New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 6A - EDUCATION › Chapter 9 - PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS › Subchapter 2 - DEFINITIONS › Section 6A:9-2.1 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
The following words and terms shall have the following
				  meanings when used in this chapter and N.J.A.C. 6A:9A, 6A:9B, and 6A:9C, unless
				  the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Accepted cohort of candidates" means the group of candidates
				  accepted to start at the same time all educator preparation programs leading to
				  a State certification.
"Accreditation" and "accredited" both mean a status of public
				  recognition attained by an educational institution or program that meets the
				  U.S. Secretary of Education's standards and requirements.
"Accredited career-focused institution" means a private
				  career school that is accredited by an agency that appears in the Database of
				  Accredited Postsecondary Institutions or Programs maintained by the United
				  States Department of Education.
Administrative certificate" means the certificate category
				  that includes specific endorsements for school administrator, principal,
				  supervisor, or school business administrator.
ALJ" means an administrative law judge assigned by the
				  Director of the Office of Administrative Law to preside over contested cases
				  pursuant to 52:14F-1 et seq.
"Approved agency" shall mean an entity that is approved by
				  the State and provides services to nonpublic school students in accordance with
				  N.J.S.A.
				  18A:46A-1 et seq.
"Approved career-focused institution" means a private career
				  school that is approved to operate by a certificate of approval issued by the
				  commissioners of the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and
				  Workforce Development, pursuant to
				  N.J.S.A.
				  34:15C-10.1.
"Approved program" means a Department-approved educator
				  preparation program designed to lead to an instructional, administrative, or
				  educational services certificate.
"Authorization" means any requirement, license, certificate,
				  or endorsement established by State or Federal law or by a professional
				  licensing board for the individual to serve in a position.
"Board of Examiners" means the New Jersey State Board of
				  Examiners.
"Career and technical education" or "CTE" means the same as
				  that term is defined at
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:19-1.2.
Career cluster" means the same as that term is defined at
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:19-1.2.
"CE educator preparation program" means a program designed to
				  lead to a standard certificate where preparation primarily occurs while
				  candidates are working under a provisional certificate, and approved pursuant
				  to N.J.A.C. 6A:9A-3.1.
CAEP" means the Council for the Accreditation of Educator
				  Preparation. CAEP is a national professional accrediting body for educator
				  preparation.
"CEAS educator preparation program" means a program provided
				  by an accredited higher education institution and approved pursuant to
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:9A-3.1. This program primarily occurs
				  prior to a candidate actively working under a provisional certificate.
"Certificate" means a legal document that is issued by the
				  Board of Examiners and permits an individual to serve as a teaching staff
				  member. The three categories of certificates are instructional, administrative,
				  and educational services. Within each certificate category, standard,
				  provisional, and emergency certificates, CEs, and CEASs may be available. Each
				  certificate shall be issued with at least one endorsement, which shall be
				  considered part of the certificate.
"Certificate holder" means an individual issued a certificate
				  by the Board of Examiners.
"Certificate of eligibility" (CE) means a certificate with
				  lifetime validity issued to an individual who has completed degree, academic
				  study, and applicable test requirements for certification. The CE permits the
				  applicant to seek and accept employment in corresponding positions requiring
				  certification.
"Certificate of eligibility with advanced standing" (CEAS)
				  means a certificate with lifetime validity issued to an individual who has
				  completed degree, academic study, and applicable test requirements, in addition
				  to CEAS educator preparation programs for certification. The CEAS permits the
				  applicant to seek and accept employment in positions requiring
				  certification.
"Charter school certificate of eligibility" or "CSCE" means a
				  certificate with lifetime validity issued to a person who has a bachelor's
				  degree and has satisfied applicable test requirements for certification. The
				  CSCE permits the applicant to seek and accept employment at charter schools in
				  positions requiring certification. The CSCE may be used only for employment in
				  charter schools and does not satisfy the requirements for employment in school
				  districts, excluding charter schools.
"Charter school provisional certificate" means a two-year
				  certificate issued to novice teacher candidates who have been hired by a
				  charter school, but who have not met the requirements for a standard
				  certificate. Charter school provisional certificates are issued to novice
				  instructional staff who are employed at a charter school, may be used only for
				  employment in charter schools, may be renewed once at the discretion of the
				  employing school, and do not satisfy the requirements for obtaining employment
				  in school districts, excluding charter schools.
"Charter school standard certificate" means a permanent
				  certificate issued to a person who has met all charter school certification
				  requirements. This certificate may be used only for employment in charter
				  schools and does not satisfy the requirements for employment in school
				  districts, excluding charter schools.
"Career and technical education" or "CTE" means the same as
				  that term is defined at
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:19-1.2.
"Career cluster" means the same as that term is defined at
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:19-1.2.
"CE educator preparation program" means a program designed to
				  lead to a standard certificate where preparation primarily occurs while
				  candidates are working under a provisional certificate, and approved pursuant
				  to N.J.A.C. 6A:9A-3.1.
"CEAS educator preparation program" means a program provided
				  by an accredited higher education institution and approved pursuant to
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:9A-3.1. This program primarily occurs
				  prior to a candidate actively working under a provisional certificate.
"Certificate" means a legal document that is issued by the
				  Board of Examiners and permits an individual to serve as a teaching staff
				  member. The three categories of certificates are instructional, administrative,
				  and educational services. Within each certificate category, standard,
				  provisional, and emergency certificates, CEs, and CEASs may be available. Each
				  certificate shall be issued with at least one endorsement, which shall be
				  considered part of the certificate.
"Certificate holder" means an individual issued a
				  certificate by the Board of Examiners.
"Certificate of advanced study in educational administration
				  and supervision" means a postmasters higher education institution program,
				  minimum of 24 graduate semester-hour credits, that prepares school leaders with
				  the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be an effective school leader. The
				  program results in an out-of-State certificate as a principal or superintendent
				  and in a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Leadership from the higher
				  education institution.
"Certificate of eligibility" (CE) means a certificate with
				  lifetime validity issued to an individual who has completed degree, academic
				  study, and applicable test requirements for certification. The CE permits the
				  applicant to seek and accept employment in corresponding positions requiring
				  certification.
"Certificate of eligibility with advanced standing" (CEAS)
				  means a certificate with lifetime validity issued to an individual who has
				  completed degree, academic study, and applicable test requirements, in addition
				  to CEAS educator preparation programs for certification. The CEAS permits the
				  applicant to seek and accept employment in positions requiring
				  certification.
"CHEA" means the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
				  CHEA is an organization that coordinates national accreditation processes for
				  higher education institutions and recognizes accrediting bodies.
"Chief school administrator" means the superintendent of
				  schools, or the administrative principal if there is no superintendent, and
				  includes charter school or renaissance school project lead persons.
"Clinical component" means the combined clinical experience
				  and clinical practice elements of educator preparation.
"Clinical experience" means the diverse, guided, hands-on,
				  practical applications and demonstrations in educator preparation programs of
				  professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions through integrated,
				  collaborative, and facilitated learning and practice in early field, practicum,
				  and other opportunities that occur prior to clinical practice. The activities
				  and responsibilities take place across a variety of settings and are integrated
				  throughout the educator preparation program.
"Clinical intern" means a candidate engaged in the clinical
				  practice component of an educator preparation program.
"Clinical practice" means the culminating field-based
				  experience or internship of educator preparation. In this hands-on experience
				  in a preschool through grade 12 (P-12) setting, candidates demonstrate their
				  knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be effective educators.
"Coherent sequence of courses" means a sequence of at least
				  30 semester-hour credits of college-level coursework in a subject field that
				  includes study at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels.
"Consortium" means a joint sponsorship between two or more
				  school districts, higher education institutions, educational organizations, or
				  any combination thereof providing formal instruction to provisional teachers.
"Cooperative education experience" means the same as that
				  term is defined at
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:19-1.2.
"Cooperating teacher" means a certified, experienced,
				  practicing teacher who is assigned responsibility for assessing, supporting,
				  and developing a candidate's knowledge, skills, and/or professional
				  dispositions during clinical experiences and/or clinical practice.
"CTE Teacher Bridge" means the process by which holders of
				  standard instructional certificates with an endorsement in a subject area that
				  authorizes them to teach grades nine through 12 may obtain a CTE endorsement to
				  teach CTE programs that align to an in-demand industry sector or occupation
				  that is identified and approved by the Department as experiencing a shortage of
				  CTE teachers.
"District board(s) of education" or "school district(s)"
				  means all providers of publicly funded preschool, elementary, secondary, or
				  adult high school education programs, including county vocational school
				  districts, educational services commissions, jointure commissions, charter
				  schools, regional day schools, adult high schools, county special services
				  school districts, the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf, the Department
				  of Human Services, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of
				  Corrections, the Juvenile Justice Commission, and approved private schools for
				  students with disabilities whose staff hold appropriate certificates.
"District mentoring program" means a program of induction and
				  support that is designed to develop non-tenured teachers, including novice
				  provisional teachers and experienced teachers new to a school district, into
				  effective professionals within the school district.
"Dual-content major" means any college major that combines
				  two of the NJSLS.
"Early Childhood Program Expectations" means the standards
				  set forth at
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:8-2.1(a)4.
"Early college high school program" means a partnership
				  between a school district and an institution of higher education that allows
				  eligible students enrolled in such programs to simultaneously complete
				  requirements toward earning a State-endorsed high school diploma and
				  participation in college-level courses resulting in earned college-level
				  credits that are transferable to the institution of higher education in the
				  partnership, as part of an organized course of study in attainment of a
				  postsecondary degree, at no cost to the participant or the participant's
				  family.
"Educational services certificate" means the certificate
				  category that permits an individual to serve in a primarily non-instructional
				  and non-administrative teaching staff role in a school district.
"Educational technology" means the implementation of
				  technology as an integral part of the instructional process across all
				  curriculum areas in a way that supports a learner-centered environment.
"Educator preparation program" means a Commissioner-approved
				  CEAS or CE program, pursuant to
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:9A-3.1, or an out-of-State program,
				  pursuant to
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:9B-8.2(b), that is housed
				  at a higher education institution or other program provider and prepares
				  candidates for instructional, administrative, or educational services
				  certification.
"Emergency certificate" means a substandard certificate
				  issued only to educational services certificate candidates who meet the
				  requirements for each endorsement pursuant to
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:9B-14.
"Endorsement" means an authorization allowing a certificate
				  holder to teach one or more specific subject areas or to serve in one or more
				  specific teaching staff roles.
"Formal instruction" means a Department-approved program of
				  professional preparation for CE holders that is housed at a higher education
				  institution or a CE educator preparation program provider and includes, but is
				  not limited to, coursework and in-classroom supports such as coaching.
"Full-time teaching" means the equivalent of 900 clock-hours
				  of teaching per year.
"GPA" means grade point average.
"IEP" means an individualized education program as that term
				  is defined at N.J.AC. 6A:14-1.3.
"Industry credential" means a certification that is issued by
				  an approved career-focused institution or by an occupational or industry group
				  and demonstrates competency or completion of training for a particular job
				  category.
"Instructional certificate" means the certificate category
				  that permits an individual to serve as a teacher in a classroom setting.
"Interdisciplinary major" means any college major that
				  combines two or more academic, scientific or artistic disciplines, permitting
				  students to explore an area of interest from several perspectives.
"International agency" means an international agency that
				  recruits foreign teachers for New Jersey school districts in subject areas that
				  the Commissioner has defined as having a critical shortage.
"Liberal arts major" means any college major including, but
				  not limited to, philosophy, history, literature, sociology, world language,
				  mathematics, science, or engineering that is intended primarily to provide
				  general knowledge and to develop an individual's general intellectual
				  capacities to reason and evaluate, as opposed to professional or vocational
				  skills.
"Mentor teacher" means an experienced, certified New Jersey
				  teacher who is assigned to provide support and guidance to a novice teacher.
"Military spouse" means a person whose spouse is an
				  active-duty military member of the Armed Forces of the United States, who is
				  the subject of a military transfer to New Jersey.
"NASDTEC" means the National Association of State Directors
				  of Teacher Education and Certification.
"NJSLS" means the New Jersey Student Learning Standards
				  pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:8.
"Nonpublic school" means an elementary or secondary school
				  within the State, other than a public school, offering education for
				  kindergarten through grade 12, or any combination thereof, wherein any child
				  may legally fulfill compulsory school attendance requirements and that complies
				  with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L.
				  88-352), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d et seq. For
				  purposes of this chapter, preschools licensed by the Department of Children and
				  Families that are not under contract to provide services to SDA districts shall
				  be considered nonpublic schools.
"North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code"
				  means the economic classification system based on groups of goods and services
				  that use similar or identical production processes.
"Novice teacher" means any teaching staff member serving
				  full- or part-time under a provisional certificate who has not yet been issued
				  a standard instructional certificate in any endorsement area.
"Novice teacher" means any teaching staff member serving
				  full- or part-time under a provisional certificate who has not yet been issued
				  a standard instructional certificate in any endorsement area.
"OAL" means the Office of Administrative Law established
				  pursuant to
				  N.J.S.A.
				  52:14F-1 et seq.
"Office" means the office within the Department that is
				  assigned to provide staff support to the Board of Examiners in the exercise of
				  its statutory and regulatory responsibilities.
"Official transcript" means either a paper or electronic
				  transcript certified as official by the originating higher education
				  institution or a Department-recognized foreign credentialing agency.
"Paraprofessional" means a school or classroom aide who
				  assists appropriately certified personnel with the supervision of student
				  activities.
"Professional Standards for School Leaders" means the
				  knowledge, skills, and dispositions that all school administrators must acquire
				  to practice as school leaders. See
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:9-3.4.
"Professional Standards for Teachers" means the knowledge,
				  skills, and dispositions that all teachers must acquire to practice as
				  teachers. See
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:9-3.3.
"Program completion" means the fulfillment of all
				  requirements of a Commissioner-approved educator preparation program, or of an
				  out-of-State educator preparation program pursuant to
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:9B-8.2(b).
"Program provider" means the hosting organization for an
				  educator preparation program.
"Progress toward completion" means the demonstration, before
				  renewal of an emergency certificate, that the certificate holder has completed
				  the share of study needed per year to earn standard certification within the
				  years allowed for certificate renewal. The required "share of study" shall be
				  equal to the number of credits remaining for standard certification divided by
				  the maximum number of years the specific certificate can be renewed.
"Provisional certificate" means a two-year certificate issued
				  to candidates who have met the requirements for initial employment, but who
				  have not yet met the requirements for a standard certificate. Provisional
				  certificates are issued to instructional, administrator, and educational
				  services staff whose employment with a specific school district is authorized
				  by a CE or CEAS. Provisional certificates are also issued to initially employed
				  educational services staff who have at least one year, but less than three
				  years, of successful full-time experience or the equivalent in another state
				  under that state's standard certificates.
"Provisional teaching period" means a minimum of two years of
				  full-time teaching under a provisional certificate required of all novice
				  teachers before they are eligible to be recommended for a standard certificate.
"School leader" means an administrator whose position
				  requires possession of a school administrator, principal, or supervisor
				  endorsement.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Board of
				  Examiners.
"Spouse" means the person to whom an individual is legally
				  married to pursuant to New Jersey law, and also includes a partner in a civil
				  union, pursuant to
				  N.J.S.A.
				  37:1-28 et seq., or a domestic partner,
				  pursuant to
				  N.J.S.A.
				  26:8A-1 et seq.
"Standard certificate" means a permanent certificate issued
				  to a person who has met all certificate requirements.
"Standards for professional learning" means the standards
				  that govern the creation and review of school and school district professional
				  development plans and guide teachers in the selection of professional
				  development experiences.
"State Board" means the New Jersey State Board of Education.
"Structured learning experience (SLE)" means the same as that
				  term is defined at
				  N.J.A.C.
				  6A:19-2.1.
"Substitute credential" means the credential required for
				  individuals who do not hold an administrative, educational services, or
				  instructional certificate and who are temporarily serving in replacement of a
				  certified and regularly employed classroom teacher.
"Supervisor" means an appropriately certified "teaching staff
				  member," as defined at
				  N.J.S.A.
				  18A:1-1, employed by a school district in a
				  supervisory role and capacity, and possessing a school administrator,
				  principal, or supervisor endorsement.
"Teacher shortage area" means a specific grade, subject area,
				  or geographic area in which the Commissioner determines there is an
				  insufficient supply of elementary or secondary school teachers.
"Teaching staff member" means the same as that term is
				  defined at
				  N.J.S.A.
				  18:1-1.