Educator Certification
The Brooklyn College Teacher Preparation Program leads to New York State teacher certification.
All students seeking New York State teacher certification must apply and pay a fee to be certified. Your program advisers and certification officer are available to support you with your questions on certification, testing and other matters in your transition from student to teacher.
Complete the following steps in any order:
Before you graduate, you must file for a graduation audit.
You must file for a graduation audit in person (not online) at the Brooklyn College Enrollment Services Center in the West Quad Center. Complete the instructions given in your degree audit letter. Follow the schedule below. Your graduation must be confirmed by the registrar for the official graduation date listed in order to be eligible for the dates listed for NY State teacher certification .
| Graduation Term: Official Graduation Date | File for Graduation | Earliest Date for Graduation to Be Verified and Recommendation for Certification to Be Entered by Brooklyn College | New York State Teacher Certification Effective Date (Provided All Steps Are Completed) (see below*) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring: June 1 | On or before March 14 | Early July | You are eligible for employment in New York State under the certificate as of the date it is issued. |
| Summer: Sept. 1 | On or before June 15 | Late September | You are eligible for employment in New York State under the certificate as of the date it is issued. |
| Fall: Feb. 1 | On or before Oct. 15 | Early March | You are eligible for employment in New York State under the certificate as of the date it is issued. |
*Effective dates will be posted as either Feb. 1 or Sept. 1. Note that you are eligible for employment in New York State under the certificate as of the date it is issued. Refer to new effective date information.
Teaching Fellows and candidates for advanced certificates: Call 718.951.4800, and the Secondary Education office will advise you on the steps needed.
School Psychology, Counseling and Educational Leadership: Call your program office, 718.951.5448
All other students: At least a month or two before you graduate, go to the New York State TEACH site.
Create an account or verify and update your existing TEACH account. Check that your required certification tests are posted on your TEACH account.
Complete Your Certification Tests
Important
If you are applying for your first initial certification, and if you cannot complete all of the current certification requirements before April 30, 2014, including confirmation of fall 2013 graduation, you must take the new tests beginning in fall 2013.
- Go to this link for important information on testing requirements (including details on registration, fees and deadlines)
- New Testing Requirements (pdf)
Students who are applying for first initial certification after the fall 2013 semester will be required to complete the following tests:
- edTPA: As part of student teaching. Data for this assessment will be processed through the Tk20 system. The edTPA is not a required assessment for speech-language pathology.
- EAS: Educating All Students test
- ALST: Academic Literacy Skills Test
- CST: Content Specialty Test. Candidates who do not pass the current CST(s) for their field before the new tests are implemented will be required to take and pass the new test(s). The New York State Education Department recommends that any candidate with an anticipated graduation date after December 2013 wait to take the new exams. Refer to the test schedule. The CST is not required for speech-language pathology.
- SBL: School Building Leader assessment. Only for candidates for this program.
- PRAXIS II: for professional certification, speech-language pathology only.
If you already have your first initial New York State certification and it is in effect (that is, it is valid, not expired, revoked, etc.) you will not need to complete the new certification tests unless you are applying for certification for a different subject. If you are applying for certification in a new subject, you will need to complete the CST examination for certification in that content area.
Complete Your Mandated Workshops
Check that your mandated workshops are posted on your TEACH account if this is your first initial certification. If you have not taken the workshops, refer to the workshop link, register, and complete the workshops at least a month before you graduate. Your workshops must be posted on your TEACH account or verified by the certification officer before your recommendation for teacher certification can be entered by Brooklyn College.
New Workshop
All school professionals applying for a New York State teaching certificate or license on or after Dec. 31, 2013, are required to complete the new DASA (Dignity for All Students Act) training on the social patterns of harassment, bullying and discrimination.
Complete Your Fingerprint Clearance Documentation
Check that your fingerprint clearance has been posted on your TEACH account.
Complete Your Application for New York State Teacher Certification
Complete and pay for your TEACH application:
- Verify and update your profile.
- Select your certificate. Refer to the Student Information Sheet for details, including your program code.
- Choose the correct certificate type:
- Initial Certification: Teaching less than three years.
- Professional Certification: For this you must have three or more years of paid teaching experience and a related master's degree. You also need one year of mentored experience.
- Candidates who are applying for additional certification can refer to the links for further instructions.
- Educational Preparation: Select "Approved Teacher Preparation Program" and enter the program code from the Student Information Sheet.
- Select: "I want my application to be reviewed by the State Education Department."
- Make your payment by credit card (highly advised, rather than by using a money order). Keep records of your payment and transaction summary.
What's Next
Your recommendation for teacher certification will be entered by the certification officer according to the timeline above, provided your mandated workshops have been verified and your graduation has been confirmed by the registrar. Monitor your TEACH account. There are two types of evaluations: automated and manual. Automated evaluations are posted when the automated system at the Office of Teaching Initiatives has completed an evaluation. Manual evaluations are posted when your transcripts and other documentation are examined by an officer at the Office of Teaching Initiatives. Refer to the information at New York State Education Department, Office of Teaching Initiatives
Initial Certificates
Initial certificate effective dates are posted about one day after requirements are met. You will not receive a printed certificate, but you can refer to your effective dates on your account online. Refer to the information posted at the Office of Teaching Initiatives FAQ page. You can print out your account status by going to your New York State TEACH account and printing out your certificate information as you see it posted there. Initial certificates are valid for five years.
Professional Certificates
You must allow at least three months for your application to be evaluated. A printed certificate will be sent to you, and you can verify your effective dates on your TEACH account.
Effective Date
You must complete all certification requirements in order to be given an effective date. The date your certificate is issued is the date your certificate is effective.
Prior to December 4, 2013, certificates were issued with an effective date of either February 1 or September 1 of a given year. The Department provided guidance to school districts that indicated that you were eligible to work under that certificate in New York as of the date the certificate was issued. Commissioner’s Regulations were amended effective December 4, 2013 to make the certificate effective on the date it is issued.
You are eligible for employment in New York State under the certificate as of the date it is issued.
Refer to http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/faqeffdate.html
Expiration dates
As of December 4, 2013, if you are issued a time limited certificate, (i.e. Initial, Provisional, Temporary coaching, Teaching Assistant Level I and II etc.), the expiration date will be set based on the length of time the certificate is valid (i.e. 5 years, 3 years, etc.) and the next sequential September 1 or February 1.
A certificate issued between September 2 and February 1, will have an expiration date of January 31.
Certificates issued between February 2 and September 1, will have an expiration date of August 31.
Refer to http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/faqeffdate.html
If you need written confirmation of your expected date of degree conferral:
If you need written confirmation of your expected date of degree conferral for your employer before the timeline detailed above, you can request a statement of graduation as long as you have met all degree requirements. Refer to your degree audit letter. You may request a statement of graduation by e-mail from Assistant Registrar Julie Hegner about two weeks before your expected date of graduation. State that you are asking for a statement of graduation and provide her with your name, the last four digits of your Social Security number (it is very important that you do not send the entire Social Security number), phone number and mailing addresses. Her office will mail the statements directly to the address provided, and you can supply the letter to the place of your employment and to the certification officer.
