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What is Teacher Certification? Teacher Certification is a process by which a teacher candidate meets all of the requirements outlined by the New York State Department of Education and becomes licensed to teach in PK-12 teaching environments including public, private, and charter schools.
What is the Difference Between Initial and Professional Certification? When you want to become a teacher, your end goal is to receive your Professional Certification from New York State. Initial Certification is a conditional certification for beginning teachers that expires 5 years after the date it is issued. After the Initial Certification period is over, teachers who have completed all of the requirements for Professional Certification may apply for that more long-term certificate.
Nazareth’s School of Education’s two undergraduate education programs are Initial Certification programs. In addition, the School of Education offers multiple Initial Certification programs for graduate students who want teaching certification and don't have an academic background in education.
Initial Certification is a Two-step Process:
Once you finish your degree and all its requirements, the Nazareth University Certification Office "recommends" you for certification to New York State. That is, we turn in documentation saying that you have met all of the requirements of your education program that are housed at Nazareth. This is what WE do.
YOU have to make sure the rest of the requirements for certification get done. This includes fingerprinting, passing the appropriate certification tests, and applying for your certifications through the TEACH database system. All of these cost money, too. While we provide resources and support to help you complete these requirements, ultimately it is up to YOU to get them done. Please consult our Teacher Certification web page for updated information on all of these requirements.
Nazareth’s School of Education also offers a variety of programs leading to additional and professional certifications for students who are already certified in one area and want to add another certification or deepen their learning in a certification area for their Professional Certificate.
Additional Certifications may require passing additional certification exams (Content Specialty Tests).
Professional Certification Requires 4 Elements:
A Bachelor's Degree
Initial Certification
A Master's Degree in education or field related to the certification area.
3 years of teaching experience
The clock starts on your 5-year countdown to Professional Certification once your Initial Certification is issued. Documenting your work experience in your certification area is essential. If needed, you can file for a 3-year extension on your Initial Certification through New York State Education website. Please consult Nazareth's Teacher Certification web page for updated information.
In general, candidates are required to complete the following:
Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Training
All students are required to complete this training annually. The BBP training can be found on Moodle as a self-enrollable course and will be completed as a component of initial certification education programs.
Fingerprinting
Students in teacher education programs are required to be fingerprinted in order to obtain NYS teaching certification. This link has instructions as well as Service Code and URL for fingerprinting.
State Certification Workshops offered at Naz
Students in initial certification teacher education programs are required to complete two NYSED workshops. EDU 485 (undergraduate) or EDU 593 (graduate) Dignity For All Students Act (DASA) workshop covers prevention of discrimination and bullying. EDU 475 (undergraduate) or EDU 583 (graduate) Health Education/Child Abuse & Violence Prevention covers health education and violence prevention topics. The workshops are completed as a component of all initial certification teacher education programs.
State Certification Exams
There are a variety of NYSED teacher certification exams required for all teacher candidates.
Students in initial certification programs are required to take the following exams:
Educating All Students Test (EAS)
Content Specialty Tests (CST)--there may be multiple CST exams required for a single program.
Please see the New York State Teacher Certification Exams website for the most up-to-date and comprehensive information on exams.
Students are encouraged to follow the timeline outlined in their undergraduate or graduate education program for taking teacher certification exams. All exams are required in order to be certified and eligible for employment. Please refer to the Teacher Certification website for more specific information.
The School of Education has a Certification Officer who is available to support students as they navigate the various certification pathways.
Tracey Britton
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