This page will provide you with clear and concise information regarding teacher certification at SUNY New Paltz. The Office of Teaching Initiatives provides comprehensive information regarding the teacher certification process in New York State, including an FAQ page that will answer most of your questions.
Levels of Certification
Initial: The Initial certificate is the entry-level classroom teaching certificate in New York State, and is issued for a specific subject/grade level (e.g., Biology 7-12) and to School Building Leaders. An Initial certificate is valid for 5 years, with the possibility of a two-year time extension, and leads to Professional certification.
Professional: The Professional certificate is the second-level classroom teaching certificate and required school administration certificate in New York State, and is issued to a holder of an Initial certificate with the completion of the master's degree, the three-year classroom teaching experience, and the one-year mentored experience requirements. The Professional certificate is continuously valid, with the completion of 175 hours of required professional development on a 5-year cycle over the life of the certificate.
Provisional: The Provisional certificate is the entry-level certificate for pupil personnel professionals (e.g., School Counselors) in New York State and is issued for grades Pre K-12. A Provisional certificate is valid for 5 years and leads to Permanent certification.
Permanent: The Permanent certificate is the second-level certificate in pupil personnel service titles (e.g., School Counselors), and is issued to holders of a Provisional certificate with a Permanent institutional recommendation and the two-year full-time pupil personnel experience requirement. The Permanent certificate is continuously valid with no further requirements unless revoked by the state.
Undergraduate degree programs at SUNY New Paltz that lead to Initial certification include:
Bachelor of Science in Education (Birth-2) or (1- 6)
www.newpaltz.edu/elementaryed
Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Art in Adolescence Education (7-12)
www.newpaltz.edu/secondaryed
Bachelor of Science, Art Education
http://www.newpaltz.edu/arted/
For graduate degree programs at SUNY New Paltz that lead to Initial and Professional certification, please check the Graduate School’s Web site.
Teacher Certification Requirements: How and When
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires teachers to obtain certification before they can teach. Remember, it is your responsibility to stay current on deadlines for graduation, certification tests and requirements. The steps to become recommended for certification by SUNY New Paltz involve the following:
Academic Preparation:
You must complete one of our NCATE approved programs of study in education, including an acceptable academic major, the required pedagogical coursework, student teaching placements and a conferred degree upon graduation.
Teaching Certificate Application:
When you start your Fieldwork Observations, open a TEACH account and apply for your Teaching Certificate at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/teach/login.htm.
Student Application Information Sheets with step-by-step directions (and Program Codes) will show you how to register, log-in, and apply for the appropriate teaching certificate. You can only use the specific Program Code that corresponds to your registered degree and program at SUNY New Paltz.
Additional Certifications:
The College can recommend you only for the specific title and type of certification which corresponds to your program. If you are seeking other certifications, you must apply directly to NYSED on-line at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/teach/
To identify the specific requirements needed for any given certificate, check NYSED's "Search Certification Requirements" at: http://eservices.nysed.gov/teach/certhelp/CertRequirementHelp.do.
Fingerprint Clearance:
Students must be cleared for Fieldwork Observations. This means 2 semesters before Student Teaching for Elementary Ed. and 3 semesters before for Adolescence Ed. Fingerprint Processing packets are available in SCB 112 and 128. Start by applying for clearance with NYSED at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ospra/. Click HERE for further directions and options for having your fingerprints processed by cards or LiveScan.
Then you can be fingerprinted at your hometown police station or at the state trooper station on Route 299 (your best bet!), but NOT at the New Paltz Village Police Station. Afterward, send the complete packet to NYSED. When your TEACH account indicates that your fingerprints have cleared, ("Fingerprint Information: Your DCJS and FBI results have been received."), print out a copy of this report with your account data and bring it to the Introduction to Student Teaching Meeting (one year prior to Student Teaching) to qualify for placement. If you have any questions about this process, please check www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/faqfin.htm and http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ospra/ospra100.htm or call 518-473-2998.
Child Abuse Identification Workshop:
This training needs to be completed for your Fieldwork Observations. For the on-campus workshop, pick up a registration form at SCB 105. Otherwise, take the workshop on-line at www.childabuseworkshop.com or and enter the registration code NewPaltz9 for the same rate as on-campus. This code only works for SUNY New Paltz students. For more information, contact Deb Gould in SCB 105 at 845-257-2874.
SAVE/School Violence Prevention Workshop:
This training needs to be completed for your Fieldwork Observations. For the on-campus workshop each semester, pick up a registration form at SCB 105. Otherwise, take the workshop on-line at www.violenceworkshop.com and enter the registration code NewPaltz9 for the same rate as on-campus. This code only works for SUNY New Paltz students. For more information, contact the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center, 62 Plattekill Avenue, at 845-257-2885.
Certification Examinations:
Candidates for certification must achieve qualifying scores on the appropriate tests in the New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE) program. Register for each examination at http://www.nystce.nesinc.com as you become ready to take them. The sequence in which to take them is as follows:
• The Liberal Arts and Sciences Test or LAST: In your junior year after the completion of the basic liberal arts and sciences coursework in your general education requirements.
• The Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written or ATS-W: Upon the completion of your pedagogy coursework and field experiences, or after your first placement in Student Teaching if you don't feel ready before then. Childhood Education majors take the Elementary ATS-W, and Adolescence Education majors take the Secondary ATS-W.
• The Content Specialty Test or CST*: After content courses are finished in either your junior or senior year. For Childhood Education students, this will not be until Student Teaching, and you would take the Multi-Subject Test. For Adolescence Education students, this can be as soon as the content major requirements are completed, and you would take the corresponding subject test.
• The School Leadership Assessments or SLA: (For CAS candidates only) After coursework is finished but before graduation, as passing scores are required for the degree. SDL, SBL, and SDBL Parts One & Two will all be administered individually on computer during five separate five-day testing windows per year. Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis for limited seating, so early registration is essential. For times and locations, please check: http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/NY_annSLAFlyer.asp
*Students seeking a certificate as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities will take the Praxis exam for Speech Pathology rather than the CST.
For more information about the NYSTCE program, please check www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/faqtests.htm
Degree Applications:
All students must apply for graduation and submit their application during the second-to-last semester of study to Records and Registration in HAB 19. You cannot be recommended by the college to NYSED for Teacher Certification without a conferred degree, whether or not you have completed the necessary coursework. The degree applications are available at www.newpaltz.edu/registrar/graduation.html.
Teacher Certification Recommendation Authorization Forms:
Remember to file this form with your degree application or during your Student Teaching semester at the latest. SUNY New Paltz cannot recommend you for certification without your written permission. Forms are available in SCB 112 or 128 or HERE and are submitted to Records and Registration in HAB 19.
NYSED Teacher Certificate:
Once the college recommendations have been submitted to NYSED, check http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/index.html for details on the processing of your certification application. It usually takes 60 days after your degree date for your recommendation to be sent to and processed by NYSED.
Receiving Your Certificate:
The college will recommend you for certification after your degree has been conferred (usually 6-8 weeks after grades are submitted), and then NYSED requires approximately 60 days to evaluate your application. Check your TEACH account "Evaluation History" for details on the processing of your application, as you may be missing a requirement, such as a workshop or an assessment. If all the requirements are met, you will be given a Control Number on your TEACH account, which you can use for job interviews until the paper certificate arrives in the mail (typically a couple of months afterward). Log in to your account to check your status: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/teach/login.htm
Out-of-State Verification:
Those finding employment as teachers in states other than NY should send the out-of-state verification forms to Elizabeth Shuipis in Records and Registration in HAB 19 for the signature of the Certification Officer and the university seal.
Resources for you:
Records & Registration: HAB 19 (845) 257-3110
Graduation Checklist:
Commencement Information: (845) 257-3972
NYSED Office of Teacher Initiatives: (518) 474-3901
Fingerprinting clearance: (518) 473-2998
SAVE Workshop on-line
Child Abuse Workshop on-line
SAVE at New Paltz: Mid-Hudson Teacher Center (845) 257-2885
Child Abuse Workshop at New Paltz: Dean's Office SCB 105, (845) 257-2874, or gouldd@newpaltz.edu
Registration Bulletin for Teacher Certification Exams
Certification Information: www.newpaltz.edu/edinfo/ SCB 128B, (845) 257-2790 or whitakec@newpaltz.edu
