New Jersey teachers must now complete 20 hours of professional development each year to maintain their teaching license. The approach allows teachers to reevaluate their personal goals annually, as well as match their skills and knowledge to the needs of their schools and districts.
While professional development for New Jersey teachers offers opportunities to expand their knowledge, it also means teachers must find a way to fit coursework around their busy professional and personal lives. That can make New Jersey teacher requirements more difficult to meet.
Fortunately, teachers have a variety of options to earn professional development credits and meet the requirements for New Jersey teacher certification renewal. They include taking online educator courses from Fresno Pacific University that teach the latest educational theories and offer practical advice on applying them in the classroom.
They also provide professional development for New Jersey teachers in a convenient format that can fit into their busy professional and personal schedules.
Rules for New Jersey Teachers Professional Development
Under the rules adopted by the New Jersey Board of Education, teachers now have a streamlined plan for earning professional development credits. The rules apply to all active teachers who require a New Jersey instructional or education services certificate, according to the state Department of Education. They also apply to teachers in charter schools and in non-public schools that adopt state regulations for teachers.
Teachers from low-performing may require additional hours. Also, the state may prorate hours for those who take extended leave during the school year.
Earning professional development credits involves the following.
Professional Development Plan
Each teacher must create a professional development plan (PDP) by working with their immediate supervisor. New teachers must complete PDP within 30 days of employment. For all other teachers, the PDP is typically updated at the end of each school year.
20 Hours Professional Development
Each teacher must earn 20 hours of professional development each school year. The state moved to this plan so that teachers revisit their PDP at the end of each year. It ensures that a teacher's PDP aligns with both a teacher’s evaluation and the needs of the school or district.
School Leaders' PDP
Leaders at the district and school level must also create an annual PDP that identifies professional goals that align with the goals of the individual, school or district. School leaders develop their PDP in consultation with superintendents, while superintendents’ PDP is reviewed by the board of education.
What Fresno Pacific University Offers New Jersey Teachers
Fresno Pacific University has specialized for years in offering online courses that give teachers the chance to earn professional development credit from a high-quality program. The university offers hundreds of courses on a wide range of topics.
Courses from the university are graduate level. Each course offers between 1 and 3 units and will translate into professional development hours, according to the rules set down by the New Jersey Department of Education. Typically, a teacher will earn 45 professional development hours for completion of a 3-credit course, according to the state.
New Jersey allows teachers to pursue professional development courses through online education. Fresno Pacific University provides teachers the required transcript to prove they completed a course. However, to enter an online course, teachers must first get approval from their supervisor.
New Jersey teachers looking for a high-quality, convenient way to earn professional development credit can find what they need through Fresno Pacific University Continuing Education programs. They offer a way for New Jersey teachers to not only earn professional development credits but also put them immediately into practice in their classroom.