ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4783

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 25, 2021

      The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4783 (1R) with committee amendments.

     As amended, this bill directs the Department of Education to establish an Alternate Route Interstate Reciprocity Pilot Program.  The department would, following two complete years of program implementation, publish a progress report on the success of the program and establish criteria for participating New Jersey Certificate of Eligibility educator preparation programs.  The selected educator preparation programs are required to: accept an out-of-state candidate who meets the requirements of section 3 of the bill; accept a candidate's earned credits from a prior educator preparation program for any participating out-of-state candidate who has not yet completed their educator preparation program; and provide the department with ongoing data regarding the progress and success of all participating candidates and any candidate data necessary for a comparative progress report.

     For purposes of the program, the bill requires the State Board of Examiners to issue an instructional certificate of eligibility to an out-of-state candidate who:

     (1)   holds the equivalent of a valid certificate of eligibility or a valid provisional certificate issued by another state in a subject or grade level also offered in New Jersey;

     (2)   has passed a subject-matter test to receive the candidate’s out-of-state endorsement or passed the appropriate New Jersey subject-matter test;

     (3)   has passed a performance assessment that is approved by the state in which the certificate was issued, or, if the out-of-state candidate did not take or pass a state-approved performance assessment, the candidate will be issued an instructional certificate of eligibility but will be required to pass a New Jersey approved performance assessment prior to the issuance of a standard instructional certificate;

     (4)   has at least one year of effective teaching experience as documented by a letter from the candidate’s former supervisor, principal, or employing school district’s human resource officer; and

     (5)   has been in good standing during the candidate’s teaching experience under the out-of-state certificate as documented in such manner as determined by the State Board of Education.

     An out-of-state candidate who has not completed an approved educator preparation program would be required to enroll in a New Jersey approved educator preparation program and complete any remaining college credits or coursework prior to the issuance of a standard instructional certificate.

     A certificate of eligibility candidate who is enrolled in the pilot program and who meets all other requirements for issuance of a standard certificate pursuant to State Board of Education regulations would be eligible for a standard certificate.  A certificate of eligibility candidate who successfully completes the pilot program may apply for up to one year of effective teaching experience earned out-of-state, as documented by a letter from the candidate’s former supervisor, principal, or employing school district’s human resource office, to satisfy the requirement that the candidate earn at least two summative evaluation ratings within three consecutive years of teaching.

     At the conclusion of the five-year pilot program, the Department of Education is required to submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the program to the Governor, the Legislature, and the State Board of Education.  Specifically, the report will include an analysis of the impact of the program and the department’s recommendation on the feasibility of continuing the program.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

· direct the Department of Education to establish a five-year Alternate Route Interstate Reciprocity Pilot Program;

· require that the Department of Education publish a progress report on the success of the program after two years of implementation and to establish various criteria for New Jersey Certificate of Eligibility educator preparation programs participating under the pilot program;

· set criteria for the issuance of instructional certificates of eligibility under the pilot program;

· delete a provision of the bill permitting the State Board of Examiners to issue an instructional certificate of eligibility to an out-of-state candidate that holds an emergency certificate issued by another state in an appropriate subject or grade level;

· provide that a certificate of eligibility candidate who is enrolled in the pilot program and who meets all other requirements for issuance of a standard certificate pursuant to State Board of Education regulations would be eligible for a standard certificate;

· allow an out-of-state candidate who successfully completes the program to apply to have one year of effective teaching experience earned out-of-state to satisfy the requirement that the candidate earn at least two summative evaluation ratings within three consecutive years of teaching; and

· require that the Department of Education submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the program to the Governor, Legislature, and State Board of Education.