NYS Educator Certification
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New York State Education Department & TEACH System
| NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives |
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Certification Application Information
Application Pathways
Approved Teacher Preparation Program 05/01/2014
This pathway refers to programs specifically designed and registered with the New York State Education Department to qualify students for New York State teacher, pupil personnel, or administrative certification. A listing of these preapproved programs is available through our Inventory of Registered Programs. Candidates applying under this pathway are recommended by their college or university for a certificate in the subject area(s) of the registered program. Specified non-coursework requirements, such as the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and fingerprint clearance, must also be satisfied.
Approved Teacher Prep Program – Certificate Progression
This pathway is for individuals who hold a valid New York State entry-level certificate (such as an Initial or Provisional certificate), and completed a NYS Registered Teacher Education Program. They may progress to the advanced-level credential (such as a Professional or Permanent certificate) by meeting the requirements for that certificate.
Approved Teacher Prep Program – Additional Certificate
This pathway is for individuals who already hold a valid New York State classroom teaching certificate and are completing a registered program. Candidates applying under this pathway are recommended by their college or university for a certificate in the subject area(s) of the registered program. Specified non-coursework requirements, such as the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations, must also be satisfied.
(Transcript Evaluation – No Program Code)
*Select Option B
“No, I have not completed, nor am I enrolled in, an Approved Teacher Preparation Program at a New York State College or University for this certificate and this type”
Individual Evaluation
The individual evaluation pathway is for candidates who have not completed an approved teacher preparation program or whose application is not based on a valid teaching certificate from another state or US territory. This pathway is also for candidates applying for teaching assistant or coaching credentials or adult education certificates. Candidates must submit original credentials for evaluation by the Office. Candidates must also meet any non-coursework requirements, such as the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and fingerprint clearance, as specified.
Certificate Progression
This pathway is for individuals who hold a valid New York State entry-level certificate (such as an Initial or Provisional certificate). They may progress to the advanced-level credential (such as a Professional or Permanent certificate) by meeting the requirements for that certificate.
Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate – Must hold a valid certificate
This pathway is for individuals who already hold a valid New York State classroom teaching certificate. (Please Note: Intern Certificate, Temporary License, or Modified Temporary License do not qualify as valid teaching certificates for this pathway). They may obtain an additional certificate by meeting Content Core requirements in the new title and passing the Content Specialty Test in that subject. Additional pedagogical coursework may be required, depending on the certificates already held. If your first certificate was issued as a result of the completion of an approved program or a professional license, original official transcripts of all completed coursework from all colleges attended are required. Note: this pathway does not apply to holders of Career and Technical certificates or the Speech and Language Disabilities certificate, when based on a speech language pathology license.
How to Change Your Application Pathway
If you mistakenly enter your application via the wrong pathway, you can request to change the application pathway. Use the NYSED-OTI Contact Form to request the change, select the topic “Pathway questions/Change Pathway”.
Certificate Types
Types of Certificates
| Certificate Type | Description | Validity |
| Initial | A certificate of this type is issued as the entry-level certificate for classroom teachers and the entry-level certificate for the School Building Leader. | Valid for five years.
Leads to Professional Certificate. |
| Professional | A certificate of this type is issued as the advanced-level certificate for classroom teachers and School Building Leaders. | Continuously valid with completion of the required Continuing Teacher and Leader (CTLE) hours. |
| Provisional | A certificate of this type is issued as the entry-level certificate for pupil personnel professionals. | Valid for five years.
Leads to Permanent Certificate. |
| Permanent | A certificate of this type is issued as the advanced-level certificate for pupil personnel professionals. | Valid for life, unless revoked or suspended for cause by the New York State Education Department. |
| Transitional B
(UTR Program) |
The Transitional B certificate is issued to eligible candidates who are enrolled in a NYS Transitional B program to teach in a school district for which a commitment for employment and mentoring has been made. | Valid for up to three years from effective date. When the student completes or leaves the program, the certificate is no longer valid.
Leads to the Initial certificate. |
| Internship | Available to eligible candidates who are enrolled in a NYS registered graduate educator preparation program that includes internship experience(s). The candidate must have completed at least 50% of the program. The program determines if the candidate is eligible for the Internship certificate. | The Internship certificate is valid for up to two years from its effective date and not renewable.
When the student completes or leaves the program, the certificate is no longer valid. |
| Emergency
COVID-19 Certificate |
The deadline to apply for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate was September 1, 2022. The application for this certificate is no longer available. | The Emergency COVID-19 certificate is valid for two years.
The certificate sought will automatically issue in TEACH when all exam requirement(s) are met. |
Certificates Currently Available for Applicants
Reissuance & Time Extension
Initial certificates for classroom teachers, school building leaders, and school counselors are valid for five years. Beginning August 2, 2023, these educators who hold an expired or expiring Initial certificate, and have not met the requirements for the Professional certificate, may apply for up to two reissuances of their Initial certificate if they meet the eligibility requirements. Each Initial Reissuance is valid for five years from the effective date of the reissuance.
Provisional certificates for educators in the pupil personnel service (e.g., school counselor, school psychologist) are valid for five years. Beginning August 2, 2023, these educators who hold an expired or expiring Provisional certificate, and have not met the requirements for the Permanent certificate, may apply for up to two renewals of their Provisional certificate if they meet the eligibility requirements. Each Provisional Renewal is valid for five years from the effective date of the renewal.
Beginning August 2, 2023, individuals who hold an Internship, Residency, or applicable Transitional certificate may receive (only) one Time Extension if they meet the required conditions. The Time Extension is valid for three years from the expiration date of the certificate.
Please note that the Time Extension is no longer available for individuals who hold an Initial certificate or Provisional certificate. Instead, these individuals should review the new options and requirements for the Initial Reissuance and Provisional Renewal, respectively.
Advancing to Professional / Permanent
Advancing from the Initial Certificate to the Professional Certificate
Holders of initial teaching certificates are expected to progress to the professional teaching certificate, within the stated five (5) year period, by completing the requirements for professional certification, including three (3) years of teaching experience and successful completion of an appropriate master’s degree.
Application Pathways:
Approved Teacher Prep Program – Certificate Progression (You have been recommended for Professional certification by the college – Program Codes)
Certificate Progression – Individual Evaluation (Not recommended for Professional certification – Application Instructions)
Requirements:
Three (3) Years Teaching Experience
Applicants for professional certification can count teaching experience in public and private schools, part-time or full time, per diem and long-term substitute teaching, and in-state or out-of-state teaching. See NYSED’s guidance at https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/exp/home.html. Individuals self-report their work experience on the TEACH system and must also have their employing districts submit NYSED’s Experience Verification form. Experience as a teaching assistant does not fulfill this requirement.
- Verification of Paid Experience Form for Classroom Teachers
- Verification of Paid Experience Form for School Building Leaders
Successful Completion of a Master’s Degree
The professional certification requirement is satisfied, if an individual:
- successfully completes a graduate teacher education program from an accredited college in New York State or another jurisdiction that qualifies the individual for a new or additional certificate (in NYS or in another jurisdiction);
- holds a master’s degree accepted previously to satisfy requirements for a NYS permanent or professional certificate; successfully completes a master’s or higher degree program in the content core of the initial certificate or in a related content area; or
- successfully completes a master’s or higher degree program in any field, provided that the individual has completed at least 12 semester hours of graduate study in the content core of the initial certificate or in a related content area.
- Chart of Related Master’s Degrees
To obtain a professional certificate, an individual employed in a public school district must receive mentoring. Individuals who have had at least two years of teaching prior to service in a public (or private) school under an initial certificate are exempt from this requirement. Public school employers report the mentored experience for the certificate holders they employee using the TEACH online system.
Advancing from the Provisional PPS Certificate to the Permanent PPS Certificate
For the Permanent certificate in Pupil Personnel Service (PPS), individuals must complete at least two years of acceptable PPS experience or its equivalent (360 days). Full-time and part-time experiences are acceptable.
Citizenship Status
United States Citizenship, USCIS Permanent Residency, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status or similar relief from deportation is required for Professional or Permanent certification.
Certification Exams
New York State Teacher Certification Exams
Exam Scores and your TEACH Account
In order for exam scores to appear properly in your TEACH account, all account information in your NYSTCE (Pearson) account must match exactly what is listed in your TEACH account (full name, Social Security number, date of birth). The name listed in both accounts must contain the same exact information (e.g., – middle initial, hyphenated names must be the same, last name, no nicknames, etc).
First, you must login to both accounts and make sure that all information matches exactly. If your accounts don’t match, you must change your NYSTCE (Pearson) account to match what is listed in your TEACH account. This should solve the problem. Exam scores are continuously transmitted between the NYSTCE system and the TEACH system.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your information matches across both accounts, to make sure that the exam result(s) are transmitted properly. If you have any questions about how to get your scores transmitted to your TEACH account, you can contact NYSTCE (Pearson) at: (800) 989-8532.
edTPA Certification Requirement Eliminated
Fingerprint Clearance
Fingerprinting for Certification
Please check your NYSED TEACH Account to verify that you have fingerprint clearance.
Go to TEACH Home > Account Information > Fingerprinting
| “We have received your fingerprint information from NYC” |
| “Your DCJS and FBI results have been received” |
You have fingerprint clearance, no further action is required.
| “Teach does not have your fingerprint information. If you have been fingerprinted by NYCDOE, contact NYCDOE HR Connect for more information at 1-718-935-4000. For all others, please contact MorphoTrust/IDEMIA at: http://www.identogo.com or by phone at 1-877-472-6915.” |
If you were fingerprinted by the NYC DOE you will need to submit an OSPRA 104 Form.
OSPRA 104 Form
What is an OSPRA 104 form?
The OSPRA 104 Form is to be filed by individuals who have been previously fingerprinted (after July 1, 1990) for a license and/or employment by the New York City Public Schools (NYC Public Schools) and are authorizing the NYC Public Schools to forward their criminal history to the New York State Education Department for certification application and/or employment purposes.
Can I submit an OSPRA 104 Form?
Any individual with fingerprints on file with the NYC Public Schools is eligible to submit an OSPRA 104 form with the exception of Go Pass Volunteers. You do not need to be a current employee or active on a PETS roster to be eligible for this process. However, please note, fingerprints of individuals who have not had any activity in their Applicant Gateway account for six (6) or more years have been purged from Applicant Gateway. If your fingerprints have been purged, you will need to take new fingerprints for New York State Education Department, see Fingerprinting by New York State (9444)
Must I be nominated for a NYC Public Schools position in order to submit an OSPRA 104 Form?
No, you are not required to be nominated. Your fingerprints can be transferred to your TEACH account as long as they have not been purged from Applicant Gateway.
Is there a cost associated with the OSPRA 104 Form?
There are no fees associated with the submission of this form.
How do I submit the OSPRA 104 form?
- Obtain the OSPRA 104 form. This is also available via the NYS Education Department website: http://www.nysed.gov/educator-integrity/fingerprinting-forms.
- Complete applicant sections 1 and 2. For section 2 select the checkbox that BEST describes your situation, even if it doesn’t fit 100%. Please note that ALL fields are required. Failure to complete all fields accurately will delay processing.
- Sign and date applicant section 3.
- Submit the completed form by uploading the form to the HR Connect Web Portal. Once logged into the portal, follow these steps:
- Click “Upload Documents” which appears at the top of the screen.
- All fields on the Upload Document page must be completed to submit your form.
- From the Category drop down menu select “Walk-in Center OSPRA 104”.
- Enter in the Subject field “OSPRA 104 form.”
- Enter any additional details in the Notes field.
- Attach the form/supporting document(s) by clicking the Choose File button.
- When you have uploaded all pertinent documents, Click Submit.
Note: To check the status of your request at any time, go to My Account which appears at the top of the screen and select Account Overview.
Important Tips:
You must have an NYS TEACH account and ensure that the information listed in your NYS TEACH account and the information in your Applicant Gateway profile matches correctly. If your personal information does not match (i.e., different last name, or date of birth), your OSPRA 104 process will not be successful.
If the information in Applicant Gateway is incorrect, and you would like to change it, please see answers:
Updating Personal Information using Employee Self-Service (NYCAPS ESS) (9125)
PDC Form – Personal Data Changes (9106)
How long will it take for my OSPRA 104 form to be processed?
OSPRA 104 requests will generally be processed within 7-10 business days.
If it has been more than three weeks since your submission of the OSPRA 104 form you may check the status of your request by going to My Account which appears at the top of the screen and selecting Account Overview.
You may also follow up with the New York State OSPRA Unit at (518) 473-2998 and/or check your TEACH account for updates.
Alternatively, if you would like to have your fingerprints taken by NYS directly, please see: Fingerprinting by New York State (9444).
Fingerprinting Contact Info
NYSED
Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability (OSPRA)
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue, Room 981-EBA
Albany, New York 12234
Phone: (518) 473-2998
Email: OSPRA@nysed.gov
Updated 9.23