New York State Teacher Certification

Welcome to the Roberts Wesleyan University Teacher Certification page!

The Department of Teacher Education has a dedicated Certification Coordinator, Kelly Wendlandt, to assist with all phases of the certification process, and she continues to support alumni with certification needs and questions throughout their academic and professional careers. She is happy to meet with you and answer any questions you might have about becoming a certified teacher.

The following information is meant to assist individuals in regards to New York State certification; it is not meant to supersede or replace information provided by the New York State Education Department.

Types of Certificates

In New York State, there are different types of teaching certificates; the most common types are Internship (entry-level certificate for students in an M.Ed. program), Initial (entry-level certificate, valid for five years), and Professional (advanced-level certificate, valid indefinitely).

Internship Certificates

Internship certificates are aimed for first-time educators in a Master’s of Education program leading to certification.

At Roberts, students in the Initial Certification M.Ed. program who are participating in job-embedded student teaching may ask for an Internship certificate if the following conditions are met:

  • Complete 50% of the program requirements
  • Complete DASA and fingerprinting
  • Obtain a request for Internship certification from an employer
  • Obtain a recommendation from the Initial Certification M.Ed. Steering Committee

Internship certificates are issued immediately prior to student teaching; they are valid for two years, or until the student graduates or leaves the program. 

Please note that Roberts Wesleyan University students who receive Internship certificates are still expected to complete all of the student teaching requirements.

Click here for more information about Internship certificates: Internship Certificate: Types of Certificates and Licenses:OTI: NYSED

Initial Certificates

Initial certificates are entry-level certificates for first-time teachers. They are valid for five years; within those five years, New York State expects teachers to meet the following requirements in order to be eligible to apply for a Professional certificate.

If you do not complete all of the above requirements within five years, you may apply for up to two reissuances of your Initial certificate if you meet the eligibility requirements. (Reissuance of Expired Initial Classroom Teacher and School Building Leader Certificates:Certification:OTI:NYSED).

Professional Certificates

Professional certificates are advanced-level certificates that are valid indefinitely as long as you keep up with CTLE (Continuing Teacher and Leader Education) hours (Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Requirements).

Once you have met the above requirements (listed under Initial Certificates) for Professional certification, you should complete the following steps:

1. Make sure NYSED has verification of your mentorship experience (if working in a public school) and paid experience.

New York State public schools will do this electronically; non-public or out of state schools should use these forms:

2. Apply through your TEACH account.

Pathways to Certification

Are you wondering which pathway to certification is right for you? There are various pathways to receiving a New York classroom teaching certificate which take into account various backgrounds and experiences.

Below are some of the most common experiences and the most common recommended pathways.  The pathways will include other requirements such as exams, workshops, fingerprinting, etc.

Please note that these are general recommendations only. For more information on all the pathways, click here: Pathways to Certification: Which Pathway is Right for Me?

Candidate ProfileSuggested Pathways
NYS-certified teachers who need to complete a related Master’s for Professional certificationEnroll in a Master’s of Ed program for certified teachers such as the M.Ed. in Literacy or the M.Ed. in Special Education offered at Roberts.

Career changers who completed their BA/BS in another field

Enroll in an Initial Certification Master’s program such as the Initial Certification M.Ed. offered at Roberts. There are options in Childhood and Adolescence.
Career changers who completed their BA/BS and Master’s in another fieldEnroll in an approved Initial Certification program such as Pathway to Teaching or the Master’s program in Childhood or Adolescence. Your enrollment representative can direct you to the best option given your background.
Career changers who have some undergraduate credit but did not complete their BA/BSEnroll in an approved Initial Certification program, such as Pathway to Teaching offered at Roberts. This program is a great option for working professionals.

NYS-certified teachers who are seeking additional certifications

Apply through the “Additional Classroom Teaching Certificates” pathway.

Individuals who completed a comparable teacher preparation program in another US state or territoryApply through the “Completion of a Comparable Education Program in Another US State” pathway.
Individuals who currently hold a teaching license in another US state or territory and have completed 3 years of teaching within the last 7 years
Apply through the “Endorsement of a Certificate” pathway.
Individuals who never completed a teacher preparation program but have taken many education classes and have completed student teaching or a comparable paid work experience
Apply through the “Individual Evaluation” pathway.
College professors with at least two years of experience and a related Master’s degreeApply through the “IHE Professor Experience” pathway.

Certification Resources

For more information regarding any of the below subjects, please follow the relevant links/instructions:

Creating a NYS TEACH Account

All New York State Teachers need an NYS TEACH account.

Your account will stay with you through your professional career, and you will use it to perform functions related to certification.

  1. Go to TEACH System :OTI:NYSED
  2. Click on the box that says “Create an NY.gov TEACH Account”
  3. Enter and confirm your personal information
  4. Keep your login information handy for future use

Note: If you think you may already have a TEACH account, do not set up another account; instead, use the “Forgot Username/Password” to see if you are already registered.

NYS Certification Exams

https://www.nystce.nesinc.com/

Fingerprinting Instructions

In order to complete fieldwork in the schools, complete student teaching, or become certified, you must be fingerprinted through MorphoTrust/IDEMIA, and the results must be in your TEACH account.

If you have already been fingerprinted for working in schools, you do not need to do it again. You can check your TEACH account to see if your results have been received and recorded.

  1. Log onto www.IdentoGO.com and click on “Get Fingerprinted.”
  2. Select “New York” and “Go.”
  3. Select “Digital Fingerprinting.”
  4. When asked for your Service Code, type in 14ZGQT.
  5. Select “Schedule or Manage Appointment.”
  6. Be sure to follow all instructions to schedule an appointment and make payment as necessary.
  7. If you have any questions, please contact OSPRA at ospra@nysed.gov or call (518) 473-2998.

Workshops Required for Certification

All New York State educators need to complete the following workshops for certification:

  • Child Abuse Identification and Reporting (New)
  • Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
  • School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE)

Additionally, those who are seeking Students with Disabilities certification need to take the following:

  • Coursework or Training in the Needs of Children with Autism

Roberts offers these trainings each semester for enrolled students; reach out to Kelly Wendlandt (wendlandt_kelly@roberts.edu) for more information.

Office of Teaching Initiatives

https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/

Contact Information

  • Office of Teaching Initiatives Certification Help
    tcert@nysed.gov | 518-474-3901

Frequently Asked Questions

Both! Roberts has options for dual certification in general and special education at every academic level.

To add an additional certification, you will want to check the NYS requirements for that certification.

Look at the Pathway called “Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate (Must Hold a Valid Teacher Certificate).” Follow those guidelines to complete anything you do not currently have, as adding a certification may require additional coursework/exams.

For example, if a Childhood teacher wants to extend down to Early Childhood, that teacher would most likely need to take only one additional class and the appropriate certification exams.

Roberts offers acceptable courses for that extension over the summer at a competitive rate.

When it is time to apply, you would do so through the “Additional Classroom Teaching Certificates” pathway.

Roberts does have a Transitional B program registered in NYS, but the University is not currently running it. The University has found that its initial certification programs designed for working adults at both the bachelor's degree completion and master’s levels work well for students and meet the needs of the students, the surrounding districts, and the University.

Teachers come in all ages, shapes, and sizes. If you plan to keep working for 10 years, we believe it’s not too late to make the change.

Here are some helpful guidance and real-life examples of second-career teachers.

Yes, there are! Historically, the NYS teaching market ebbs and flows, and we are currently facing a significant teacher shortage. According to NYSUT (2019)...

  • The U.S. Department of Education predicts America will need 160,000 new teachers per year
  • In NYS, we will need up to 18,000 new teachers every year
  • Since 2009, there has been a 53% drop in college students enrolled in teacher prep programs across the state
  • NYS Teacher Retirement System predicts that 32% of NYS teachers could retire in the next several years
  • The U.S. Department of Education has identified 18 areas of teacher shortage in New York (compared to only 2 areas a decade ago)

Yes. Here is the Office of Teaching Initiatives’ list of acceptable teaching experiences.

Yes, in your TEACH account, you need to register as an active teacher, and then you need to keep up on required CTLE hours.

Questions? Contact Our Certification Coordinator

wendlandt_kelly@roberts.edu

585.594.6448

8am-5pm M-F