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.
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, tests, NYSTCE, certification applications, 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.
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. Start by applying for clearance with NYSED at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ospra/. Click HERE for further directions on how to process your fingerprints via LiveScan on campus.
Child Abuse Identification Workshop and SAVE/School Violence Prevention Workshop:
These trainings need to be completed for your Fieldwork Observations.
On-campus workshops are offered toward the end of each semester. For these, pick up a registration form on the bulletin board next to OM 115. Drop off the completed form and your money order with Chris Whitaker in OM 115A between 2:00 and 7:00 PM Monday-Thursday. Proof of completion will be documented on your transcripts once the workshop is completed.
Otherwise, take the workshops on-line at www.childabuseworkshop.com or 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 the on-line or other off-campus versions only, you need to have your SAVE and Child Abuse workshops documented on your permanent record for recommendation by sending copies of your workshop certificates of completion to Rec. & Reg. in HAB 19, or faxing them to (845) 257-3103 to the attention of Elizabeth Shuipis, or emailing them to shuipise@newpaltz.edu .
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/.
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.
Certification Examinations:
Candidates for certification must achieve qualifying scores on the appropriate tests in the New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE) program. ***Candidates graduating in May 2014 or after should wait for the new tests to be available before beginning testing. For more information, check:
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexamsl2012.html
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_SLA_Registration.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 http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/faqtests.html
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.
Remember: SUNY New Paltz cannot recommend you for certification without your written permission. Be sure to sign at the bottom, authorizing SUNY New Paltz to recommend you. If you forget to do this, a Teacher Certification Recommendation Authorization Form is available HERE and must be submitted to Records and Registration in HAB 19.
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/
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
Click HERE for step-by-step directions on how to apply for an additional certificate.
Certificate Progression:
Click HERE for step-by-step directions on how to progress your Initial certification to Professional using a master’s degree in a different teachable content area.
Interstate Reciprocity:
Those wishing to teach in states other than New York should check the Certification Map for information on each state's reciprocity agreement with New York.
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. (An original signature is sometimes required.)
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
www.newpaltz.edu/arted/
For graduate degree programs at SUNY New Paltz that lead to Initial and Professional certification, including Teacher Education, School Counseling, and Speech and Language Disabilities, please check the Graduate School's Web site.
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
Autism Workshop on-line Enter the registration code NewPaltz9 for the same rate as on-campus. This code only works for SUNY New Paltz students.
Registration Bulletin for Teacher Certification Exams
Certification Information: www.newpaltz.edu/edinfo/ OMB 115A, (845) 257-2790 or whitakec@newpaltz.edu
