November 05, 2015
The New Jersey State Board of Education on Wednesday announced several adjustments to its requirements for teacher preparation and certification.
Among the changes were extended time in the classroom and experience with multiple types of classrooms.
Currently, students are only required to spend one semester in the classroom. By 2018, student teaching will extend over at least one full school year.
"In light of our recent PARCC and NAEP results, we have a clear call to action to do better in preparing our students," David Hespe, commissioner of education, said in a statement.
"In particular, we know that hands-on experiences are invaluable in preparing teachers, and not all candidates have been getting enough of that time in the classroom. Providing more of these experiences will lead to better prepared teachers, which in turn leads to increased student achievement."
Teacher candidates will be exposed to multiple types of classrooms, including at least one setting with students with disabilities, prior to student teaching. In addition, they will be required to complete a performance assessment in order to earn their certification.
"We know that no single effort will work in isolation, but rather we need an aligned focus on all of the elements of the teaching profession – preparation, certification, evaluation and professional growth, as well as retention and leadership opportunities," Peter Shulman, assistant commissioner and chief talent officer, said in a statement.
"These enhancements for novice teachers complement concurrent efforts to promote excellent instruction across the state."
Read more about educator preparation here.
