R 3240  PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS AND
SCHOOL LEADERS

A.	Definitions (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-2.1)

1.	The definitions set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-2.1 shall apply to the words and terms used in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3 et seq. and 6A:9C-4 et seq. and Policy and Regulations 3240.

B.	Components of Professional Development (6A:9C-3.2) 

1.	Professional development shall align with the Professional Standards for Teachers and the Professional Standards for School Leaders in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3, the standards for professional learning in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3,  student learning and educator development needs, and school, school district, and/or State improvement goals.

2.	Professional development shall encompass a broad range of professional learning that contributes to improved practice, including, but not limited to, participation in the work of established collaborative teams of teachers, school leaders, and other administrative, instructional, and educational services staff members who commit to working together to accomplish common goals and who are engaged in a continuous cycle of professional improvement focused on:

a.	Evaluating student learning needs through ongoing reviews of data on student performance; and

b.	Defining a clear set of educator learning goals based on the rigorous analysis of data on student performance.

3.	Professional learning shall incorporate coherent, sustained, and evidenced-based strategies that improve educator effectiveness and student achievement, such as job-embedded coaching or other forms of assistance to support educators' transfer of new knowledge and skills to their work.

4.	Professional learning may be supported by external expert assistance or additional activities that:

a.	Address defined student and educator learning goals;

b.	Advance primarily ongoing school-based professional learning; and

c.	Include, but are not limited to, courses, workshops, institutes, networks, and conferences provided by for-profit and nonprofit entities outside the school such as universities, educational service agencies, technical assistance providers, networks of content specialists, and other education organizations and associations.

C.	Standards for Professional Learning (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3) 

1.	Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and improves results for all students shall be guided by the following standards:

a.	Learning communities: Occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment;

b.	Leadership:  Requires skillful leaders who develop capacity, advocate, and create support systems for professional learning;

c.	Resources:  Requires prioritizing, monitoring, and coordinating resources for educator learning;

d.	Data:  Uses a variety of sources and types of student, educator, and system data to plan, assess, and evaluate professional learning;

e.	Learning designs:  Integrates theories, research, and models of human learning to achieve its intended outcomes;

f.	Implementation:  Applies research on change and sustains support for implementation of professional learning for long-term change; and

g.	Outcomes:  Aligns its outcomes with educator performance and student curriculum standards.

D.	Requirements for and Implementation of Teachers’  Individual Professional Development Plan  (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4) 

1.	Each teacher shall be guided by an individualized Professional Development Plan (PDP) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-128.a, which shall include at least twenty hours per year of qualifying  experiences.  The twenty-hour annual requirement shall be based on the length of full-time employment and reduced by a pro rata share reflecting part-time employment, or an absence, including the use of family or medical leave.

2.	The content of each individual PDP shall be developed by each teacher's supervisor, in consultation with the teacher, and shall align with the Professional Standards for Teachers in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3 and the Standards for Professional Learning in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3.

3.	Each teacher’s individual PDP shall be updated annually no later than October 31, except:

a.	If the teacher is hired after October 1, the PDP shall be developed within twenty-five working days of his or her hire.

4.	The individual PDP shall be modified during the year, as necessary, and shall specify at least:

a.	One area for development of professional practice derived from the results of observations and evidence accumulated through the teacher's annual performance evaluation; and

b.	One area for development of professional practice derived from individual, collaborative team, school, or school district improvement goals.

5.	Progress on the individual PDP shall be discussed at annual summary conference, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.4, but may occur more frequently throughout the year.

6.	Evidence of progress toward meeting the requirements of the teacher’s individual PDP may be provided by the teacher and/or his or her designated supervisor, and shall be reviewed as part of each annual summary conference.

7.	A teacher's individual PDP goals may necessitate more than the recommended minimum requirements outlined in N.J.A.C.     6A:9C-4.

8.	Additional hours of qualifying experiences may be required for teachers in low-performing schools, as determined by the Commissioner of Education.

9.     	The teacher’s designated supervisor shall:
 
a.     	Use the teacher performance evaluation process and the professional development planning process to monitor each teacher’s progress in meeting the professional development requirements and shall take appropriate steps to assure such progress.  If a teacher’s progress is found to be inadequate, the teacher’s designated supervisor shall take appropriate remedial action by applying sound and accepted principles of progressive supervision and other appropriate means; and

b.     	Maintain accurate records of each teacher’s progress in meeting the individual professional development requirements, pursuant to N.J.AC. 6A:9C-4.3 and N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4.  Such records shall include a copy of each teacher’s current PDP and timeline, as well as any documentation and evidence showing the teacher’s progress toward meeting the plan’s requirements.

10.   	If a teacher leaves the employ of one New Jersey school district and is hired by another, the previous employing school district shall share with the new employing school district the teacher's individual PDP and all supporting documentation.  If the current individual PDP is found to be unsuitable to the teacher's new assignment, the new employing school district shall ensure a revised individual PDP and timeline is created in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4.

E.	School-Level Plans for Professional Development Implementation (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.2) 

1.	The Principal shall oversee the development and implementation of a plan for school-level professional development and shall ensure:

a.	The school-level professional development plan shall includes a description of school-level and team-based professional learning aligned with identified school goals, and teacher and student learning needs; and

b.	All teachers receive the necessary opportunities, support, and resources to complete individual professional development requirements [pursuant to N.J.A.c. 6A:9C-4.4(a).	
	
2.	The school-level plan shall become part of the school district plan for professional development overseen and reviewed by the Superintendent of Schools.

F..	Requirements for District-Level Plans for Professional Development Implementation (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.2) 

1.	The school district plan shall provide information on school-level and district-wide professional development learning opportunities, the resources being allocated toward their support, a justification for the expenditures, and include any professional development required by statute or regulation.

2.	The Superintendent of Schools or designee shall oversee the development and implementation of the school district  plans to address the school district’s professional development needs.  And shall review on an annual basis the school district plan to assess its effectiveness and revise it, as necessary, to meet the school district’s learning goals for students, teachers and school leaders. 

3.	When overseeing and reviewing the school district plan, the Superintendent or designee shall:

a.	Review school-level professional development plans;

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

c.	Plan, support, and implement professional learning activities that address 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 School Leaders in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3 6A:9.3;

d.	Develop and update, as necessary, the district mentoring plan for non-tenured teachers including novice professional teachers who hold a CE or CEAS, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-5.3;

e.     	Present the plan to the Board of Education to review for fiscal impact; and
 
f.      	Certify annually to the Department of Education, through a statement of assurance, that the school district is meeting the requirements for the school district plan as set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.2 and that it includes requirements of the district mentoring plan pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-5.3.
 
4.     	School districts sending to the same middle and/or high school may form a regional consortium to develop one district-wide plan based on the sending schools' plans.

G.	Requirements for and Implementation of School Leaders’ Professional Development Plans 6A:9C-4.3) 

1.	Each school leader shall create, implement, and complete an individual PDP that:

a.	Aligns with the Professional Standards for School Leaders set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3.4 and the Standards for Professional Learning in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3;

b.	Derives from the results of observations, evidence, and recommendations included in the annual performance evaluation of the school leader;

c.	Identifies professional learning goals that address specific individual, school, or school district goals;

d.	Grounds professional learning in objectives related to improving teaching, learning, and student achievement, and aligns to the school and/or school district plan for professional development; and

e.	Includes training on: school law, ethics, and governance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:26-8.2 and other statutory requirements related to student safety, bullying and harassment, and well-being.
 
2.	Each school leader’s individual PDP shall be developed by October 31 except:

a.	If the school leader is hired after October 1, the PDP shall be developed within twenty-five working days of his or her hire.

3.	The Superintendent of Schools shall develop an individual PDP for review by the Board of Education.  In developing the individual PDP, the following process shall be followed:

a.	The Board shall review the Superintendent’s individual PDP, including the individual training needs pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.3(a)5, and shall ensure the individual PDP aligns to school district goals and to the school district's plan for professional development.
 
b.	The Superintendent shall submit annually to the Board evidence of progress toward completion of the individual PDP.  The Superintendent also shall submit every three to five years, depending on the length of his or her contract with the Board, summative evidence of plan completion.
 
c.	The Superintendent may appeal to the Executive County Superintendent if he or she disagrees with the Board regarding PDP contents or progress toward completion.  The Executive County Superintendent shall have final decision-making authority on all such matters.
 
4.	Each leaders whose positions require a Principal or supervisor endorsement, or whose positions require a Chief School Administrator endorsement but who does not serve as a Chief School Administrator or Superintendent of a school district, shall develop in collaboration with his or her designated supervisor an individual PDP and shall provide evidence to his or her designated supervisor of progress toward fulfillment of his or her plan.  Each Superintendent or designee shall:
 
a.	Review each Principal's, supervisor's, or other school leader's individual PDP, including the individual training needs pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.3(a)5, and shall ensure it aligns to school and school district goals and the school district's plan for professional development;
 
b.	Meet with the Principal, supervisor, or other school leader at mid-year to assess progress toward his or her PDP's completion or modification; and

c.	Review the individual PDP's status as part of the Principal's, supervisor's, or other school leader's annual performance evaluation.
 
5. 	The school leader's designated supervisor, or the Board of Education in the case of the Superintendent, shall:
 
a.	Use the performance evaluation process and professional development planning process to monitor the school leader's progress in meeting the professional development requirements.  If a school leader's progress is found to be inadequate, the school leader's designated supervisor or the Board shall take appropriate remedial action by applying sound and accepted principles of progressive supervision and other appropriate means; and
 
b.	Maintain accurate records of each school leader's progress in meeting the individual professional development requirements, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.3.  Such records shall include a copy of each school leader's current PDP and timeline, as well as any documentation and evidence showing the school leader's progress toward meeting the plan's requirements.
 
6.	If a school leader leaves the employ of one New Jersey school district and is hired by another, the school leader's designated supervisor, or the Board of Education in the case of the Superintendent, shall ensure a revised individual PDP appropriate to the new assignment is developed in collaboration with the school leader.

H.	Assistance (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.1) 

1.	The 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. 

Date Issued: 	October 18, 2004
Date Revised: October 22, 2008, September 21, 2009, February 22, 2010
February 21, 2017, March 16, 2017, October 17, 2017