Flex Rule

GPA and Praxis Flexibility Requirements

 The 黑料社 Teacher Education Program, effective Fall 2022, accepts the New Jersey Department of Education GPA and Praxis Flexibility Requirements (known as the "flex rule") for students entering Clinical Practice II. This rule allows a qualifying candidate to move forward in the program towards state licensure. This is only available to students who:

  • Have a high cumulative GPA (3.5 or higher) but have Praxis II that fall within 5% of the cut
  • Have a high Praxis 2 score (10% above the cut), but a cumulative GPA below 3.0 and equal to or higher than 2.75

 

Please read the guidance provided below to determine if you qualify for the flex rule and how it works. The flex rule, however, does not supersede other existing deadlines or program requirements. For more details, speak with your assigned preceptor or contact the School of Education.

 

  • What is the purpose of the flex rule? The flex rule offers students an opportunity to earn licensure even if they do not meet either the GPA or Praxis 2 state requirements for teacher licensure.
  • What if my GPA is close, like a 4, and/or I expect it to change? You will not qualify for the Praxis 2 flexibility unless/until you raise your GPA to a 3.5 or higher. Similarly, if your GPA falls below a 3.5 during your Clinical Practice II semester, you will not qualify to continue into Full-time Final Clinical Practice unless/until you raise your GPA to a 3.5 or higher. You must also be responsible to calculate your Final Clinical Practice grade proactively to be sure that you remain eligible for flex rule licensure if your term GPA could cause your cumulative GPA to fall below 3.5 during Final Clinical Practice. You will be responsible to complete extra course work to raise your GPA in these cases. Likewise, if your Praxis 2 seores are 10% higher than the cut, you will not qualify for the GPA flexibility unless/until your GPA is 2.75 or higher. The same provisions above about maintaining your GPA apply.
  • May I use Praxis 2 flexibility to remain in a Middle School placement? Yes, while all candidates in a Middle School placement have until 10/1 or 4/1 during Clinical Practice 11 to qualify for remaining in their placement through Final Clinical Practice, the Flex Rule would allow those candidates with a 5 or higher GPA to score up to 5% below the cut and remain in their placement. Similarly, any optional certification that you add (Preschool, a second Middle School endorsement) may be up to 5% lower than the cut if your GPA is 3.5 or higher.
  • How does the Praxis 2 score flexibility work with multiple-part tests like secondary sciences (2 parts) or elementary (4 parts)? Each part of the test must be within 5% of the cut score in order to qualify, so that the Biology and General Science seores must both be 145 (5% below the 152 cut) for example. Likewise, Elementary seores would need to be Reading/Language Arts 149, Math 149, Social Studies 147, and Science 151. In all cases, your GPA must be 5 or higher. The 10% cut score provisions for qualifying a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 apply: (167 for both science sections; Elementary Reading/Language Arts 173, Math 173, Social Studies 171, and Science 176, for example).
  • lf I elect to qualify through flex rule, will that have any impact on me when it's time to look for a job? School districts may use any metrics they deem appropriate, beyond minimum requirements to selecta teacher for an open A school district may elect to prioritize an application that has met both the GPA and Praxis II state requirements fully versus qualifying for licensure through the flex rule. A student wishing to utilize the flex rule may wish to take this into consideration when making a decision.

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