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The New York State Education Department (NYSED) in Albany, NY is the state agency that issues your NYS Certificate which is required to work in public schools across NY State. The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is your employer if you work for NYC Public Schools.
You must apply for NYS Certification, please see application instructions.
Yes, please visit TEACH NYC.
Speech and Language Disabilities and School Counseling students please visit this TEACH NYC site
Please note if you have already registered as a student teacher you will need to re-register, create a new username and password and submit a new application when seeking employment within NYC public schools.
The NYCDOE application process will require a letter of expected completion. Please use this Letter of Expected Completion. Please complete your information and upload to your NYCDOE application. If you are unable to upload, you may fax the letter to the NYCDOE at 718-935-3532, Attention: Pending Documents
You may use this letter for any prospective employer.
Please also review the NYCDOE Application Process and FAQ.
In the past, NYCDOE file numbers were issued when a NYS certified teacher applied for a NYC teaching license whether or not there was an offer of a teaching position. The NYCDOE no longer issues licenses.
The NYCDOE file number is a unique identifier issued to educators in the NYCDOE for payroll purposes. You are not issued a file number until after you have been hired and it will be issued after your first paycheck. If you were previously issued a file number as a substitute teacher or employee, you will keep that file number.
You do not need a file number to be hired (payrolled), it is processed through your social security number.
Please visit OLAS JOBS.
Please visit International Student Information.
Log in to your NYSED TEACH account (if you haven't yet created an account Self-Register to do so), once logged in, click on TEACH Home, click on the Account Information link , highlight Fingerprinting, click Submit. You should see the statement "Your DCJS and FBI results have been received" if you were fingerprinted using the NYSED IdentoGO process. If you were fingerprinted by the NYCDOE for student teaching at 65 Court Street in Brooklyn, you should see the statement "We have received your fingerprint information from NYC" Either statement indicates that the NYSED has your fingerprint clearance. Ignore No Data Found underneath in either case.
If you were fingerprinted by the NYCDOE for student teaching at 65 Court Street in Brooklyn and your fingerprint information does not appear in your NYSED TEACH account, complete the OSPRA 104 Form, do not check a box in Section 2 if none apply, and email the form to HRCServiceCenter@schools.nyc.gov
The NYCDOE will transfer your fingerprint clearance to the NYSED.
Program completers are not recommended automatically, you must request that Steinhardt recommend you after you've applied online, see question 2 above. The Request for Recommendation Form can be found in the application instructions.
Steinhardt will recommend May, July 1st and January completers only after all grades have been posted on your NYU record and your degree has been awarded. We recommend post-July 1st Summer completers (September graduates) once your summer grade(s) have all posted on your NYU record.
Please see NYSED Policy Statement on Liberal Arts and Sciences or pdf version.
Unfortunately the NYSED does not send notification of certificate issuance. Log in to your NYSED TEACH account, click on TEACH Home, click on the Account Information link, highlight Certificates, click GO. For more details, please visit NYSED Checking the Status of Your Application.
For your certificate(s) to have issued, you must have applied for NYS certification, passed all of your required NYS exams, fingerprint clearance must appear in your NYSED TEACH account and you must have been recommended by NYU Steinhardt. NYU Steinhardt recommends May, July 1st and January completers only after all grades have been posted on your NYU record and your degree has been conferred. You can monitor degree conferral in Albert. Post-July 1st Summer completers (September graduates) will be recommended once all summer grade(s) have posted on your NYU record.
The NYSED no longer issues paper Initial Certificates, please see NYSED. You will not receive your certificate(s) in the mail (unless you request them for an additional fee, see below) nor will you receive an email indicating that they have issued in TEACH. Initial Certificates will only issue in your TEACH account. The screen in your account indicating your issued status does not look like a certificate nor is it in pdf format. You could print this page or take a screenshot to email to prospective employers. The NYCDOE and other NYS school districts have access to TEACH and may view your certification status. However, if you need or wish to have a paper copy, you may request one for an additional fee. Once your certificate has issued in TEACH, log in to your account, click on TEACH Home on the top menu and then click on "I would like a printed certificate" under Online Application heading. Please also see NYSED for additional information.
The NYSED allows already NYS certified individuals to apply for most additional areas of certification (or extensions) on their own, not through NYU or with an NYU recommendation, but rather through the Individual Evaluation for an Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate (Must hold a valid certificate) Pathway, the Additional Science Discipline Certificate (for Science 7-12 certificate holders) Pathway or another Individual Evaluation Pathway. You may view the requirements on the NYSED Search Certification Requirements site.
If you were certified prior to the NYSED's new DASA workshop requirement, you will need to complete the DASA workshop prior to the issuance of any additional or new certificates, please see details
As a matter of policy, NYU Steinhardt does not evaluate transcripts for individuals applying through the Individual Evaluation for an Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate (Must hold a valid certificate) Pathway or any another Individual Evaluation Pathway. Any evaluation completed other than by the NYSED would be unofficial and possibly inaccurate.
To apply for additional areas go back to the TEACH Online system, apply for the additional Initial Certificate(s) (or Professional only if you already hold Professional in another area) or extension(s) online following the instructions on the website.
When prompted for a program code, you DO NOT enter a program code, instead select:
On the Interstate Reciprocity screen, select No, I am not eligible to apply through the Interstate Reciprocity Pathway. Then select the Individual Evaluation for an Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate Pathway or Individual Evaluation Pathway if the system does not default to it.
*Please be advised that if you enter a program code that does not pertain to the degree you completed through NYU Steinhardt, your certificate will not issue as you will not be recommended for certification in that area.
You will then need to submit your transcripts (and/or other documentation) and wait for them to review. You can request an NYU transcript. If your or an employing school wants to expedite the process once the NYSED has received your transcripts, please see steps.
You may wish to include course descriptions in your correspondence with the NYSED.
Steinhardt course descriptions may be found online or in current or past bulletins.
Include your name, the last four digits of your social security number and your date of birth in any correspondence you send to the NYSED.
Please see Submitting Documents to the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
*When your transcript(s) are first received, your application status will be Ready for Review. Ready for Review means just that - your application is in the queue to be reviewed and hasn't been reviewed by an evaluator at the NYSED yet. The system defaults to "deficient" or "unmet" for some requirements until the application is evaluated, it more accurately should state "not yet reviewed" next the those requirements. The evaluation will change once your application is reviewed.
As you would be applying directly to the NYSED, please contact them with any questions you may have.
NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
Phone: (518) 474-3901
email: tcert@nysed.gov
Staff are available to answer questions: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
As answered in question 12 above, the NYSED allows already certified teachers to apply for additional certificates on their own, not through NYU or with an NYU recommendation, you may view the requirements on the NYSED Search Certification Requirements site. To add Early Childhood B-2 (once you hold Childhood Ed 1-6) and/or Students with Disabilities (SWD) B-2 (if you also hold SWD 1-6) you will need to re-apply to the NYSED online and submit your transcript(s). You are not applying for extensions, but rather stand alone certificates in Early Childhood B-2 and/or SWD B-2.
The NYSED requires at least 6 credits that must address the Early Childhood developmental level, which you may have already completed as part of your program. If you have, go back to the TEACH Online system, apply for the additional Initial Certificate(s) (or Professional only if you already hold Professional in another area) online following the instructions on the website.
If you were certified prior to the NYSED's new DASA workshop requirement, you will need to complete the DASA workshop prior to the issuance of any additional or new certificates, please see details.
According to the NYSED, if you've taken the old non-grade range specific Multi-Subject CST, you will not need the to take and pass the Multi-Subject Early Childhood B-2 CST. If you've taken and passed the Multi-Subject Childhood 1-6 CST, the NYSED will require that you complete Parts 1 and 2 of the Multi-Subject Early Childhood B-2 CST. Part 3 is the same.
When prompted for a program code, you DO NOT enter a program code, instead select:
On the Interstate Reciprocity screen, select No, I am not eligible to apply through the Interstate Reciprocity Pathway. Then select the Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate (Must hold a valid certificate) Pathway.
You will then need to submit your transcripts and wait for them to review. Request an NYU transcript. If your school wants to expedite the process once the NYSED has received your transcripts, please see steps.
You may wish to include the course description(s) for the Early Childhood course(s) in your correspondence with the NYSED.
Course descriptions may be found online or in current or past bulletins.
Include your name, the last four digits of your social security number and your date of birth in any correspondence you send to the NYSED.
Please see Submitting Documents to the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
*When your transcript(s) are first received, your application status will be Ready for Review. Ready for Review means just that - your application is in the queue to be reviewed and hasn't been reviewed by an evaluator at the NYSED yet. The system defaults to "deficient" or "unmet" for some requirements until the application is evaluated, it more accurately should state "not yet reviewed" next the those requirements. The evaluation will change once your application is reviewed.
As answered in question 12 above, the NYSED allows already certified teachers to apply for additional certificates on their own, not through NYU or with an NYU recommendation, you may view the requirements on the NYSED Search Certification Requirements site. To add Childhood Ed 1-6 (once you hold Early Childhood Ed B-2) and/or Students with Disabilities (SWD) 1-6 (if you also hold SWD B-2) you will need to re-apply to the NYSED online and mail them your transcript(s). You are not applying for extensions, but rather stand alone certificates in Childhood Ed 1-6 and/or SWD 1-6.
The NYSED requires at least 6 credits that must address the Childhood Ed developmental level, which you may have already completed as part of your program. If you have, go back to the TEACH Online system, apply for the additional Initial Certificate(s) (or Professional only if you already hold Professional in another area) online following the instructions on the website.
If you were certified prior to the NYSED's new DASA workshop requirement, you will need to complete the DASA workshop prior to the issuance of any additional or new certificates, please see details.
According to the NYSED, if you've taken the old non-grade range specific Multi-Subject CST, you will not need to take and pass the new Multi-Subject 1-6 CST. If you've taken and passed the newer Multi-Subject B-2 CST, the NYSED will require that you complete Parts 1 and 2 of the newer Multi-Subject 1-6 CST. Part 3 is the same.
When prompted for a program code, you DO NOT enter a program code, instead select:
On the Interstate Reciprocity screen, select No, I am not eligible to apply through the Interstate Reciprocity Pathway. Then select the Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate (Must hold a valid certificate) Pathway.
You will then need to submit your transcripts and wait for them to review. Request an NYU transcript. If your school wants to expedite the process once the NYSED has received your transcripts, please see steps.
You may wish to include the course description(s) for the Childhood Ed course(s) in your correspondence with the NYSED.
Course descriptions may be found online or in current or past bulletins.
Include your name, the last four digits of your social security number and your date of birth in any correspondence you send to the NYSED.
Please see Submitting Documents to the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
*When your transcript(s) are first received, your application status will be Ready for Review. Ready for Review means just that - your application is in the queue to be reviewed and hasn't been reviewed by an evaluator at the NYSED yet. The system defaults to "deficient" or "unmet" for some requirements until the application is evaluated, it more accurately should state "not yet reviewed" next the those requirements. The evaluation will change once your application is reviewed.
Please see Adding Students with Disabilities, All Grades PreK-12 Certification
Many states have signed an interstate agreement on reciprocity but it does not necessarily waive exam, fingerprinting or additional state specific requirements. Please see details on interstate agreements specifically the section What it is not. You MUST still apply for certification in each state that you wish to be certified to teach in.
Many states do not require that you hold NYS certification to apply in their state, only that you've completed a traditional state approved certification program plus complete their additional requirements such as exams and fingerprinting.
Some states do require that you hold certification in another state to apply for certification in their state.
It is best to check the certification website of the state you are hoping to be certified in and then check again closer to graduation as certification requirements change often.
Requirements for all states can be found easily online by searching for state name and teacher certification. Look for a link for out of state prepared or out of state certified teacher which will outline the steps for you.
Direct link to the certification requirements in other states from teach.org
NYU Steinhardt will complete out of state verification forms required by the application process for other states, please see question 16.
While NYU Steinhardt can assist you in determining whether your program meets or will meet the requirements of certification in that state and which additional requirements you may need to complete, the state's department of education or certification office will ultimately determine if you have satisfied the certification requirements in their state upon application. If you have specific questions regarding a particular state's requirements or application process, please email or speak to one of their certification representatives.
Please see Out of State Verification Forms.
Please see NYSED Master's Degree Requirement and NYSED FAQ.
You may be able to apply for a time extension or a reissuance.
As you would be applying directly to the NYSED for a time extension or re-issuance, please contact them with any questions you may have.
NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
Phone: 518-474-3901
email: tcert@nysed.gov
Staff are available to answer questions: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
Please see application instructions, scroll down to Professional Certification
Please see NYSED details and form OR if you were mentored in a NYC Public School, please email mentorverification@schools.nyc.gov
Your application is most likely listed as Ready for Review. Ready for Review means just that - your application hasn't been reviewed by an evaluator at the NYSED yet. The system defaults to "deficient" or "unmet" for some requirements until the application is evaluated, it actually means that those requirements have not been reviewed yet. Please see NYSED Experience Requirements. Have your employer(s) submit the Verification of Paid Experience Form to the NYSED. The evaluation will change once your teaching experience and application is reviewed.
Your application is most likely listed as Ready for Review. Ready for Review means just that - your application hasn't been reviewed by an evaluator at the NYSED yet. The system defaults to "deficient" or "unmet" for some requirements until the application is evaluated, it actually means that those requirements have not been reviewed yet. Please see NYSED Experience Requirements. Have your employer(s) submit the Verification of Paid Experience Form to the NYSED. The evaluation will change once your counseling experience and application is reviewed.
If this is incorrect, and you are a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, login to your TEACH account, click on TEACH Home, under Profile Links click on Update/Add Education, Employment and Personal Information. Then click on Edit Personal Information. Under Resident Status highlight "I am a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States" and click Submit. The evaluation should update the following day.
The DASA workshop requirement is new effective December 31, 2013, please see details from NYSED. The pre-Summer 2013 Steinhardt Drug and Alcohol Ed, Child Abuse Id, School Violence Prevention course did not include DASA. The workshops in Child Abuse Id and School Violence Prevention do not satisfy the DASA requirement. No one is grandfathered in.
Please see NYSED.
Certificates of completion are not issued nor required by the NYSED when these competencies are met through coursework which appears on a university transcript. The NYSED states the following on their website: For applicants completing New York State registered teacher education programs leading to certification, workshop completion will not display in the workshop table on the NYSED TEACH system. Once a recommendation from the institution is made, the requirement will appear as “checked off”. The training is a required component of the program, and no additional training is required.
Please submit to your employer or institution this letter as well as an official transcript. Request an official transcript.
If however you want the workshops to appear on NYSED TEACH, you can request that the NYSED include them in the workshop table by making a request in writing and mailing your transcript.
Include cover letter with your name, the last four digits of your social security number and your date of birth and mail with transcript and a request that they include the workshops from Drug, Alcohol Ed/Child Abuse ID/School Violence or Drug, Alcohol Ed/Child Abuse ID/School Violence/DASA to:
Office of Teaching Initiatives
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Ave, 5N EB
Albany, New York 12234
You'll want to wait until there is a grade on your transcript for the course before requesting and mailing your transcript.
A certificate of completion is not issued nor required by the NYSED when these competencies are met through coursework which appears on a university transcript. The NYSED states the following on their website: For applicants completing New York State registered teacher education programs leading to certification, workshop completion will not display in the workshop table on the NYSED TEACH system. Once a recommendation from the institution is made, the requirement will appear as “checked off”. The training is a required component of the program, and no additional training is required.
Please submit to your employer or institution this letter as well as an official transcript. Request an official transcript.
Certificates of completion are not issued nor required by the NYSED when these competencies are met through coursework which appears on a university transcript. The NYSED states the following on their website: For applicants completing New York State registered teacher education programs leading to certification, workshop completion will not display in the workshop table on the NYSED TEACH system. Once a recommendation from the institution is made, the requirement will appear as “checked off”. The training is a required component of the program, and no additional training is required.
Please submit to your employer or institution this letter as well as an official transcript. Request an official transcript. Wait until there is a grade on your transcript for the course before requesting your transcript.
Please see NYU Student Information and Services.
Please see NYU Registrar.
For salary purposes for the NYCDOE (NYC Public Schools) and other school districts, excess credits are those taken above and beyond your degree requirements. Excess credits are based on your bachelor's or master's number of required credits for the degree, not the minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's or master's degree in New York State or for any other degree.
For example, if your master's program required 42 credits and you completed 42 credits then you have no excess credits (even if the NY State minimum number of credits for a master's is 30). If your master's program required 42 credits but you graduated with 48 credits because you completed courses not required of your degree (study away, etc) then you potentially could have 6 excess credits.
There is some general information on the NYCDOE website for employment in NYC Public Schools but steps and details have been moved behind the NYCDOE log in portal. The UFT outlines the process at NYCDOE Salary Steps and Salary Differentials. The UFT also outlines additional details and sample language for the letter at Credits Earned in Excess of Degree Requirements
If you have not yet graduated, you should contact your advisor to request the courses and credits be formally excessed. If formally excessed with a statement on your transcript of Not applicable to current program under each course, that may be sufficient proof for your employer and you may not need to submit an excess credit letter. It is possible that your employer may still need the excess credit letter as well.
If you have already graduated, you should first contact your advisor or program to request that they submit a memo to Registrar outlining which courses and credits are excess.
Once Registrar has this information, they will be able to write an excess credit letter. You may request an excess credit letter by emailing graduation@nyu.edu
Please see details at NYSED.
As a matter of policy NYU Steinhardt does not evaluate transcripts for individuals applying through a reciprocity pathway. Any evaluation completed other than by the NYSED would be unofficial and possibly inaccurate.
As you would be applying directly to the NYSED through a reciprocity pathway, please contact them with any questions you may have.
NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
Phone: 518-474-3901
Staff are available to answer questions: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
You may also contact the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives electronically.
Please see details at NYSED.
As a matter of policy NYU Steinhardt does not evaluate transcripts for individuals applying through an Individual Evaluation Pathway. Any evaluation completed other than by the NYSED would be unofficial and possibly inaccurate.
As you would be applying directly to the NYSED through the Individual Evaluation of Non-U.S. Credentials pathway, please contact them with any questions you may have.
NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
Phone: 518-474-3901
Staff are available to answer questions: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
You may also contact the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives electronically.
1. Completion of a state approved teacher certification master’s program at a college or university offering such programs. NYU Steinhardt offers many state approved teacher certification master’s programs that lead to recommendation for New York State Initial Certification.
2. An alternative certification program like the New York City Teaching Fellows Program and other similar programs, see NYCDOE Alternative Routes to Certification
3. Applying directly on your own to the New York State Education Department’s Office of Teaching in Albany and satisfying the application via Individual Evaluation Pathway regulations, see FAQ 33 below.
*All options require workshops, if not included in program, as well as completion of required exams and fingerprinting
Please be advised that this is not a simple or straightforward process but the NYSED does allow individuals to apply for most areas of certification on their own through the Individual Evaluation Pathway. You may view the requirements on the NYSED Search Certification Requirements page.
As a matter of policy, NYU Steinhardt does not evaluate transcripts for individuals applying through the Individual Evaluation Pathway. Any evaluation completed other than by the NYSED would be unofficial and possibly inaccurate.
To apply, go to the TEACH Online system, apply for the certificate that you are interested in online following the instructions on the website.
When prompted for a program code, you DO NOT enter a program code, instead select:
On the Interstate Reciprocity screen, select No, I am not eligible to apply through the Interstate Reciprocity Pathway. Then select the Individual Evaluation Pathway if the system does not already default to it.
You will then need to submit all of your college transcripts (and other supporting documentation) and wait for the NYSED to review. If you attended NYU, you may request a transcript at NYU Transcripts. If your or an employing school wants to expedite the process once the NYSED has received your transcripts, please see steps.
You may wish to include course descriptions in your correspondence with the NYSED.
Steinhardt course descriptions may be found online or in current or past bulletins.
Include your name, the last four digits of your social security number and your date of birth in any correspondence you submit to the NYSED.
Please see Submitting Documents to the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
*When your transcript(s) are first received, your application status will be Ready for Review. Ready for Review means just that - your application is in the queue to be reviewed and hasn't been reviewed by an evaluator at the NYSED yet. The system defaults to "deficient" or "unmet" for some requirements until the application is evaluated, it more accurately should state "not yet reviewed" next the those requirements. The evaluation will change once your application is reviewed.
When your application is first evaluated, you are not denied if you do not meet the requirements, your application and transcripts are reviewed and then you'll be able to see the evaluation in your NYSED TEACH account, please see NYSED Checking the Status of Your Application
It does take some time for the NYSED to evaluate. The NYSED website states:
You can keep watch over the progress of your application by monitoring your TEACH online services account. This can be done by logging in to your TEACH account and viewing your Account Information page. From your Account Information page, you will be able to check on the status of a pending application and see when documents you have submitted have been received and entered, into your Account. You will want to take note of the application status, as noted on your Account Information page. Applications are evaluated in the order in which they enter “ready for review” status.
Once evaluated, you'll then be able to complete any missing requirements if they find you deficient in any areas and re-submit additional transcripts and supporting documentation, please see NYSED - Coursework to Satisfy Unmet Requirements
As you would be applying directly to the NYSED through the Individual Evaluation pathway, please contact them with any questions you may have.
NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives
Phone: 518-474-3901
tcert@nysed.gov
Staff are available to answer questions: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
You may also contact the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives electronically.