NCLB Memo 10-2003 Part 3.What are the State requirements for teaching assistants in Section 80-5.6 of the Commissioner's Regulations?

Part 3. What are the State requirements for teaching assistants
in Section 80-5.6 of the Commissioner's Regulations?
Source: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/part80.htm#5.6

§ 80-5.6 Supplementary school personnel.

(a) Teacher aide. A teacher aide may be assigned by the board of education to assist teachers in such nonteaching duties as:

(1) managing records, materials and equipment;

(2) attending to the physical needs of children; and

(3) supervising students and performing such other services as support teaching duties when such services are determined and supervised by teacher.

(b) Teaching assistant. (1) Description and duties.

(i) Description. A teaching assistant is appointed by a board of education to provide, under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher, direct instructional service to students.

(ii) Duties.

(a) Teaching assistants assist teachers by performing duties such as:

(1) working with individual pupils or groups of pupils on special instructional projects;

(2) providing the teacher with information about pupils that will assist the teacher in the development of appropriate learning experiences;

(3) assisting pupils in the use of available instructional resources, and assisting in the development of instructional materials;

(4) utilizing their own special skills and abilities by assisting in instructional programs in such areas as: foreign languages, arts, crafts, music and similar subjects; and

(5) assisting in related instructional work as required.

(b) Teaching assistants who hold the pre-professional teaching assistant certificate shall have the same scope of practice as other teaching assistants, in accordance with the duties prescribed in clause (a) of this subparagraph. Within that scope of practice, teaching assistants holding a pre-professional teaching assistant certificate may, at the discretion of the employing district, and while under the general supervision of a teacher, perform such duties as:

(1) working with small groups of children so the teacher can work with a large group or individual children;

(2) helping a teacher to construct a lesson plan;

(3) presenting segments of lesson plans, as directed by the teacher;

(4) communicating with parents of students at a school site or as otherwise directed by a teacher; and

(5) helping a teacher to train other teaching assistants.

(2) Licensure and certification requirements. (i) The requirements of this subparagraph shall be applicable in the event that an application has been submitted to the department on behalf of the candidate on or before February 1, 2004 for either the temporary license or continuing certificate, and upon application the candidate qualifies or has qualified for the credential; and for candidates who do not meet this condition, the requirements of subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph apply. Any such candidate employed as a teaching assistant shall hold one of the following credentials:

(a) Temporary license. Upon application of a superintendent of schools, a temporary license as a teaching assistant may be issued to a person having the qualifications defined in subclause (1) of this clause:

(1) Preparation. The candidate shall have completed a four-year high school program or its equivalent. Such study shall be supplemented by training and experience appropriate to the position in question.

(2) The application for this license shall be filed on forms prescribed by the commissioner and shall include the following information: the name and address of the candidate; the candidate's education; related teaching, administrative and/or supervisory experience; occupational and/or practical experience; and other unusual qualifications; a description of the teaching assistant's duties; a description of how the teaching assistant will be supervised; a description of the employing school district's in-service training program for teaching assistants and the professional staff utilizing such personnel; and a description of the district's plan for using teaching assistants.

(3) Time validity. The temporary license shall be valid for one year from its effective date. No more than two temporary licenses may be issued to the same individual.

(b) Continuing certificate. Upon application of a superintendent of schools, a continuing certificate as a teaching assistant may be issued to a person having the qualifications defined in subclause (1) and (2) of this clause:

(1) Preparation. The candidate shall have completed six semester hours of appropriate collegiate study in or related to the field of elementary and/or secondary school service at a regionally accredited institution of higher education or at an institution approved by the department. The commissioner may approve alternative preparation as required in this paragraph.

(2) Experience. The candidate shall have completed one year of experience as a licensed teaching assistant or as a certified teacher in an approved school.

(3) Time validity. The continuing certificate shall be valid continuously, except when the holder thereof has not been regularly employed as a teaching assistant in the public schools of New York for a period of five consecutive years, in which case the validity of the certificate shall lapse.

(ii) The requirements of this subparagraph shall apply to candidates who apply on or after February 2, 2004 for a credential to work as a teaching assistant. The candidate shall apply to the department for the certificate.

(a) Level I teaching assistant certificate.

(1) Preparation. The candidate shall meet the requirements in each of the following items:

(i) Education. The candidate shall have attained a high school diploma or its equivalent.

(ii) Examination. The candidate shall submit evidence of having achieved a satisfactory level of performance on the New York State Teacher Certification Examination Test of Communication and Quantitative Skills.

(2) Time validity. The certificate shall be valid for one year from its effective date and shall not be renewable, unless the certificate holder submits adequate evidence of the need to renew the certificate for one additional year to meet the experience requirement for the level II teaching assistant certificate.

(b) Level II teaching assistant certificate.

(1) Preparation. The candidate shall meet the requirements in each of the following items:

(i) Education. The candidate shall have attained a high school diploma or its equivalent and successfully completed a total of at least six semester hours of collegiate study acceptable toward meeting the requirements for a baccalaureate degree.

(ii) Examination. The candidate shall submit evidence of having achieved a satisfactory level of performance on the New York State Teacher Certification Examination Test of Communication and Quantitative Skills.

(iii) Experience. The candidate shall submit adequate evidence substantiating satisfactory employment as a teaching assistant for one school year under a level I teaching assistant certificate or under a temporary license authorizing employment as a teaching assistant.

(2) Time validity. The certificate shall be valid for two years from its effective date and shall not be renewable.

(c) Level III teaching assistant certificate.

(1) Preparation. The candidate shall meet the requirements in each of the following items:

(i) Education. The candidate shall have attained a high school diploma or its equivalent and successfully completed a total of at least 18 semester hours of collegiate study acceptable toward meeting the requirements for a baccalaureate degree.

(ii) Examination. The candidate shall submit evidence of having achieved a satisfactory level of performance on the New York State Teacher Certification Examination Test of Communication and Quantitative Skills ( See NOTE ) .

(iii) Experience. The candidate shall submit adequate evidence substantiating satisfactory employment as a teaching assistant for one school year under a level I teaching assistant certificate or a level II teaching assistant certificate or under a temporary license authorizing employment as a teaching assistant.

(2) Validity of certificate and professional development requirement. The level Ill teaching assistant certificate shall be continuously valid, provided that the professional development requirement prescribed in section 80-3.6 of this Part is met. The holder of the certificate shall be required to meet such professional development requirement to maintain the continued validity of the certificate.

(d) Pre-professional teaching assistant certificate.

(1) Preparation. The candidate shall meet the requirements in each of the following items:

(i) Education. The candidate shall have attained a high school diploma or its equivalent, successfully completed a total of at least 18 semester hours of collegiate study acceptable toward meeting the requirements for a baccalaureate degree, and be matriculated in a program registered as leading to teacher certification pursuant to section 52.21 of this Title, or its equivalent, or in a program with an articulation agreement with such a program.

(ii) Examination. The candidate shall submit evidence of having achieved a satisfactory level of performance on the New York State Teacher Certification Examination Test of Communication and Quantitative Skills ( See NOTE ) .

(iii) Experience. The candidate shall submit adequate evidence substantiating satisfactory employment as a teaching assistant for one school year under a level I teaching assistant certificate, a level II teaching assistant certificate, or a level III teaching assistant certificate, or under a temporary license or continuing certificate authorizing employment as a teaching assistant.

(2) Validity of certificate and renewal of certificate. The certificate shall be valid for five years from its effective date, at which time it must be renewed to be valid. In order to be renewed, the holder of the certificate shall demonstrate matriculation in a program registered as leading to teacher certification pursuant to section 52.21 of this Title, or its equivalent, or in a program with an articulation agreement with such a program, and completion during the five-year period in which the certificate is held of 30 semester hours of coursework in such a program.

NOTE: The New York State Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills (NYSATAS) has replaced the Communications and Quantitative Skills Test (CQST).

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)