New York State Certifications for Teachers  

New York State (NYS) Certifications are a requirement for all teachers, school administrators and pupil personnel service providers who are employed or wish to become employed in the New York State’s public schools. Want to become a teacher in New York? 

Let’s find out how.

Table of contents

What are the educational requirements for certification in New York State?

To become a teacher in New York, you must meet requirements as stipulated by the Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI). New York requires that all state teachers hold a Bachelor’s degree, complete a New York State teacher certification program and pass the required content examinations. Once you meet these requirements for certification, you may be issued an initial certificate that is valid for five years. 

The other alternative is to take the traditional route of New York State teacher certification whereby you complete an approved teacher preparation program at an accredited New York college or university. Thereafter, you get institutional recommendation for certification by the certification officer at that particular university.

However, if you attended a teacher preparation program out-of-state, you may be eligible for an educator’s certificate. This is if your completed program is comparable to an approved program in New York. Such a program may be completed as part of the candidate’s Bachelor’s degree or as a post-graduate certificate or master’s program.

The good news is this entry-level certificate enables you to proceed to the professional certificate. This is an advanced-level license that remains valid if as a teacher, you complete the appropriate number of professional development hours every five years. 

It is important to note that you will not receive New York State teacher certification if you do not complete a program at an accredited school. So first, confirm accreditation before making a decision. For more details on the New York teacher preparation programs, please visit the New York State Education Department website.

What are the different types of teacher licensure in New York State?

Certificates currently available for applicants in New York State include:

  • Coaching types. These include professional and temporary coaching licenses plus their renewal, whose details you can find from their website.
  • Classroom teacher types. Such certifications range from the Initial Certificate to the Internship Certificate, the Residency Certificate up until the Visiting Lecturer. Please see certificates currently available for you.
  • Pupil personnel service types. This teacher certification comprises the permanent certificate, provisional certificate as well as the Internship program which currently targets the School Counselor only. Please see more details.
  • School administrator and supervisor types. Certificates currently available for you in this line are the: Initial Certificate, Internship Certificate, Professional Certificate as well as the Transitional D certificate. You can find out more on these particular New York State teacher certifications from their website.
  • Teaching assistant types. For the teaching assistant, they run from Level I to Level III as well as the pre-professional teaching assistant certificate. Details on the same are available on their website.

Do NYS professional teaching certificates expire?

The answer to this varies depending on what level you are at. Let’s get the details.

Once you acquire your Initial Certificate, you have five years to complete the requirements for a Professional Certificate. This includes mentoring during your first year of teaching and gaining at least two more years of teaching experience during this five-year period. 

However, you may also attain the Professional level by obtaining a master’s degree in your area of initial certification from a graduate-level teacher preparation program. Your professional Certificate remains valid as long as you maintain the professional development (PD) standards of the New York State Department of Education during each five-year block.

These PD standards include completing 175 hours of professional development every five years. The New York public school that employs you will approve your PD hours and report them to the Department of Education. Your school must however keep record of your PD hours for seven years in case of an audit. 

Find out how you can apply for renewal or reinstate your certification in case you do not complete the required 175 PD hours.

Can you teach outside your certification?

Unfortunately, all experience must be gained in regionally-accredited schools outside California. Teaching experience gained in California is not acceptable. Good news is, teaching experience does not need to correspond with the type of certification requested and may be a combination of general education and special education.

How to get NYS certified as a teacher

Are you looking to pursue a career in teaching in New York? If yes, the good news is you can actually earn your teaching degree online. How? So you find that many schools in and out of New York State allow students to complete most of their teaching coursework online, with a bit of in-person student teaching required. Earning your teaching degree online allows you flexibility, freedom, and affordability.


It is important you take note that each state has its own requirements on what prospective teachers need to do to earn a teaching license. You should therefore familiarize yourself thoroughly with which criteria is needed to receive your New York State teaching certification. A teaching license is required in any state if you seek to work as a teacher.

However, there is not one general process to follow in order to acquire this license in the U.S.The criteria applicants must meet to work as teachers is however, similar. Let us go through a step-by-step process on how to acquire your New York State teacher certification:

  • First, determine the licensing requirements for the state in which you seek to teach in, before you select your program. Find out more on the New York State reciprocity agreements for teaching licenses from other states.
  • Provide proof you hold a Bachelor’s degree. You must hold a Bachelor’s degree (in any subject) from a regionally accredited college or university, to receive a New York State teaching certification.
  • Completed an approved teacher preparation program. Individuals who complete teacher prep programs in other states may be eligible for certification without completing an additional program in New York. But this is if it is comparable to New York’s approved programs. Please see the New York database of approved programs.
  • Receive a passing grade on required exams. To receive teaching certification with your first Initial Teaching Certificate in New York, you must pass two New York State Teacher Certification exams. That is: Educating All Students (EAS) and edTPA. You must also receive a passing grade on content speciality test(s) in your certification area. For example, if you want to teach math, you must take a math test.
  • Pass background clearance by New York. You must first pass a criminal history background check if you seek to work in New York schools. This is to ensure you do not pose a threat to student safety. The NYS Education Department fingerprints all prospective teachers and other school employees as part of the background check process. For this service, you must pay a $99 fingerprinting fee and if you have no criminal background, you will get cleared within 24 hours of submitting your fingerprints.
  • Take required workshops. You must take the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Workshop to receive your New York State certification. However, you may be required to take additional workshops depending on what type of teaching certificate you want and what education and experience backgrounds you have.
  • Submit application for teaching certification. You will need to submit an application packet. After submitting the online application, send in your supporting documentation including exam scores, official transcripts, copies of teaching certificates from other states, documentation of experience and documentation of paid teaching experience. All these documents must include your current name, date of birth, and last four digits of your social security number.
  • Payment of all fees. Pay up all your teacher certification fees. You pay a $99 fingerprinting fee for your criminal background check as well as a licensing fee when submitting our application. A $50 fee is charged for applicants who qualify for certification by completing a New York State approved program or a $100 fee for applicants who qualify using any other pathway.

Top 10 New York State Certifications for teachers

All teachers employed in public schools in New York State must hold a valid certificate issued in accordance with the Education Law and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. The New York State teacher certifications are issued by the Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI) which certify that an individual has met required degree, coursework, assessment, and experience requirements. 

Certificates are issued in a number of titles in four major categories: classroom teaching titles, administrative/supervisory titles, pupil personnel service titles (i.e., psychologist, social worker, school counselor) and teaching assistant titles. Let us go through several professional New York State teacher certifications:

1. Transitional A

This teaching certificate is designed for individuals in specific career and technical subjects but are enrolled in an alternative certification program. Transitional A teaching certification is valid for three years and leads to the initial certification.

2. Transitional B

This New York State certification is tailored for persons enrolled in an alternative certification program. Transitional B is valid for three years and also leads to initial certification.

3. Transitional G

This teaching credential is meant for practicing higher education faculty with advanced degrees in STEM subjects. It is an alternative certification pathway. The Transitional G certification is valid for two years and leads to initial certification.

4. Initial Teaching Certificate

This New York State teacher certification replaced provisional certification and is the first teaching certificate. Initial certificates are valid for five years with the potential for a time extension or a re-issuance of the initial certificate but under certain circumstances. The State Education Department no longer prints Initial certificates. Thus, you can confirm your certification status by checking your TEACH accounts. You can access your TEACH account by using this link to self-register and choose a login name and password.

5. Transitional C

This New York State certification targets career changers and others with a graduate academic or professional degree enrolled in an alternative certification program. The Transitional C credential is also valid for three years but it leads to professional certification.

6. Professional Teaching Certificate

This particular teacher certification replaced permanent certification and it selects the next step in sequence of initial to professional certification. The Professional Certificate is valid continuously with fulfilment of professional development requirements.

Holders of initial teaching certificates are expected to progress to the professional teaching certificate within the stated five year period. This is by completing requirements for professional certification which are:

  • Three years of teaching experience, with one year as a mentored experience. However, if you have had at least two years of teaching prior to service in a public (or private) school under an initial certificate, you are exempted from the ‘mentored experience’ requirement.
  • Successful completion of an appropriate master’s degree.
  • Completion of the 6-hour DASA training workshop (that is, if you will not have completed it as a requirement for the initial certificate).

7. Internship

This New York State certification is issued to students in graduate teacher education programs for employment in specified districts. The Internship certification is valid up to two years and is not renewable. Please note that it is service area specific.

8. Statement of Continuing Eligibility (SOCE)

This particular credential allows you to continue teaching theater, gifted education and American Sign Language. But this is if you taught in these areas before September 1, 2006. The SOCE certification is valid for life and is transferable from one New York State School district to another. 

9. Permit for Service in Areas where No Certificate Exists

This New York State teacher certification is designed for districts to employ you in a position for which no certificate currently exists (e.g., Native American studies). This permit remains valid for two years but may be extended for five years’ intervals. It is issued only for service in districts which have requested this permit.

10. Supplementary Certificate

The supplementary teaching certificate allows currently certified teachers to obtain an additional teaching certificate in certain situations. That is, where there is a demonstrated need, by completing some of the requirements for the additional certificate up front. You then complete remaining requirements over a five year period. This New York State teacher certification leads to an initial or professional certificate, depending on your previous teaching experience.

Please see more details on the Supplementary Teaching Certificate.

You get your bonus!

11. Visiting Lecturer

This teaching credential is for districts intending to employ an individual with unusual qualifications in a specific subject. It remains valid for only a year and is typically issued to teachers from other countries.

Find more resources on these top New York State teaching certifications, including additional teaching certificates you can acquire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the State Education Department notify you when your initial certificate is about to expire?

Yes. Beginning summer of 2017, the State Education Department started to notify holders of certificates that will be expiring within 6 months. For this notification to work however, the certificate holder must have a valid email address in the TEACH system. 

Can you substitute teaching to fulfil part or all of the 3-year experience requirement?

Yes. The substitute teaching experience needs to be in the area or areas for which you are certified to qualify as teaching experience. For example, substitute teaching at the elementary level will not count if you are certified on grades 7-12.

When should you actually apply for the professional certification? Is it as soon as you have met the requirements or at the end of the five year window?

When to apply is entirely up to you. However, allow for three to four months for the State Education Department to process your application. 

Once you receive your Initial Certificate, you will be enrolling in graduate school. How can you find out which master’s degrees will be acceptable toward satisfying the requirements for a Professional certificate?

If you earned your initial certification by completing a graduate level teacher education program and that college recommended you for the initial certificate, that same program satisfies the master’s degree requirement for the professional certificate. Please visit the NYSED Professional Certificate page to find out possible ways to meet educational requirements for a Professional Certificate.

Who has to register their New York State certification with the State Education Department?

The answer is, any holder of a teaching certificate in the classroom teaching service, teaching assistant certificate or education leadership certificate that is valid for life. ‘Valid for Life’ includes certificate titles that currently require professional development hours to maintain the certificates “in good standing” with the State Education Department.

Conclusion

A New York State teaching certification is a requirement if you wish to become employed in the New York State’s public schools. However, to be eligible, you must meet certain education requirements from an accredited school. Take note that each state has its own requirements on what prospective teachers need to do to earn a teaching license. You should therefore familiarize yourself thoroughly with which criteria is needed to receive your New York State certification. Otherwise, getting certified has been made easy because the process is now mainly done online with a wealth of resources to take advantage of.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab that license, certification, education…whatever you need.

References

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Ajah Excel is a team growth and performance expert with over nine years of experience in blogging and personal development. He leads a team of 36 crazy, restless innovators with an enviable work culture at Silicon Africa Technologies Limited – a fast-rising tech firm from the SouthEast. Excel is the founder of Kiiky.com and WriterGig. He is also the co-organizer of TEDx Ikenegbu and convener of Social Media Fest. He is a vibrant learner who yearns to share his knowledge to educate and inspire young Africans. He has a B.Tech in Information Management Technology with certifications in growth hacking, effective communication, leadership, team, and personal development, to mention a few. Ajah Anayochukwu Excel is a passionate public speaker, creative writer, and brand storyteller.

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