A: LEGAL ONE, a live and online training program meets the legal requirement for all NJ school leaders to complete 12 hours of training in school law, ethics, and governance by June 30, 2013. LEGAL ONE is designed to meet the professional development requirement set out in N.J.S.A.18A:26-8.2 which became effective in March 2007, and the corresponding regulatory requirement contained within N.J.A.C. 6A:9-16.7, which was adopted by the state Board of Education in November 2008. 

A: The four-module LEGAL ONE course meets the training requirement by addressing the following subject areas:

A: Yes, LEGAL ONE offers teacher training and, beginning in the Spring of 2010, advanced courses for administrators. Look for additional information soon on this LEGAL ONE web site.

A: LEGAL ONE offers flexible training options, including live training both in-district and regionally, online training, or a combination of both.  In-person training is only available for groups with 40 or more participants. Go to the REGISTRATION tab on this website for more information about registration options and fees.

A: LEGAL ONE makes it easy for you to comply with NJQSAC. All of the administrative work is done for you and you will have access to reports to monitor status of each participant in your group.  You will be able to see who has completed all twelve hours of required training, who has completed all required assessments, and who is still working towards completion of the full program. Certificates are delivered for you.

A: LEGAL ONE is a flexible program and can be consistently delivered in a variety of ways that best meet each district’s unique needs.  Options include onsite or regional training, training provided completely in-person, completely online or a combination of in-person and online training.

A: The assessments are designed to provide evidence that all participants have learned the material and know how to apply it in real world settings In addition, the state requires that assessments of learning are completed prior to issuing a certificate.

A:  You have a full year to take the assessments. You may retake assessments as often as necessary. 

A: School leaders who have completed all or a portion of the live LEGAL ONE training must successfully complete an online assessment linked to each module of LEGAL ONE. A school leader who has completed the online assessment will be able to print a LEGAL ONE certificate that certifies successful completion of training and documents the school leader’s demonstrated proficiency through online assessment. In order to complete the required online assessment, login to the website using your provided username and password. Click the "My Content" tab, and choose the appropriate module to complete the assessment.

A: Yes. Through a special arrangement with Rutgers University-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration (R-N SPAA), the certificate is convertible to one graduate credit.  
To convert the certificate to one graduate credit, the recipient must successfully complete the four LEGAL ONE training modules and online assessments, enroll at Rutgers-SPAA as a non-degree student (application fee of $65), and pay a fee of $277.

Beginning in Fall 2010, a two-credit online course will be available to LEGAL ONE certificate holders who wish to earn additional graduate credits.  To receive three graduate credits using the LEGAL ONE certificate, students must convert their LEGAL ONE Certificate to one credit.  Then they enroll in the two-credit, online Education Law course.   Enrollment at Rutgers-SPAA can be accomplished at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu.  Upon enrollment, students receive an RUID number that can be used to register to earn either one or three credits.  The in-state AY 2009-2010 tuition for the additional course is $1154 ($577 per credit).

For students who choose to convert the LEGAL ONE certificate into three Rutgers SPAA graduate credits, once they have successfully done so they can apply those credits toward completion of a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree.  Matriculation as an MPA student requires filing an application for admission to the MPA degree ($65 fee) and submission of required materials (application form, personal statement, official undergraduate transcript, Master’s degree transcript (if applicable), 3 letters of recommendation, and a current resume).  Standardized test scores (GRE, GMAT, Miller’s) are not required if a candidate already has a master’s degree. 

Information about the MPA degree is available at: http://spaa.newark.rutgers.edu.

Applications for admission can be completed at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu.