New Jersey School Librarian Certification Guide - 2024

Initial School Librarian Certification Process

Education Requirements

New Jersey requires public school librarians to hold a Master’s degree in Library Science (MLS or MLIS) from an accredited college or university. Candidates must also fulfill education and library science training and certification requisites as prescribed by the state’s Department of Education (NJ DOE). 

Certification Overview

New Jersey requires certification for all librarians seeking to work in the state’s public schools. This requirement also applies to any institution supervised by the NJ DOE, including charter schools and educational facilities administered by the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services, and the Juvenile Justice Commission. The NJ educator licensing agency is the State Board of Examiners, which oversees the Office of Certification and Induction.

Those seeking to work as public school librarians in NJ must be certified as an SLMS. Candidates have three avenues available to receive SLMS certification. They can qualify for a standard SLMS endorsement, a Certificate of Eligibility (CE) endorsement, or a Certificate of Endorsement with Advanced Standing (CEAS).

The CE is for candidates who have not fulfilled a teacher preparation program.  The CEAS is for candidates who have fulfilled a teacher preparation program. Both require a three-step process for endorsement. Upon completion of these three steps, candidates are eligible for a standard SLMS endorsement. These steps are:

1. establish eligibility
2. legalize employment and induction (Provisional Certificate)
3. permanent certification (Standard Certification)

As defined by Chapter 9 of the NJ Education Code, a “regionally accredited college or university” cited below refers to an institution of higher education accredited by one of these regional accreditation associations:

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges
• Higher Learning Commission
• Northwest Association of School and Colleges
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• Western Association of School and Colleges

Standard SLMS Endorsement

To become automatically eligible to receive the standard SLMS endorsement, candidates must hold either:

• a standard NJ School Librarian or standard Educational Media Specialist (EMS) certificate
• a standard NJ ASLMS certificate and complete a graduate degree program at a regionally accredited college or university with a specialization in school library media studies (LMS). (Note: LMS is not an MLS or MLIS degree; LMS is an area of specialization in the MLIS study program.)

Certificate of Eligibility (CE)

The CE is a credential with lifetime validity and was formally known as the “traditional route.” In addition to holding a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, candidates must prove that they satisfy one of these three alternatives to receive a CE:

• A graduate study program approved by the NJ DOE as the foundation for the SLMS certificate.
• A master’s degree in library media studies (LMS) from a regionally accredited college or university.
• A program of graduate studies composed of at least 36 semester-hour credits in a coherent sequence of studies. See this for a list of program criteria.

We strongly recommend that candidates contact a regionally accredited 4-year college or university to register for courses incorporating this required curriculum. Candidates who believe they have fulfilled these requirements must supply official course descriptions with their application.

After receiving a CE, candidates then qualify for a standard SLMS certificate by confirming that they have satisfied these requirements:

• Possess a provisional educational services certificate with an SLMS endorsement by obtaining employment in a position requiring the SLMS endorsement.
• Complete a coherent college program at a regionally accredited college or university that includes at least nine semester-hour credits in educational theory, curriculum design and integration, teaching methodology, student/learning development, and behavior management.

(Here, if candidates believe that this program is included in coursework previously completed, they must request that the school’s Department Chair of their program specify the courses fulfilling the program identified above. Once candidates receive this information from their school, they are to return it for review by their examiner at certapplication@doe.nj.gov. Note that electronic transcripts must be sent directly from the candidate’s college or university.)

• Complete a year-long, school-based residency program in a school library media center. The candidate will be supervised by either a certified school administrator, principal, or supervisor during the candidate’s provisional year. (Note: As of April 2021, residency requirements have been revised. See this for details.)
• Complete graduate-level coursework in school library media topics not included in the completed LMS program.

Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS)

The CEAS is a credential with lifetime validity and was formally known as the “alternate route.” In addition to holding a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, candidates must prove that they satisfy one of these two alternatives to receive a CEAS:

• A graduate course study approved by the NJ DOE
• A program of graduate studies composed of at least 36 semester-hour credits in a coherent sequence of studies. See this for a list of program criteria.

Candidates seeking CEAS certification must also fulfill one of the following three options:

• Hold a standard NJ or out-of-state instructional certificate. (A military science endorsement does not meet this requirement.)
• Complete an NJ DOE-approved college teacher preparation program. Student teaching is not required.
• Complete a coherent college program at a regionally accredited college or university that includes at least nine semester-hour credits in educational theory, curriculum design and integration, teaching methodology, student/learning development, and behavior management.

(Here, if candidates believe that this program is included in coursework previously completed, they must request that the school’s Department Chair of their program specify the courses fulfilling the program identified above. Once candidates receive this information from their school, they are to return it for review by their examiner at certapplication@doe.nj.gov. Note that electronic transcripts must be sent directly from the candidate’s college or university.)

Additionally, to qualify for the standard SLMS certificate following the issuance of a CEAS, candidates must show evidence of fulfilling the following requirements:

• Possess a provisional educational services certificate with an SLMS endorsement by obtaining employment in a position requiring the SLMS endorsement.
• Complete a year-long, school-based residency program in a school library media center. The candidate will be supervised by either a certified school administrator, principal, or supervisor during the candidate’s provisional year. (Note: As of April 2021, residency requirements have been revised. See this for details.)

Experience Requirements

As mentioned above, candidates with either a CE or a CEAS must fulfill a school-based residency program in a school library media center.

Testing Requirements

On June 4, 2014, the NJ DOE adopted a basic skills requirement for public school librarian candidates starting CE or CEAS educator programs. As of September 1, 2015, any candidate applying for a CE must meet the basic skills requirement, which shall be satisfied before beginning program coursework.

Candidates have two options:

• Pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills assessment. Passing scores are Reading—156; Math—150; and Writing—162.

Before June 4, 2014, if a candidate passed the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST/Praxis I), the NJ DOE will accept the following scores to satisfy the basic skills requirement. Passing scores for the PPST are Reading—175; Math—174; and Writing—173.

• Score at or above the cut score for the year in which either the SAT, ACT, or GRE was taken. Cut scores and dates are:

SAT

ACT

GRE

NJ DOE regulations exempt candidates from taking the Praxis Core if their SAT, ACT, or GRE scores are “approximately equal to the top-third percentile for all test-takers in the year the respective test was taken.” The cut scores shown above denote approximate “top-third percentile score.”

Regardless of the test date, the NJ DOE accepts the highest score on each test section. Candidates must show competency in Math, Reading, and Writing on the appropriate sections of either Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, or GRE. The required cut scores (shown above) must be met on each of the assessments and/or sections used to satisfy the requirement.

Acceptable Assessment Sections by Subject

CEAS candidates FYI: a CEAS educator preparation program may ascertain the evidence needed to demonstrate a candidate’s score on an exam.

CE candidates FYI: candidates are responsible for submitting official test scores to the NJ DOE. Official Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, and GRE scores must be reported directly to the NJ DOE using the Designated Institution (DI) code assigned to the NJ DOE. See the table below:

DI Codes for NJ DOE

While most NJ CE and CEAS candidates must pass a performance assessment for teacher certification (edTPA), public school librarians may be exempt from this requirement. If this applies to you, confirm this with the NJ DOE.

Background Checks

The Office of Student Protection (OSP), an agency of the NJ DOE, conducts criminal background checks of librarian candidates for positions in NJ public schools, private schools for students with disabilities, charter schools, and nonpublic schools. When conducting criminal background checks, the OSP acts jointly with the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The OSP uses three separate types of applications to complete criminal background checks:

• New applicant: candidates who have never worked for a school or fingerprinted by the OSP before March 2003 and are changing school districts, or originally fingerprinted as a college student or volunteer and paid a reduced fingerprinting fee, or had their criminal record expunged after a previous disqualification by the OSP.
• Archive applicant: candidates who were fingerprinted and approved by the OSP after February 2003 and are changing school districts.
• Transfer applicant: candidates who were fingerprinted and approved by the OSP after March 2003, fingerprinted for a substitute position, and have been employed in a substitute position continuously by a school since the first year their criminal background approval was issued, and can provide a Verification of Employment.

Candidates submit to a LiveScan fingerprinting process (a digital format technology instead of conventional ink and paper). Effective June 1, 2019, the current fee for new applicants is $66.05. The NJ DOE also charges a $10 administrative fee. New applicants must first submit their online initial application request to the OSP before scheduling an appointment with Idemia (a biometric ID products and fingerprinting software vendor).

Two separate payments are required. Initially, candidates must pay $10 online using a credit or debit card to the NJ DOE plus the NicUSA convenience fee. Next, candidates must pay $66.05 to Idemia. If scheduling online, candidates pay using a credit or debit card. If paying at the time of printing, candidates pay by money order. This second payment covers fees for Idemia, the NJSP, and the FBI.

Applicants are responsible for paying criminal history background check fees. However, the educational institution employer may reimburse the applicant for printing costs, including administrative fees.

For more information, see FAQs.

Application Process

Candidates apply through the Teacher Certification Information System (TCIS). As part of its digital transformation, the NJ DOE employs an exclusively electronic certification process and no longer accepts paper documents. The NJ DOE Office of Certification and Induction provides a checklist for certification application; see below:

1. Pass all applicable tests.

2. Apply online in the Teacher Certification Information System (TCIS). Payment must be made by debit or credit card. Fees are non-refundable.

3. Keep a record of the TCIS tracking number. This number must be included in all documentation sent to the Office of Certification and Induction. Current certificate holders have their tracking number included in their online profile and application status check.

4. Email all required documentation to the NJ DOE Office of Certification and Induction at certapplication@doe.nj.gov.

All applications expire six months following the original application date because the Oath of Allegiance must be updated if a certificate is not issued within this six-month window. If a candidate’s application expires, the candidate may then reapply for the same or additional certificates. Any balance left on file may be used as a credit (unless the application was made before July 1, 2016) for new certificates. Fees are non-refundable.

Fee Schedule

Fees are currently being waived through June 30th, 2024.

Under the NJ Administrative code, the NJ DOE Office of Certification and Induction established a fee schedule effective May 2015 for the issuance of CE and CEAS provisional and standard certificates. These fees are nonrefundable except as noted. Relevant fees include:

• Issuance of the provisional and standard CE and CEAS certificate: $170
• Each evaluation of credentials to determine eligibility to take a particular state certification examination or to obtain information concerning qualifications for certification: $70.00;
• Each standard certificate issued without a prior provisional certificate: $95.00
• Each substitute credential: $125.00
• Each substitute credential: $125.00
• Each evaluation of credentials to determine eligibility to take a particular State certification examination or to obtain information concerning qualifications for certification: $70.00
• A one-time test score service fee for each certificate requiring a test: $20.00
• A one-time administrative fee upon completion of a State-approved administrator residency program: $200.00
• A one-time administrative fee upon completion of a Commissioner-approved CE educator preparation program for holders of an instructional CE: $100.00

See publicly available fee schedule.