The document outlines the teacher certification process in New York State, including the origins of certification, the types of certification (initial and professional), and requirements to obtain and maintain certification such as completing education programs, passing certification exams, obtaining teaching experience, and engaging in ongoing professional development. It also discusses the differences between certification and tenure, with certification demonstrating teaching qualifications and tenure providing employment protections.

1. New York State
Teacher Certification Process
A Better Understanding
Presented by:
Carlos R. Perez, Jr.
Assistant to the Superintendent for
Administration & Human Resources
Roslyn Public Schools

2. Origins of Certification
 The idea of teacher training began during the reign of Napoleon
in 1831.
 The first school dedicated to teacher training in America was
created in 1839 in Massachusetts. It operates today as
Framingham State University.
 As time went on it was more and more accepted that teachers
should be trained in specific subject matter and teaching
methods.
 Certification exams were eventually created and originally
intended to be managed by superintendents and teachers.
 In 1980 only a few states required aspiring teachers to pass a
test for certification.
 By 1990, 39 states required passing an exam in order to receive
teaching certification and all 50 states approve the content of
teacher education programs.

3. Types of Teacher Certification
 Provisional Certification: Originally the initial
certification that was given to a teacher who held a
Bachelors Degree. This was abolished in February of
2004.
Provisional Certification Lead To:
 Permanent Certification: Was received upon the
completion of a Masters Degree and was valid for life.

4.  Initial Certification: Considered the “entry level” certificate
for classroom teachers. Is valid for 5 years.
Initial Certification Leads To:
 Professional Certification:
 Advanced level certificate for classroom teachers.
 Will be continuously valid upon the completion of the state
mandated professional development hours on a 5 year cycle.
Types of Teacher Certification

5. Pathway to Initial Certification
Elementary Ed.
(College Recommended)
 Completion of a NY State registered program.
 Written recommendation for certification by Higher Ed. Program
(college).
 NYS Teacher Certification Exam: Liberal Arts and Science Test
(LAST): Assesses knowledge and skills in five areas.
 NYS Teacher Certification Exam: Elementary Assessment of Teaching
Skills (ATS-W): Assesses professional and pedagogical knowledge at
the early childhood (Birth- Grade 2) and childhood (Grades 1- 6)
levels.
 Content Specialty Test (CST): Assesses knowledge and skills in the
subject of the certificate sought.
 Fingerprint Clearance: Candidates applying on or after July 1, 2001,
must be cleared by the New York State Education Department through
a fingerprint-supported criminal history background check.
 At this point, the candidate is eligible for INITIAL CERTIFICATION.

6. Pathway to Professional Certification
 Candidate earns Master’s Degree from accredited higher ed.
Program.
 Key Point: twelve credits must be earned in relation to the area
of certification or a graduate degree in Education.
 3 Years full-time classroom teaching experience: includes
experience earned in a public or approved nonpublic preschool or
elementary, middle, or secondary school.
 One year documented mentoring experience.
 Candidate has five years to achieve steps 1-4.
 Individual applies and receives Professional Certification – Yay!!
Your first professional development period begins on July 1
following the effective date of your Professional Teaching
Certificate.

7. Maintaining Professional
Certification
 Teachers who hold “Professional” certification must complete 175
hours of professional development every five years. By doing so
it maintains the validity of the certification. Not completing the
professional development requirements will result in the
expiration of the teachers certification.
 Records must be kept seven years and be made available to the
New York State Education Department in the event of an audit.
 Every 5 years the clock resets in order to maintain valid
certification.

8. What Activities Count Toward 175
PD Hours?
 Analyzing student data and student work to determine needed
changes in the delivery of instruction.
 Participating in reviews of class performance data over time to make
decisions about one's own professional development, based on
student outcomes.
 Collaborating with other teachers and teaching assistants to
examine case studies of student work and development.
 Participating in courses and other learning opportunities delivered
from many providers, such as institutions of higher education,
teacher centers, BOCES, school districts and independent
professional development service providers.

9.  Coursework linked to improvement of instructional
technique or content knowledge, which may or may not
be in pursuit of a teaching or advanced teaching degree.
 Completing coursework for more advanced certification
or certificates in additional areas or in accordance with
teaching assignment requirement for extension to
certification.
 Participating in regional scoring of State assessments,
assessing student portfolios
 Creating and assessing teacher or teaching assistant
portfolios
 Engaging in research projects (includes online research)
 Curriculum planning and development
 Developing or collaborating on the development of new
programs and instructional methods

10.  Service as a mentor, support teacher, helping teacher, or peer
coach
 Service as a cooperating teacher for a student teacher or field
internships; including attendant meetings and processes.
 Participation in study (collegial) circles such as "Critical
Friends" activities, structured guided reflection activities
focused on student learning
 Participating in formal programs of peer coaching or
participation in peer review
 Participating in Professional Development School activities or
other school-college teacher development partnerships
 Serving on CDEP (Comprehensive District Education Plan), or
DCEP (District Comprehensive Education Plan), or CEP
(Comprehensive Education Plan), or other school leadership
activities or committees.

11.  Delivering professional development (e.g. conducting
workshops, job-embedded modeling and coaching, providing
pre-service teacher preparation courses)
 Pursuing National Board certification or re-certification (either
as candidate or provider of support)
 Service/designation as Master Teacher
 Engaging in Sabbatical work related to content specialty or
enhancement of teaching strategies.
 Teacher of the Year activities
 NYSTCE "assessor" or test development committee member
 Development of Statewide curriculum
 Service as an elected officer in professional organizations
 Service as teacher center director
 Service on the State Professional Standards and Practices
Board
 Developing and presenting a major paper
 Publishing in educational journals

12. Professional Certifications
Points to Consider
 What is the responsibility of the school districts?
 Public school districts and BOCES are responsible for
planning and providing appropriate professional
development for holders of Professional and Teaching
Assistant III certificates, as for all teachers, as part of the
district’s professional development plan.
 What happens to a certificate holder who fails to
record enough PD.?
 Any Professional or Teaching Assistant III certificate holder
who fails to complete the required professional development
requirement becomes subject to due process and risks the
loss of his or her certificate.

13. Certification & Tenure:
2 SEPARATE Systems
 Tenure: is the statutory
right to hold office or
employment and receive
the benefits and
emoluments of the position.
 In general, tenure is a three
year process. However, if
you have received tenure in
another district in NYS, the
probationary period is two
year.
 “Jarema Credit”: Prior
contiguous service in the
same tenure area.
 The broad purpose of
tenure is to protect worthy
instructors from enforced
yielding to political
pressures and to guarantee
employment, regardless of
the changes in politics.
 Certification: indicates that an
individual has successfully completed
coursework and passed exams in subject
matter and pedagogical understanding in
order to enter teaching profession.
 In most circumstances, public school
districts must hire certified teachers.
 Most new hires hold an initial certificate.
Those teachers must work full-time for
three years and earn their Master’s
Degree within five years.
 Hence, it takes between three and five
years to earn professional certification.
 In essence, often times schools award
tenure to teachers holding initial
certification with the expectation the
teacher will earn professional
certification.
 A teacher with initial certification that
fails to earn / apply for professional
certification is no longer certified,
therefore, ineligible for tenure track
teacher employment.

14. EXAMPLE
Tenure Area
Remedial Reading
Elementary
Foreign Language
Science
General Special Ed.
Certification
Spanish 7-12
Chemistry
SWD (Math, English etc.)
Early Childhood Ed. (B-2)
Literacy 5-12
Biology 7-12, Chemistry 7-12,
Physics 7-12, Earth Science
7-12, General Science 7-12
All have “Science” as the
Tenure Area
Currently there are 40 different
languages one can get certified
in, including; Spanish 7-12,
Italian 7-12, French 7-12,
German 7-12
All have “Foreign Language”
as the Tenure Area
Students with Disabilities (SWD)
Early Childhood (B-2), Childhood
(1-6), Middle Childhood
Generalist/Academic Specific (5-9),
Academic Specific (7-12).
All have “General Special
Education” as the Tenure Area
Early Childhood (B-2), Childhood
Education (1-6)
All have “Elementary” as the
Tenure Area
Literacy B-6, Literacy 5-12
All have “Remedial Reading” as
the Tenure Area

15. Final Thoughts
 NY Certification titles and process changed in
2004.
 There are two types of certification, initial and
professional. Initial leads to professional.
 Once initially certified, a teacher has up to five
years to earn professional certification.
 Teachers that earn professional certification have
five years to record 175 hours of PD.
 Professional certification resets every five years.

16. Pending Changes
 Individual pathway evaluations are ending 9/1/13 for
first time NYS “classroom teacher” applicants. After
this, all applicants must be college recommended.
 Professional Certification holders not meeting the 175
PD requirements. The Professional Certificate becomes
invalid but there is due process procedure to follow and
can remain employed during the process.

17. Helpful Links
 General information about teacher certification.
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/index.html
 A link to a professional development record keeping documents for
teachers -
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/maintaincert-
prof.htm
 Frequently asked questions -
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/faq.htm
 Mentoring resources -
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/teacherinduction
.htm
 Professional certification resources –
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/maintaincert-
sd.htm

18. Vol. Ch.
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8FyAmQNOc