New Jersey Association of School Administrators
920 West State Street
· Trenton, New Jersey 08618-5328
609.599.29001 Fax 609.599.1893 website: www.njasa.net
Richard G. Bozza, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Good afternoon. I am Dr. Richard Bozza Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of
School Administrators. The New Jersey Association of School Administrators is an organization
of chief education officers and school administrators who lead school districts in New Jersey's 21
counties. The association's mission is to ensure a superior statewide system of education.
Through ongoing professional training and education, the association shares knowledge among
its members about best practices from both educational and administrative perspectives. Its goal
is to move education forward by ensuring the highest quality of instruction for all New Jersey
children.
I commend you for your work as volunteers and I extend my appreciation for the opportunity to
provide comments and recommendations regarding the proposed changes to the regulations
governing Professional Licensure and Standards; in particular, the Amendments Concerning the
Certification of District Chief School Administrators.
I would like to begin by citing a few statements from Chapter 9, the Professional Licensure and
Standards adopted by this Board which I believe frame the discussion of the proposed changes.
Purpose
"The purpose of this chapter is to establish a licensure system based on professional standards
for pre-service preparation, certification and professional development that continuously serves
to improve the quality of instruction for New Jersey's children so that they are equipped to work
and succeed in an everchanging and increasingly complex global economy.
A standards-based, rigorous system of licensure, designed to support improved student
achievement of the Core Curriculum Content Standards will serve to improve the quality of the
New Jersey educator workforce and to improve student performance."
Similarly, the code describes the purpose for the adoption of the Professional Standards for
School Leaders as identifying "the knowledge, skills and dispositions that school leaders need to
practice responsibly." In support of that purpose, the Board has very thoughtfully supported the
inclusion of research based standards adopted by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure
Consortium (ISLLC) which have been developed under the auspices of the Council of Chief
State School Officers in collaboration with many affiliated professional associations.
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These standards prescribe and support that the school administrator be an educational leader
who promotes the success of all students through development in six areas:
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facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a
vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community;
advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program
conducive to student learning and staff professional growth;
ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe,
efficient, and effective learning environment;
collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse
community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources; acting with
integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner; and
understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic,
legal, and cultural context.
It was the desire of the ISLLC Consortium in developing and publishing these standards to raise
the bar for the practice of school leadership. It recognized that formal leadership in schools and
school districts is a complex, multi-faceted task. The ISLLC and New Jersey standards honor
that reality. Thus the standards and indicators reflect the magnitude of both the importance and
the responsibility of effective school leaders, with only one focusing on management.
This Board endorsed and adopted these standards and its commitment to them is found in the
licensing code and in particular, the rigor contained in the requirements to obtain School
Administrator endorsement. To obtain the School Administrator Certificate of Eligibility an
individual must hold a master's or higher degree in specified areas or with other specific training;
complete a minimum of 30 credits either within the master's program or in addition to it in the
ISLLC standard areas; complete a lSD-hour internship in educational leadership independent
of other course requirements; Pass a State-approved examination of knowledge that is acquired
through study of the topics aligned with the Professional Standards for School Leaders and that
is most directly related to the functions of superintendents as defined in the Board's regulations;
and complete five years of successful educational experience in a public or non-public school, a
public or non-public school district, or a regionally accredited higher educational setting in New
Jersey or out-of-State.
The holders of that endorsement are authorized to provide educational leadership by directing
the formulation of district-wide goals, plans, policies and budgets, by recommending their
approval by the district board of education and by directing their district-wide implementation.
Holders of this endorsement are authorized to recommend all staff appointments and other
personnel actions, such as terminations, suspensions and compensation, including the
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appointment of school business administrators, for approval by the district board of education.
Holders of this endorsement are authorized to direct district operations and programs, and to
supervise and evaluate building administrators and central office staff, including school
business administrators. They are also authorized to oversee the administration and
supervision of school-level operations, staff and programs.
The initial proposal of the Department to this Board completely abandoned the historical and
appropriate position of the Board requiring preparation in the required school leader standards.
Your questioning and comments upon the introduction of the proposed code caused
Department personnel to address the need for prospective alternate route superintendents
to demonstrate competency in these standards. By the Department's own admission, however,
the changes "model many of the Professional Standards for Leaders," but not all. The new areas
of competency are derived in part from the criteria used by mentors to evaluate candidates
during the residency period. It is not surprising that these focal areas of mentoring are not
inclusive of all the state standards since in the current system, the training requirements to
obtain a School Administrator Certificate of Eligibility require extensive preparation in these
areas as noted earlier.
It seems as though the Department's revised proposal has taken the most expedient way to
respond to your legitimate concerns and historical emphasis on rigorous preparation, since it did
not initially honor the standards at all. In responding to your question regarding the existing pool
of already certified superintendent candidates the department notes: "Many of these school
districts have struggled to improve student achievement for many years and for many reasons,
including in some cases top leadership that has not been able to meet the challenges at hand. The
proposed amendments would provide those school districts with the opportunity to cast a wider
net for candidates who might better fit the challenges of the school district." While casually
noting that some districts have struggled to improve student achievement "for many reasons," it
certainly suggests that "casting a wider net" for superintendent candidates will be make a
significant difference, without offering any evidence to support that conclusion. One might
similarly suggest that lowering entrance standards to cast a wider net for architects, realtors,
bankers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, or masons will provide a solution to the current
housing crisis or raise the quality of home construction. It would be as laughable.
My comments to this point might lead you to believe that NJASA and school
superintendents are opposed to an alternate route to certification for what we respectfully call
the Chief Education Officer. We are not. We are, however, opposed to this proposal in its current
form, even with the modifications which have been made in the latest version. If the State Board
is to
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continue on this path, it should not sacrifice rigor for convenience of the logic of a "wider net"
of candidates. Let's consider a few points.
This state and this Board received national attention and admiration for its work on developing
and implementing an alternate route for teacher certification. NJASA believes that its
components can provide guidance for strengthening the current proposal.
The alternate route to teaching in New Jersey recognizes the importance of academic preparation
and scholarship for those wishing to enter education. It requires that the minimum degree
requirement equal that required for individuals qualifying for standard certification. It also
prescribes a minimum grade point average. Any alternate route developed for school
administrators should similarly value academic preparation and scholarship by requiring a
minimum of a master's degree and a standard for academic achievement.
Alternate route teacher candidates must first pass the appropriate State test. The same standard
should be adopted for alternate route candidates who wish to be the educational leader of a
school district. This will partially address the question raised by the requirement of school
boards to make judgments about alternate route candidates' preparation in the areas to be
mentored. That question being: "Can school board members legitimately make valid conclusions
about that preparation?1I Existing certification regulations address that issue for traditional
school administrator candidates in the rigorous preparation that is required to be granted the
Certificate of Eligibility.
Alternate route teachers must complete at least 200 hours of formal instruction aligned with the
New Jersey Professional Standards concurrent with employment. NJASA believes that school
administrator alternate route candidates should complete a similar program aligned with the
New Jersey Professional Standards for School Leaders. As with any training needs for chief
school administrators, NJASA stands ready to play a role in developing and implementing that
training as the Board and department see appropriate.
A specific focus for improvement of the implementation of any alternate route to school
administrator certification is the difference in mentoring required for a non-traditional candidate.
The current mentoring program is designed for individuals who have already met the rigorous
preparation and the educational experience requirements. A mentoring program for the alternate
route candidate must be more intensive, requiring greater involvement of the mentor, the
advisory panel and additional training as noted in the 200 hours of formal instruction.
NJASA is pleased that the Board's recommendation to implement a pilot program in districts
which are not state operated has been accepted. We recommend that the program include all
districts which are considered eligible in the regulations. We also recommend that the Board
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requires the Department to present their recommendations on the criteria by which the
implementation of the pilot program will be measured prior to the adoption of any changes. A
discussion of these metrics before the program is implemented is essential to full understanding
of its value beyond "casting a wider net."
The State Board of Education stands as the gatekeeper who determines how candidates enter
New Jersey's system of education to work with our students. It is a critically important task, one
that you and your predecessors have taken seriously for so many years. I thank you for the work
that you do and for the opportunity to address you today on this important consideration of who
is eligible to serve as the Chief Education Officer of a New Jersey school system. I would be
pleased to answer your questions.
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