer science in grades 9 through 12 beginning at such time as the State board determines that there is a sufficient number of teachers holding the computer science education endorsement to make the requirement feasible.
b. The standards established by the State board shall require a candidate for the endorsement to hold an instructional certificate with at least one other teaching endorsement and provide documentation that the candidate has completed the computer science related coursework requirements determined by the State board up to a maximum of 15 credits.
c. A teacher who taught computer science within the three years prior to such time as the State board determines to require a computer science education endorsement to teach computer science in grades 9 through 12, shall be issued a computer science education endorsement to the instructional certificate upon application to the State Board of Examiners.
2. The State Board of Education shall adopt pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the State Board of Education to authorize a computer science education endorsement to an instructional certificate. The endorsement would authorize the holder to teach computer science in all public schools, and would be required to teach computer science in grades 9 through 12 beginning at such time as the State board determines that there is a sufficient number of teachers holding the computer science education endorsement to make the requirement feasible.
The standards established by the State board would require a candidate for the computer science education endorsement to: (1) hold an instructional certificate with at least one other teaching endorsement; and (2) provide documentation of the completion of computer science related coursework requirements determined by the State board up to a maximum of 15 credits.
The bill includes a grandfather provision that permits a teacher to be issued a computer science education endorsement upon application to the State Board of Examiners, if the person is teaching computer science within the three years prior to such time as the State board determines to require a computer science education endorsement to teach computer science.