New Jersey Teacher Requirements

New Jersey Teacher Requirements 

Requirements For Earning Your New Jersey Teacher Certification

To become a New Jersey teacher, you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.75 or greater
• An appropriate number of credit hours for your course area for your specific credential or endorsement
• Completion of a New Jersey teacher education program
• Praxis I and I exams.
• Exam on hygiene and health
• Background check

Additional Certification Needs

• Completion of the state Provisional Teacher Program

Exams to Complete

• Praxis I
• Praxis II
• State test on health and hygiene; you may be exempt from the exam if you studied health or nutrition in college

Rules for Renewing Your License

• Complete twenty professional development hours of study for every year you teach

Where Do You Go When Registering For Credentials?

You can visit the New Jersey Department of Education website to see how you can register for a license to teach in the state. The Teacher Certification Information System portal will facilitate the application process.

Confirming Your Eligibility

The first part of applying to be a New Jersey teacher entails attaining a Certificate of Eligibility. The CE is for those who have a bachelor’s degree and have completed all the exams necessary for certification purposes.

You must have a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.75 or greater on a 4.0 scale to qualify for your CE. You will then complete the two Praxis exams to confirm your ability to manage students.

All CE holders must complete a teacher education program. The program can last for about a year and will entail teaching under the tutelage of another educator. You will learn about developing lesson plans, assessing students, and how to manage other points in the classroom in your program. The teacher education course can occur through any school in New Jersey, but an equivalent program outside the state may also work.

Your CE will become a Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing when you complete the teacher education course. The CEAS lets you seek employment with a New Jersey school.

Becoming Employed

You will earn a Provisional Certificate after you attain employment at a New Jersey school. Your school will likely require you to undergo a residency program for additional training. Your Provisional Certificate will work for two years.

Part of the Provisional Certification process will entail going through the state’s Provisional Teacher Program or PTP. The residency includes thorough mentoring and supervision to ensure you follow the state’s proper standards for teaching. You will receive regular evaluations surrounding your work and how you are supporting your students.

Moving To a Standard Certificate

The last part of becoming a New Jersey teacher entails earning your Standard Certificate. You will earn your Standard Certificate after you teach for two years and you go through the PTP.

You will require an Effective or greater rating on your PTP report to qualify for a Standard Certificate. The rating must be good for at least two consecutive years.

You can spend up to four years completing the PTP. The program will require consistent positive reports on your work before you can move on to becoming a fully certified teacher in New Jersey.

Meeting Your Endorsement

You can earn your license with an endorsement. The endorsement is a confirmation of your ability to teach a specific subject to students.

You can obtain an elementary school endorsement for younger students. You will require a liberal arts major, science major, or dual content major. You must have sixty or more semester credit hours in liberal arts or science.

You could also use a subject area endorsement for middle and high school students. You will require thirty or more semester credit hours in courses relating to your subject area. At least twelve of those hours much come at the advanced or graduate level.

Tests to Complete

All educators in New Jersey must complete the Praxis I and II exams. Praxis I is a core skills test, while Praxis II involves your content area.

Your qualifying score on the Praxis II exam will vary surrounding your college GPA. There are three baselines here:

1. GPA from 3.0 to 3.5: Current passing score
2. GPA from 2.75 to 3.0: 10% increase over the original passing score
3. Finally, a GPA of 3.5 or greater: 5% decrease from the original score.

For example, the Business Education test has a passing score of 154. A lower GPA would require a 169, while someone with a higher GPA will need a 146 score.

General Health Test

Another test you will require is a general health test surrounding your knowledge of hygiene, substance abuse, and other health-related concerns. You must complete this test to be eligible to teach, but you may be exempt from the exam if you have studied nutrition or health while in college.

Other Considerations For Your Application

Your application must also include a signed Oath of Office and Verification of Accuracy. The form confirms your allegiance to the state and the state’s Constitution. You must also confirm your identity and any prior concerns you might have held. The document must be sent to the Department of Education Office of Licensure and Credentials in Trenton.

The application also requires a fingerprint file with the New Jersey State Police and the FBI. You can contact your local police office to complete your fingerprint file.

Renewing Your New Jersey Teacher License

You can renew your New Jersey teaching license by completing twenty professional development hours for each year you teach. One graduate credit course is equal to fifteen hours.

Your development hours must be for your course area or pedagogical studies. You can also complete development hours based on your school or district’s goals surrounding how you wish to improve your work. Finally, you can renew your license through the New Jersey Department of Education.

Resources

https://www.nj.gov/education/license/req/ – New Jersey Department of Education registration data

https://www.nj.gov/education/license/tcis/ – Teacher Certification Information System

https://www.alleducationschools.com/teacher-certification/new-jersey/ – Credential data for New Jersey educators to follow

https://www.ets.org/praxis/nj – Praxis test data

https://www.nj.gov/education/license/forms/verify.pdf – Oath of Office document