Directs State Board of Education to authorize issuance of new endorsements in certain fields.

A2088

ASSEMBLY, No. 2088

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Stanley, Assemblywoman Lopez, Assemblyman
Coughlin, Assemblywoman Bagolie and Assemblyman Sauickie

SYNOPSIS

���� Directs State Board of Education to authorize
issuance of new endorsements in certain fields.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning endorsements to teacher certificates and
supplementing chapter 26 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1. a. � The State Board of
Education shall authorize the issuance of a Students with Disabilities
Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement to the instructional certificate.� The
endorsement shall authorize the holder to teach students with disabilities,
with the exception of students who are blind or visually impaired or deaf or
hard of hearing, in all public schools and in all grade levels.�

���� The holder of a Students with
Disabilities Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement may provide consultative
services and supportive resource programs, including modification and adaptions
of curriculum and instruction to students with disabilities in general
education programs in preschool through grade 12.�

���� b.��� The holder of a current
students with disabilities endorsement issued pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-11.4
prior to the effective date of P.L.�� �, c.��� (C.���� ���) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill) may be granted the endorsement described in
subsection a. of this section upon application to the board.���

���� 2.��� The State Board of
Education shall authorize the issuance of a Kindergarten through Grade 8
endorsement to the instructional certificate.� The endorsement shall permit the
holder to teach: ���������

���� a. students in all public
schools in grades kindergarten through six; and

���� b. the specialty subjects on
the face of the certificate to students in grades seven and eight in all public
schools.�

���� 3. a.� The State Board of
Education shall authorize the issuance of a Bilingual and Bicultural Preschool
through Grade 12 endorsement to the instructional certificate.� The endorsement
shall authorize the holder to teach bilingual and bicultural education in all
public schools and in all grade levels.��

���� b.� A candidate for the
endorsement shall:

���� (1) demonstrate oral and
writing competence in English and the target language;

���� (2) complete an approved
bilingual and bicultural education program; and

���� (3) meet any other
requirements established by the board.�

���� 4.��� The State Board of
Education shall adopt, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,�
P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the rules and regulations necessary to
carry out the provisions of this act.

���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill directs the State
Board of Education to authorize the issuance of new endorsements in the areas
of special education, elementary and middle school education, and bilingual and
bicultural education.

���� The bill directs the State
Board of Education to authorize the issuance of a Students with Disabilities
Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement to the instructional certificate.� The
endorsement authorizes the holder to teach students with disabilities, with the
exception of students who are blind or visually impaired or deaf or hard of
hearing, �in all public schools and in all grade levels.�

���� Under the bill, the holder of
a Students with Disabilities Preschool through Grade 12 endorsement may provide
consultative services and supportive resource programs to students with
disabilities in general education programs.� The bill further provides that the
holder of a current students with disabilities endorsement issued
administratively prior to the bill�s effective date may be granted the new
endorsement upon application to the board.�� Under current law, special
education teachers may teach students classified with disabilities in only the
grade levels specified on their other endorsements.�

���� The bill directs the State
Board of Education to authorize the issuance of a Kindergarten through Grade 8
endorsement to the instructional certificate.� The endorsement will permit the
holder to teach:

�

students in all
public schools in grades kindergarten through six; and

�

the specialty
subjects on the face of the certificate to students in grades seven and eight
in all public schools.�

���� �Under current law, numerous
endorsements limit the holder to teaching either only to students in elementary
level grades or only to students in middle school grades.��

���� Finally, the bill authorizes
the State Board of Education to issue a Bilingual and Bicultural Preschool
through Grade 12 endorsement to the instructional certificate.� The endorsement
will authorize the holder to teach bilingual and bicultural education in all
public schools and in all grade levels.�� Under the bill, a candidate for the
endorsement is required to demonstrate oral and writing competence in English
and the target language; complete an approved bilingual and bicultural
education program; and meet any other requirements established by the board.�
Under current law, candidates for the Bilingual and Bicultural endorsement are
required to have an additional endorsement for subject or grade level to be
taught.