(Submitted by Kristine Hanington)
As of today there are 2 roads that can be taken to certification. Those roads diverged on Feb. 2, 2004. Prior to this date, your certification would follow the regulations for provisional and permanent certification. From this date on your certification will be called initial, transitional, or conditional eventually leading to a professional certificate.

Basic requirements for those who originally applied for certification prior to Feb. 2, 2004 are as follows:

Before you received your provisional certification you would have completed the following requirements:

• Baccalaureate degree
• Student teaching
• Take and pass the LAST (Liberal Arts and Sciences Test)
• Take and pass the ATS-W (Assessment of Teaching Skills – Written)
• Required for some academic subject areas is the CST (Content Specialty Test)
• Child Abuse Identification Training Class
• School Violence Prevention Class
• Fingerprinted

After receiving your provisional certification you would have begun working toward your permanent certification. The last effective date for most provisional certificates is 2009. (Some special circumstances may apply.) These are the requirements for permanent certification. They are in addition to the requirements for provisional certification.

• Two years of teaching experience
• Master’s degree
• Take and pass the CST if not already done so
• Complete the ATS-P (Assessment of Teaching Skills - Performance) video
• Additional Application for Certification
• Other tests may apply depending upon the certification area

Basic requirements for those applying for certification from Feb. 2, 2004 and beyond are as follows:

Prior to receiving an initial certificate you would have completed the following.

• Baccalaureate degree that includes general education, content specific, and pedagogical coursework
• Student teaching
• Take and pass the LAST
• Take and pass the ATS-W
• In most cases take and pass the CST
• Child Abuse Identification Training Class
• School Violence Prevention Class
• Fingerprinted

After receiving your initial certificate you would have begun working toward your professional certification. These requirements are in addition to the requirement for initial certification. (The first initial certificates were issued in September 2004.)

• Three years of teaching experience with the first year as a mentored teaching experience
• Master’s degree
• Additional application for certification
• United States Permanent Residence status
• Other tests may apply depending upon your specific certification area

In order to maintain a professional certificate you will have to complete 175 hours of professional development every 5 years. The MTA has worked diligently to create a form in which you can document your completed hours. (These are available through your senior building representatives.) The district is required to submit your completed hours to the state but it is in your best interest to keep copies of all documentation related to professional development.

Please be aware that these tests and applications also come with fees. For every certification that is applied for, a separate fee is charged. Each test also has its own fee.

Every circumstance is different. Some other requirements may apply to you or someone you know. This is just a guideline of the basics that apply to most everyone.

As an employee of the district you must maintain a valid and current certificate. You are also required to provide the district with such documentation. The burden of proof is yours.

To find information on specific certifica-tions and answers to more specific questions the following resources may be helpful to you:

State Education Web site:
www.highered.gov/tcert

Testing Web site:
www.nystce.nesinc.com

Regional Certification Officer at Orange/Ulster BOCES:
Charlotte Zupetz
Telephone (845) 291-0140
(there are specific hours to call regarding certification).
E-mail:
czupetz@ouboces.org
Web site:
www.ouboces.org/mgmtserv/eachercert.html