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	Woodbridge Township Education Association

Professional Development Up-Date:
Required Professional Development For Teachers
6A:9-15.1 General provisions

(a) The purpose of this subchapter is to govern required professional development for active teachers. For the purpose of this subchapter, the term "teacher" refers to those in positions which require possession of a provisional or standard instructional or education services certificate. The rules define the categories of school personnel affected; the amount of required professional development; the period provided for fulfilling the requirement; the schedule by which the requirement is to be implemented; and the manner in which the requirement shall be monitored.

(b) These rules affect all active teachers whose positions require possession of the instructional or education services certificates in accordance with N.J.A.C.

6A:9-8, 10 and 12.

(c) These rules apply to all district boards of education, charter schools, and nonpublic schools that choose to participate in the professional development for teachers required in this subchapter and whose staff members hold positions which require the possession of the instructional or educational services certificates. Hereinafter in this subchapter when the term district board of education is used, it includes district boards of education, charter school boards of trustees and applicable non-public school governing bodies choosing to participate. In addition, the term district administrator includes district board of education administrator, charter school administrator and applicable non-public school administrator choosing to participate.

6A:9-15.2 Amount, duration and content of required continuing professional development
(a) Each district board of education shall require all active teachers in the school district to complete 100 clock hours of approved professional development every five years. Each teacher must make annual yearly progress during the five-year cycle, though there is no specific annual hourly requirement for teachers entering a five-year cycle in years one through four. For teachers entering a five-year cycle in year five, 20hours of professional development must be completed in that one year. All new teachers employed under provisional or standard certificates must fulfill this requirement and must therefore have a Professional Development Plan (PDP) within 60 instructional days of the beginning of their teaching assignment.
1. All active teaching staff members will begin a new five-year cycle beginning September 1, 2010 and ending on August31, 2015. All teaching staff members will be on the same five-year cycle.
2. Beginning September 1, 2010, all active teaching staff members will begin the same five-year professional development cycle. For those teaching staff members hired after the 2005-2006school year, the 100- hour requirement will be pro-rated, with no specific annual hourly requirement for teachers entering a five-year cycle in years one through four. For teachers entering a five-year cycle in year five, 20 hours of professional development must be completed in that one year to reflect the balance of time remaining in their professional development cycle until2010.
(b) The content of each teacher’s professional development shall be specified in a PDP or in the evaluation process of applicable non-public schools and be developed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:32-4.4 and 4.5 to meet the needs of the individual teacher in the context of his or her job.
(c) The content of each teacher’s professional development shall align with the Professional Standards for Teachers as set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3.3.
(d) The activities in each teacher’s professional development plan shall align with the Professional Development Standards in (d)1 through 12 below. The standards in (d)1, 2 and 3 are "Context Standards"; the standards in (d)4through 9 are "Process Standards"; and the standards in (d)10, 11 and 12 are "Content Standards."

1. Learning communities: Professional development that improves the learning of all students organizes adults into learning communities whose goals result from clear, coherent, strategic planning, aligned with school and school district goals, that is embraced and supported by the school district’s governing body and by all levels of the school system;

2. Leadership: Professional Development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful school and school district leaders who develop a school culture of shared leadership that fosters continuous improvement, supported by intellectual and financial commitment;

3. Resources: Professional Development that improves the learning of all students requires time and resources to support adult learning and collaboration;

4. Data driven: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement;

5. Research-based: Professional development that improves the learning of all students informs teaching, learning, and leadership using the best available interpretations of relevant knowledge, including empirical research;

6. Evaluation: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact;

7. Design: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal;

8. Learning: Professional development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge about adult learning and change;

9. Collaboration: Professional development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with the knowledge and skills to engage in collegial collaboration and learning that is job- embedded and supported by sufficient time;

10. Equity: Professional development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to hold high expectations for the achievement of all students and to support their academic, social, emotional, and physical development in a safe, orderly, and supportive learning environment;

11. Quality teaching: Professional development that improves the learning of all students deepens educators’ subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge, supports the use of research-based instructional strategies to assist students to meet and exceed the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and prepares them to use various assessments to modify and improve instruction; and

12. Family involvement: Professional Development that improves the learning of all students empowers educators with knowledge and skills to work effectively with family and community partners.

(e) The content of State-required professional development shall emphasize, but not be limited to,knowledge and skills essential to achieve the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards.

(f) Professional development experiences may include: formal courses and conferences sponsored by colleges, district boards of education, professional associations, training organizations or other providers as well as collaborative learning experiences in school or district level teams. Part or all of the requirement may be satisfied through district professional development programs which have been approved by a County Professional Development Board. Completion of each actual hour of professional development shall satisfy one hour of the State requirement.

Professional Development Documents

PDF & MSWord Downloads:

Volunteer to Teach a PD Course.doc

PD Evaluation Form.doc

PD Survey.doc

What Counts?.pdf

Test Your PD IQ?.pdf

Spring 08 PD Academy Courses

NJ PD Standards for Teachers

Professional Development Website Links:

MCEA Professional Development

NJPEP