New Jersey A 5416: Requires State Board of Education to authorize alternate route to expedite teacher certification of persons employed as paraprofessionals in school districts.

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 12/21/2023)
[Fourth Reprint]
ASSEMBLY, No. 5416

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED MAY 8, 2023

Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman THOMAS P. GIBLIN
District 34 (Essex and Passaic)
Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER
District 37 (Bergen)
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson, Lopez, Jasey, Assemblyman Coughlin,
Senators Diegnan, Stanfield, Gopal, Pou and Ruiz

SYNOPSIS
Requires State Board of Education to authorize alternate route to expedite
teacher certification of persons employed as paraprofessionals in school
districts.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As amended on January 8, 2024 by the General Assembly pursuant to the
Governor's recommendations.

A5416 [4R] WIMBERLY, GIBLIN
2

EXPLANATION – Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is
not enacted and is intended to be omitted in the law.

Matter underlined thus is new matter.
Matter enclosed in superscript numerals has been adopted as follows:
1Assembly AED committee amendments adopted May 11, 2023.
2Senate SED committee amendments adopted November 27, 2023.
3Senate floor amendments adopted December 11, 2023.
4Assembly amendments adopted in accordance with Governor's
recommendations January 8, 2024.
AN ACT concerning teacher certification and supplementing chapter 1
26 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. 2
3
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 4
of New Jersey: 5
6
1. a. The State Board of Education shall authorize
4[an alternate 7
route] a paraprofessional educator pathway
4 to expedite the teacher 8
certification of persons who are employed
4[or have been employed 9
by] to work in
4 a school district as a paraprofessional or an 10
instructional assistant
4pursuing a certificate of eligibility with 11
advanced standing in a specific endorsement area
4. 12
b. The Commissioner of Education shall develop 13
recommendations for the
4[alternate route program] 14
paraprofessional educator preparation pathway
4 authorized pursuant 15
to subsection a. of this section and shall submit the 16
recommendations to the State Board of Education. In developing 17
the recommendations, the commissioner shall consult with 18
representatives of the education community including, but not 19
limited to, the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey 20
School Boards Association, the New Jersey Principals and 21
Supervisors Association, the New Jersey Association of School 22
Administrators,
1the New Jersey Public Charter Schools 23
Association,
1
3the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey,
3 24
4the New Jersey Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the 25
Association of Schools and Agencies for the Handicapped 26
(ASAH),
4 and the State Professional Learning Committee. 27
c. In addition to any other requirements established by the State 28
Board of Education, the
4[alternate route program] pathway
4 29
authorized pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall include the 30
following: 31
(1)
4[a formula for applying]
4 a candidate’s direct classroom 32
service
4[to any student teaching requirements] while employed in 33
a school district as a paraprofessional or instructional assistant, 34
which shall meet the clinical practice requirements for the 35
certificate of eligibility with advanced standing in the endorsement 36
area they are pursuing
4, provided that the candidate is currently 37
employed
4[by] to work in
4 a school district
4as a paraprofessional 38
or instructional assistant
4 and is providing direct classroom service, 39
including tutoring
4, under the supervision of a mentor cooperating 40
teacher who is teaching in the endorsement area being sought by the 41

A5416 [4R] WIMBERLY, GIBLIN
3

paraprofessional
4. Under
4[the formula] these conditions
4, the 1
direct classroom service shall earn the candidate full credit, if 2
appropriate
4towards the clinical practice requirements found in 3
N.J.A.C. 6A:9A et seq.
4;
4
(2) a requirement that the school district in which the candidate 5
is currently
4[employed] authorized to work as a paraprofessional 6
or instructional assistant
4
2make every reasonable effort to
2 7
4[permit] place
4 the candidate
4[to] in a classroom setting in the 8
endorsement area the paraprofessional is seeking and with a 9
certified educator who meets the requirements for a cooperating 10
teacher at N.J.A.C. 6A:9A-4.4, so the paraprofessional may
4 11
perform any required student teaching in the school district while, if 12
possible, continuing employment as a paraprofessional or an 13
instructional assistant; and 14
(3)
4[a formula to allow a grade point average waiver for 15
candidates who otherwise demonstrate qualification for the 16
expedited teacher certification] allow educator preparation program 17
providers to submit for approval by the De