Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Individual Professional Development Planning and Implementation
New Jersey requires individual Professional Development Plans (PDPs) to be created for:
- All active teachers (defined as staff whose positions require possession of the instructional or education services certificates), and
- All active school leaders serving on a permanent or interim basis whose positions require possession of the chief school administrator, principal, or supervisor endorsement.
- In addition, these requirements apply to all district boards of education, charter schools, and those nonpublic schools that choose to participate in the professional development requirements for teachers and school leaders.
Under the TEACHNJ Act, Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) are required for all staff members rated Ineffective or Partially Effective on their last annual summative evaluation. In this case, the CAP takes the place of the required individual PDP until the next summary conference, and the activities in the CAP become the priorities for the staff member's professional learning while the CAP is in effect. In an effort to support districts, the Department is providing guidance and optional templates that outline the requirements of each type of plan, with instructions for developing the plan and sample populated plans for fictional educators for illustrative purposes only. Districts may choose to use these templates or may create PDPs and CAPs of their own that fulfill all statutory requirements.
Chief School Administrator Documents:
Principal/Supervisor Documents:
- Principal PDP Guidance and Sample PDP (Word)
- Optional Blank Principal/Supervisor PDP Template (Word)
Teacher Documents:
- Teacher Professional Development Plan (PDP) Guidance and Sample PDP (Word)
- Optional Blank Teacher PDP Template (Word)
Corrective Action Plan Documents:
Office Contact Information
For general feedback or inquiries, please email teachpd@doe.nj.gov.