AR Handbook – 53
• Data – Uses a variety of sources
and types of student, educator,
and system data to plan, assess,
and evaluate professional
learning;
• Implementation – Applies
research on change and sustains
support for implementation of
professional learning for longterm
change; and
• Outcomes – Aligns its
outcomes with educator
performance and student
curriculum standards.
Requirements for
Professional Development
in Regulations
The code specifies the who, what,
when, and how aspects of meeting
the State’s rules requirements:
Who must meet the
requirements?
All active teacher staff members,
defined as staff whose positions require
possession of the instructional
or education services certificates
described in the administrative code
(see the section entitled “Certification
in New Jersey”).
While the code language does not
have a specific statement to this effect,
all educators should understand
that they have a personal responsibility
to meet the requirement.
However, there are rules for support
and resources that govern school
districts and principals. ARs should
use the following information to
advocate for members who fail to get
the support they need to meet the
requirements.
What is required of school
districts?
From the code – “Each district
board of education shall ensure all
teachers and school leaders receive
the necessary opportunities, support,
and resources to engage in
ongoing professional learning and to
complete the requirements of their
respective professional development
plans.”
Requirements for District
and School Professional
Development Plans
The code requires school district and
school-level professional development
plans. Teachers should have
input on the school-level plans
through the School Improvement
Panel (ScIP).*
The code requires that school
district plans provide information
on school-level and districtwide
professional learning opportunities,
the resources being allocated toward
their support, and a justification for
the expenditures; and include any
professional development required
by statute or regulation. A listing of
all such state-required professional
development can be found at:
http://www.state.nj.us/education/
profdev/topics/StateRequiredPD.pdf
The school-level professional
development plans are required to
include a description of school-level
and team-based professional learning
aligned with identified school
goals, includes teacher and student
learning needs, and also ensures that
all teachers receive the necessary opportunities,
support, and resources
to complete individual professional
development .
* ARs are reminded that although
the regulations on ScIPs state that
information from teachers’ evaluations
should inform the school
professional development plan,
NJEA strongly recommends that
local associations refrain from
granting the teacher members of the
ScIP permission to be involved in
evaluation. If the association does
not grant permission, it is a violation
of state statute for administrators to
share individual evaluation information
to the teacher members of the
ScIP. ARs, at the request of members
for confidential and direct assistance,
are not barred from reading
a member’s observation or evaluation,
but should consult with the
local president and/or UniServ field
representative for support in guiding
a member’s actions.
Requirements for
Implementation of
Individual Teacher
Professional Development
Plans
The code requires that each teacher
has an individualized professional
development plan (PDP) which
“includes at least 20 hours per year
of qualifying experiences.” ARs and
members should remember that the
20-hour annual requirement is based
on the length of full-time employment
and is “reduced by a pro rata
share reflecting part-time employment,
or an absence, including the
use of family or medical leave.” ARs
should ensure that members are not
being required to have 20 hours of
professional development in a year
in which they do not work the full
school year.
Individual PDPs are developed by
each teacher’s supervisor but must
be in consultation with the teacher.
They should also align with the
Professional Standards for Teachers
and the Standards for Professional
Learning (see above). PDPs are effective
for one year only and should
be updated annually. The code
allows that they can be modified
during the year, as necessary.
The minimum requirements for
each PDP include one area for development
of professional practice
derived from the results of obser