Presentation on Teacher Certification in NYC and Determining Highly Qualified Teachers

1. Hire Right: Avoid Certification and HQ Pitfalls Caryl Cohen New York City Charter School Center February 8, 2010

5. I. Certification

8. Certification types Initial Certificate Description : Entry-level certificate for classroom teachers, issued in specific subject/grade titles. Validity : Valid for 5 years. Leads to : Professional Certificate Professional Certificate Description : The advanced-level certificate for classroom teachers (issued in specific subject/grade titles). Validity : Continuously valid with completion of required professional development hours on a five-year professional development cycle. Provisional Certificate Description : The entry-level certificate for classroom teachers. Discontinued as of February 2, 2004. Validity : Valid for 5 years. Leads to : Permanent Certificate Permanent Certificate Description : The advanced-level certificate for classroom teachers. Validity : Valid for life, unless revoked for cause by the New York State Education Department. Post February 2004

9. Certification: Types (cont’d) Annotation Description Certificate attached to a regular base certificate, recognizing that the holder has additional knowledge and/skills beyond the base certificate. Annotations are not required and are not-free standing. Validity Valid as long as the base certificate remains valid. Extension (subject) Description Certificate attached to a regular base certificate, authorizing the holder to teach an additional student population, grade, or subject not authorized by the base certificate. Extensions are not free-standing, they may be attached to multiple base certificates. Validity Valid as long as the base certificate remains valid. Conditional Initial Description The certificate for classroom teachers issued to individuals holding a teaching certificate in the same or equivalent title from another state, but who have not yet met the NYS testing requirement. The certificate holder has up to two years to meet the testing requirements to qualify for an Initial certificate. Validity Valid for two years. Leads to Initial Certificate.

10. Certification: Types (cont’d) Level I Teaching Assistant Certificate Description Entry-level certificate for teacher assistants. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) Validity Valid for three years, with the possibility of renewal for three additional years to meet the experience requirement for the Level II teaching assistant certificate. Leads to Level II Teaching Assistant Certificate Level II Teaching Assistant Certificate Description Second-level certificate for teaching assistants. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) Validity Valid for three years and not renewable. Leads to the Level III Teaching Assistant certificate. Level III Teaching Assistant Certificate Description Third-level certificate for teaching assistants. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) Validity Continuously valid with completion of the required professional development hours every five years. (The five-year professional development cycles begin on July 1 following the issuance date of the certificate.)

11. Certification: Types (cont’d) Pre-Professional Teaching Assistant Certificate Description Advanced-level certificate for teaching assistants. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) Validity Valid for five years; may be renewed with matriculation in a teacher preparation program and completion of 30 semester hours of collegiate study. Internship Certificate Description Certificate issued to a student in a registered or approved graduate teacher education program, permitting the holder to serve an internship in a public school. Issued at the request of the college or university, provided that the student has completed one-half of the program's semester hour requirement and has guaranteed employment in a school district. This certificate is maintained electronically in the TEACH system, no actual paper certificate is generated. Validity Valid for two years and not renewable.

12. Certification: Types (cont’d) Supplementary Certificate Description Certificate issued to already-certified classroom teachers to enable them to teach in a different subject area where a shortage exists. Candidates for the Supplementary certificate must meet certain semester hour and test prerequisites and have a commitment from the employing school for appropriate support while transitioning to the new subject area. Validity Valid for three years while completing requirements for the Initial certificate in the new subject area. Leads to Initial Certificate. Transitional B Description First-level teaching certificate issued to a school district to permit the employment of an individual who is enrolled in an alternative teacher Certification program. The Transitional B is tied to the school placement. Issued in classroom teaching titles. This certificate is maintained electronically in the TEACH system, no actual paper certificate is generated. Validity Valid for 3 years while the individual is matriculated in an alternative program. Leads to Initial certificate.

16. II. Interstate Reciprocity

22. III. No Child Left Behind: Highly Qualified Requirements

30. IV. Fingerprinting

32. Fingerprinting

33. V. Teaching Assistants

36. March 8 certification workshop Teacher Certification Workshop Date : Monday, March 8, 2010 Time : 3:30-8:30 pm Location : NYC Charter School Center, 111 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY Sponsored by : NYC Charter School Center Teachers must register via email to Caryl Cohen by close of business Thursday, March 4, 2010. Please note that these workshops are only available to current and prospective staff in NYC charter schools that have registered and paid the applicable fee for certification services for the 2009-10 school year. All participants need to bring copies of all college transcripts for the workshop. Kindly contact Caryl with any questions.

37. Helpful links Clarification of the date newly-certified teachers can commence employment www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/memo060407.html Frequently asked questions www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/faq.html TEACH resources for school employers (includes Employer Fingerprinting Training Guide) www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/teach/resourcesd.html Guide to “Who Must Be Fingerprinted” www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ospra/fingerprintingcharts.html Recent certification changes including the new supplementary bilingual extension certificates www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/news/recentchg.html Information about teaching assistants – qualifications/requirements/, Level I,II,III or Pre Professional certificates, FAQ www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/career/ta.html

39. Caryl Cohen Consultant, Teacher Certification 111 Broadway, Suite 604 New York, New York 10006 Telephone: (212) 437-8326 Fax: (212) 227-2763 [email_address] www.nycCharterSchools.org