Complete guide to New Jersey's annual professional development requirements and Professional Development Plan (PDP) documentation, part of how EX in Education keeps PD tracking connected to coaching, evaluations, and goals across every school.
N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4(a) requires every teacher to be guided by an individual professional development plan that includes "at least 20 hours per year of qualifying experiences that support student achievement." NJDOE dates the change from the former five-year, 100-hour cycle to July 1, 2013. The plan is due each year by October 31.
PD hours are only one piece of an educator's growth story. In EX in Education, PD tracking sits alongside coaching, goals, and evaluations, so districts can see the whole picture, not just a compliance count, for every teacher across every school.
20
Hours Minimum
Per
School Year
PDP
Required
The 20-hour requirement is prorated based on your employment status:
Every New Jersey teacher must have an Individual Professional Development Plan (PDP) that documents their learning activities. Your PDP must include:
Aligned with school/district improvement priorities and your personal growth areas.
Documented through certificates, attendance sheets, time logs, and transcripts.
Records of all PD activities including type, date, duration, and provider.
In-service days, staff meetings with PD content, and district-sponsored training.
Graduate or undergraduate courses related to your teaching assignment.
PLCs, peer collaboration, and structured collegial learning activities.
Virtual professional development from approved providers.
NJDOE says training in the teacher evaluation instrument is included in the 20 hours - and adds the reminder that 20 is a minimum and the PDP's other requirements still have to be met. Check any other mandated session against your PDP goals rather than assuming.
NJDOE: "The former 5-year cycle of 100 hours of professional learning for teachers has been changed. Beginning July 1, 2013 teachers must earn at least 20 hours of professional development each year." The current requirement sits at N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4, under the TEACHNJ Act (N.J.S.A. 18A:6-128).
Your supervisor does, with you. N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4(b): "The content of each individual PDP shall be developed by each teacher's supervisor in consultation with the teacher." Your designated supervisor also monitors progress and keeps the records, including a copy of your current PDP and the evidence behind it.
New Jersey has no Local Professional Development Committee requirement. NJDOE's own FAQ is explicit that a superintendent may keep an LPDC, re-purpose the District Evaluation Advisory Committee, or create something new to manage the district plan - and that "election of LPDC members is no longer required." At the school level the body is the School Improvement Panel (ScIP), on which teachers must make up at least one-third of the membership. Neither approves individual PDPs.
Keep thorough records of all PD activities:
In EX in Education, what you track for New Jersey renewal sits beside new-hire onboarding, walkthroughs, coaching cycles, goals, evaluations, staff surveys and recognition. Leaders see how every educator is doing from their first week onward, not only whether they are current, and the renewal record builds out of the growth work already happening.
Start a conversation about New JerseyNew Jersey teachers must complete a minimum of 20 hours of professional development each school year. This is an annual requirement, not a multi-year cycle. Hours are prorated for part-time employees based on their FTE status.
A Professional Development Plan (PDP) is an individualized document that outlines your professional learning goals and activities. Yes, all NJ teachers must have an approved PDP. Your PDP should align with school/district improvement goals and document at least 20 hours of annual professional development.
Some of it does. NJDOE's professional development FAQ addresses one case directly: "As a regulatory requirement, training in the evaluation instrument would be included in the 20 hours of teacher professional development; however, the 20 hours is only a minimum. It is important to ensure that all the other requirements for the individual teacher PDP are addressed as well." Whether any other mandated session counts turns on whether it fits your PDP, which N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4 requires to align with the Professional Standards for Teachers and the standards for professional learning. Document what you complete either way, and confirm with your supervisor rather than assuming a required session is automatically 20-hour credit.
Your PD requirement is prorated based on your employment status. For example, a teacher who works 50% of the day/week only needs 10 hours of PD (50% of 20). If you're out for an entire year, you have no PD requirement for that year.
Yes! When you select New Jersey as your state, our system automatically configures the 20-hour annual requirement and tracks your progress throughout the school year. You can generate PDP documentation and get alerts if you're falling behind on your hours. Because PD tracking is part of the EX in Education platform, that same progress connects to coaching cycles, goals, and evaluations instead of living in a separate spreadsheet.
Not in New Jersey? Find requirements for your state.
Evaluated in New Jersey? See how New Jersey teacher evaluation works, and how the evidence connects to the record you keep for renewal.
Part of EX in Education
New Jersey PD tracking is one part of how districts support educators. In EX in Education, they connect to the bigger picture: walkthroughs, coaching, evaluations, goals, PD, recognition, surveys, and retention. Bring your own process, or start from a template, then run it across every school so every educator moves from hired to thriving.