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A 5352

Directs the department of social services to establish an outdoor, nature-based child care pilot project

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Keith Brown and 14 co-sponsors

The bill broadens and streamlines teacher certification (eg, P-12 SWD, bilingual, K-8, auditorily impaired), easing tests and expanding pathways to boost shortages.

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Bill Summary · A 5352

Summary — A.5352 (Print No. 5352A)

Note on source material
- The bill number and filing history you provided are for A.5352 (Print No. 5352A). The bill title at the top of your message refers to an outdoor, nature‑based child care program, but the full text included in your message is the "Teacher Certification Reform Act of 2025" (teacher certification changes). Because the attached version content pertains to teacher certification reform, the summary below describes the certification reform measure contained in the provided text. If you intended the child‑care title, please provide the correct bill text and I will prepare a separate summary.

Purpose and intent
- The bill is titled the Teacher Certification Reform Act of 2025. Its stated intent is to streamline and broaden State teacher certification pathways to help address teacher shortages (especially in special education, STEM, and bilingual education), reduce financial and logistical barriers to entry, and improve equity and workforce diversity while maintaining standards of teacher quality.

Key provisions (introduced version)
- Establishes a Students with Disabilities (SWD) Preschool–12 endorsement:
- Authorizes teaching students with disabilities across content areas and grades P–12, except for students who are blind/visually impaired or auditorily impaired.
- Existing SWD endorsements may be converted to the new P–12 endorsement upon application.
- After establishment, the current SWD endorsement would no longer be issued.

  • Renames and consolidates deaf/hard of hearing endorsements:

    • Renames “Deaf or Hard of Hearing for Oral/Aural Communication” to “Teacher of the Auditorily Impaired for Oral/Aural Communication.”
    • Renames “Deaf or Hard of Hearing for Sign Language Communication” to “Teacher of the Auditorily Impaired for Sign Language Communication.”
    • Existing holders may apply to receive the successor endorsement.

  • Revises the Elementary School endorsement:

    • Establishes an Elementary School endorsement authorizing instruction K–8 (serving as teacher in grades K–8).
    • Specifies content responsibilities: full‑time language arts literacy, math, science, social studies; world languages full‑time; other subjects limited to no more than half of the daily assignment; limited basic‑skills teaching in grades 9–12.
    • Existing K–6 endorsements may be converted; new K–6 endorsements would no longer be issued.

  • Changes to state testing requirements for Elementary endorsement:

    • Eliminates requirement to achieve minimum scores on each individual subtest of the State subject‑matter knowledge test.
    • Requires a minimum average composite score on the State subject‑matter test (minimum to be set by the Commissioner of Education).

  • Creates a Bilingual and Bicultural Preschool–12 endorsement:

    • Authorizes teaching bilingual/bicultural education across grades and content areas.
    • Candidate requirements include demonstrated oral/written competence in English and the target language, completion of an approved program, and other State Board requirements.
    • Existing Bilingual/Bicultural endorsements may be converted; older endorsements would no longer be issued.

  • Eases subject‑matter preparation requirements for certain world‑language middle‑school candidates:

    • Exempts native speakers who completed college‑level study taught in their native language in a country outside the U.S. from subject‑matter preparation credit requirements for a Middle School world languages endorsement.

  • Additional endorsements and technical provisions:

    • The bill text is truncated; it begins to create or revise other endorsements (for example, a General Science endorsement) and contains additional procedural provisions for implementing the endorsement changes and conversions.

Who would be affected
- Teacher candidates and current certificated teachers (especially those in special education, bilingual/bicultural programs, world languages, elementary grades).
- State Board of Education and State Board of Examiners (responsible for creating/renaming endorsements, setting requirements, processing conversions).
- Teacher preparation programs (may need course and assessment adjustments).
- School districts and students (potentially increased teacher supply and flexibility in placements).

Procedural status and timeline
- Introduced in the Assembly 02/25/2025; referred to Assembly Education Committee.
- Reported and referred to additional committees (Codes; Ways and Means). Amended and recommitted to Ways and Means; Print No. 5352A issued 06/06/2025.
- Companion bill: S.6550.

Potential impacts and considerations
- Likely to broaden certification pathways and reduce specific testing barriers (composite scoring vs. subtest minimums), which could increase the pool of eligible teachers in targeted shortage areas.
- Could require administrative work and rulemaking by State Boards to define new endorsement requirements and conversion processes.
- The summary text does not include fiscal provisions; potential costs (or savings) for implementation, testing changes, or programmatic adjustments are not specified in the excerpt provided.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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