Monitored

*Note: Monitored as part of the New Jersey Department of Education’s assessment of district Comprehensive Equity Plans (CEP).

Other Reasons:

N.J.S.A. 18A:6-112 requires that public school teaching staff members complete at least two hours of instruction in suicide prevention as part of the professional development requirement established by the State board. The instruction must be provided by a licensed heath care professional with training and experience in mental health issues, in each professional development period.

N.J.S.A. 18A:6-128 requires the board of education, principal, or superintendent shall provide its teaching staff members with ongoing professional development that supports student achievement and with an individual professional development plan. To the greatest extent feasible, professional development opportunities shall be developed in consultation with the School Improvement Panels. Additional professional development shall be provided for any teaching staff member who fails or is struggling to meet the performance standards established by the board and a corrective action plan be developed to address deficiencies in performance identified in the evaluation.

N.J.S.A. 18A:6-130 requires the New Jersey Department of Education provide professional development opportunities related to reading disabilities, including dyslexia, to district personnel: general education, special education, basic skills, and English as a second language teachers, instructional support staff, administrators, supervisors, child study team members, and speech-language specialists. The professional development opportunities shall be designed to account for the various manners in which different school district personnel interact with, or develop instructional programs for, students with reading disabilities.

N.J.S.A. 18A:26-8.2 defines “school leader” and requires that school leaders complete training on issues of school law, ethics, governance, and harassment, intimidation and bullying.

N.J.S.A. 18A:37-17 requires that school districts provide training on the school district’s harassment intimidation and bullying policies to school employees and volunteers that have significant contact with students; ensure that the training include instruction on preventing bullying on the basis of protected categories and other distinguishing characteristics and develop a process for discussing the district’s HIB policy with students (see N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.7).

N.J.S.A. 18A:37-21 provides that members of the school safety team shall be provided professional development opportunities that address effective practice of successful school district programs or approaches.

N.J.S.A. 18A:40A 3 (a) requires boards to provide time for staff to receive inservice training on drugs, alcohol, anabolic steroids, tobacco and controlled dangerous substances provided by the State Department of Education or such other institutions, agencies or persons as deemed appropriate by the Commissioner. N.J.A.C. 6A:16-3.1(a)4 reiterates this requirement.

N.J.S.A. 18A:40A 18 (c) requires the student assistance coordinators to assist with the inservice training of school district staff concerning substance abuse issues and the district program to combat substance abuse.

N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.4(c) states that the district board of education shall develop a comprehensive equity plan once every three years, which shall identify and correct all discriminatory and inequitable educational and hiring policies, patterns, programs and practices affecting its facilities, programs, students and staff.

N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.6 requires the board to provide professional development training for all school personnel on a continuing basis to identify and resolve problems associated with the student achievement gap and other inequities arising from prejudice on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability or socioeconomic status.

N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.2 describes the components of professional development. Professional development shall be aligned with the Professional Standards for Teachers (N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3.3) and the Professional Standards for School Leaders (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3).

The Standards for Professional Learning in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3; encompass a broad range of professional learning; incorporate coherent, sustained, and evidence-based strategies that improve educator effectiveness and student achievement; and be supported by external expert assistance or additional experiences.

N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.1 through -4.2 detail the requirements that the chief school administrator or designee oversee the development and implementation of the district professional development plan and ensure the school district plan is reviewed annually to assess its effectiveness and to revise it, as necessary. When overseeing and reviewing the school district plan, the chief school administrator or designee shall:

A. Review the school-level professional development plan;

B. Assess the learning needs of students, teachers, and school leaders based on educator evaluation data, school-level plans, and data from school- and district-level performances;

C. Plan, support, and implement professional learning that addresses the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, and that align with the Standards for Professional Learning in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3 and the Professional Standards for Teachers and the Professional Standards for School Leaders in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3;

D. Develop and update, as necessary, the district mentoring plan for nontenured teachers, including novice provisional teachers who hold a CE or CEAS;

E. Present the plan to the district board of education to review for fiscal impact; and

F. Certify annually to the Department, through a statement of assurance, that the school district is meeting the requirements for the school district plan as set forth in this section and that it includes requirements of the district mentoring plan.

The principal shall oversee the development and implementation of a plan for school-level professional development. The school level plan shall include a description of school-level and team-based professional learning aligned with identified school goals; and teacher and student learning needs.

N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.3 sets forth the requirements for and implementation of school leaders’ individual professional development plans. Each school leader shall create, implement, and complete an individual professional development plan (PDP) and each chief school administrator shall develop an individual PDP for review by his or her district board of education.

N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4 sets forth the requirements for and implementation of teachers’ individual professional development plans. The professional development plan shall include at least 20 hours per year of qualifying experiences.

N.J.A.C. 6A:16-3.1(a)4(i) requires the board of education shall ensure that all educational staff members receive in-service training in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse prevention and intervention, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:40A-3. The in-service training shall be updated annually to ensure educational staff members have the most current information available on the subject of substance abuse and on the school district’s comprehensive alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse program, policies, and procedures.

N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.1(d) requires staff training in recognizing and responding to safety and security concerns, including emergencies and crises, consistent with the district board of education’s plans, procedures, and mechanisms for school safety and security. New employees shall receive the in-service training within 60 days of the effective date of their employment. The in-service training program for employees shall be reviewed annually and updated as appropriate.

N.J.A.C. 6A:16-6.2 requires policy and procedures on staff cooperation with law enforcement authorities in matters relating to substances, weapons and safety. N.J.A.C. 6A:16-6.2(b)12 requires in-service training on these policies and procedures.

N.J.A.C. 6A:16-11.1 requires board policy and procedures for school district employees, volunteers, or interns to provide for the early detection of missing, abused, or neglected children and on reporting suspected child abuse/neglect, and delivery of information and inservice training programs to school personnel concerning child abuse/neglect.

Recommendation:

A policy statement directing the chief school administrator or his or her designee to oversee the development and implementation of the district professional development plan. It should be clear that inservice/professional development must occur in the context of overall district goals, as well as for the improvement of individual teaching performance and student achievement of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. In addressing the state requirement for teacher continuing education, the policy should assert the right of the board to deny application of any inservice program toward fulfillment of this requirement. The policy should also note that the district design of the district- and school-level professional development plans should occur in the context of other policies, student safety and well-being, continuity of the instructional program, and budgetary constraints. Compensation, release time, or other employment terms or conditions may be addressed in negotiated agreements. Support staff training should be addressed as well in a separate policy.

Legal References: N.J.S.A. 18A:6-111 et seq. Instruction in Suicide Prevention
See particularly:
N.J.S.A. 18A:6-112 Instruction in suicide prevention for public school teaching staff
N.J.S.A. 18A:6-117 et seq. Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children
N.J.S.A. 18A:6-128 Ongoing professional development; corrective action plan
N.J.S.A. 18A:6-130 et seq. Professional development
N.J.S.A. 18A:7A 11 Reports be school districts, commissioner; interim review
N.J.S.A. 18A:17-46 Act of violence; report by school employee; notice of action taken; annual report
N.J.S.A. 18A:26-8.2 “School leader” defined; training as part of professional development
N.J.S.A. 18A:27 4 Power of boards of education to make rules governing employment of teacher, etc.; employment thereunder
N.J.S.A. 18A:30 7 Power of boards of education to pay salaries
N.J.S.A. 18A:31 2 Attendance at conventions of New Jersey
Education Association
N.J.S.A. 18A:37-17 Establishment of Bullying Prevention Programs and Approaches
N.J.S.A. 18A:37-21 School Safety Team
N.J.S.A. 18A:40A 3 Initial inservice training programs; curriculum;
See particularly: availability
N.J.S.A. 18A:40A-3(a), -18(c)
N.J.S.A. 34:5A-10 Retention of workplace surveys
N.J.S.A. 34:5A-13 Employee education and training program; certification of instructors
N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.4 Responsibilities of the district board of education
N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.6 Professional development
N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-1.1 et seq. Required professional development for teachers
See particularly: and school leaders
N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.1 through -4.4
N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.4 Evaluation procedures for all teaching staff
N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.5 Corrective action plans for all teaching staff
N.J.A.C. 6A:10-4.1 et seq. Components of teacher evaluation
N.J.A.C. 6A:14-1.2(b)14 District eligibility for assistance under IDEA Part B

N.J.A.C. 6A:15-1.8 Inservice training (Bilingual Education)
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-1.1et seq. Programs to Support Student Development
See particularly:
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-3.1(a)4, -5.1(d), Inservice training, alcohol, tobacco, drug prevention:
-6.2(b)12 safety and security, cooperation with law
Enforcement
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.7 Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-11.1 Reporting potentially missing, abused or neglected children or attempted or completed suicide
N.J.A.C. 6A:30-1.1 et seq. Evaluation of the Performance of School Districts
N.J.A.C. 6A:32-4.1 Employment of teaching staff

Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L. 114-95,, 20 U.S.C.A. 6301 et seq.

The Comprehensive Equity Plan, New Jersey State Department of Education

Possible
Cross References: *4115 Supervision
*4116 Evaluation
4133 Travel/reimbursement
*4231/4231.1 Staff development; inservice education/visitations/conferences
*5131.6 Drugs, alcohol, tobacco (substance abuse)
*5141 Health
*5141.4 Child abuse and neglect
*6142.2 English as a second language; bilingual/bicultural
*6171.3 At-risk and Title 1
*6171.4 Special education
*Indicates policy is included in the Critical Policy Reference Manual.