Certification
Applicants from Other States (Interstate Reciprocity)
Applicants
who hold a certificate from another state, or who have completed an approved
program that would lead to a teaching certificate in another state, may
be eligible for a certificate through interstate reciprocity.
- Options for Certification
-
Specific Information Regarding:
- Alternative Programs
- Applicants Already Holding a NYS Certificate in the Same Subject via Reciprocity
- Applicants Who Possess a Special Education Certificate from Another State
- Certificate Endorsements
- Certificates from Other Countries
- Leadership Certification
for Applicants from Other States
- Pupil Personnel Certification for Applicants from Other States
- Alternative Programs
- Progressing from Initial to Professional Certification
- How to Apply
Options for Certification
| Options | Requirements | Leads to... | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
Possess a Comparable Certificate
from Another State. A comparable certificate requires
one of the following:
|
|
Conditional Initial Certificate |
2 Years
|
| Do not Possess a certificate from another state, but completed an approved teacher education program in another state. The program must be comparable to a New York State teacher preparation program and lead to Certification in the state in which the college or university resides.* |
|
Initial Certificate | 5 Years How to Apply |
* Applicants who completed an approved teacher preparation program at a New York State College or University, and possess a comparable certificate in another state, are required to have three years of teaching experience if they wish to receive a certificate through interstate reciprocity.
Specific Information Regarding:
- Alternative Programs
Applicants who have completed alternative teacher preparation programs in other states are required to have at least three years of full-time teaching experience under the certificate. How to Apply
- Applicants Already Holding a NYS Certificate in the Same Subject via Reciprocity
Reciprocity cannot be used twice for the same subject. If you have already been issued a NYS Conditional-Provisional certificate or a Provisional certificate on the basis of reciprocity in a particular subject and that certificate has expired, you are not eligible for reciprocity in that same subject area for the Initial certificate. If, for example, you were issued a Provisional certificate in English based on reciprocity and you did not meet requirements for the Permanent certificate in English, it is not possible to be issued an Initial certificate, again based on reciprocity, in English Language Arts. The Initial certificate must now be evaluated through the “Individual Evaluation Pathway”
- Applicants Who Possess a Special Education Certificate from Another State
New York State certificates in special education are issued in the following certificate titles:Students with Disabilities (Birth – Grade 2)
Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6)
Students with Disabilities (Grades 7-12 Generalist)**An applicant who does not hold a certificate in a content core area (i.e. Mathematics, English, Biology, etc.) can not receive the Students with Disabilities + Content certificates. How to Apply
- Certificate Endorsements
In many cases, endorsements in additional subject titles from another state do not satisfy the requirements for reciprocity because they are not comparable certificates. A comparable certificate requires the completion of an approved teacher education program that is comparable to New York State requirements or satisfactory teaching experience for three of the previous seven years under the certificate. How to Apply
- Certificates from Other Countries
If you have a teaching certificate from another country, please submit a copy of the certificate along with original, or original notarized copies of transcripts (records of courses completed) of all college-level coursework completed. Office of Teaching Initiatives Comparative Education staff will review the programs you completed and the certificate for comparability to an approved program in New York State in that subject. How to Apply
- Leadership Certification
for Applicants from Other States
- Pupil Personnel Certification
for Applicants from Other States
(School Social Worker, School Psychologist, School Counselor, School Nursing, School Dental Hygiene, School Attendance)Since there are no testing requirements for Pupil Personnel certificates, applicants who are eligible for Certification via interstate reciprocity will receive a Provisional certificate. A Provisional certificate is valid for 5 years, during which the applicant must complete the requirements for Permanent Certification. How to Apply
Progressing from Initial to Professional Certification
Candidates issued Initial certificates must still satisfy all graduate degree, experience, and workshop requirements for the Professional certificate. Professional Certification in most titles requires a master's degree, and three years full-time experience, the first year of which must include mentored experience. The requirement for mentored experience is waived if the candidate has two or more years of teaching before the issuance of the Conditional Initial certificate.
*Applicants already holding a Initial Certificate must select the "Pathway: Certificate Progression" when applying for a Professional Certificate. How to Apply
How to Apply
- To apply online, click .
- Upon completion of your application, apply for fingerprinting using your TEACH account.
- For information about the fingerprint process, go to Fingerprinting .
- Contact the registrar's office of each college/university you attended and ask that they submit official transcripts to this office.
- If applicable, mail a copy of your valid out-of-state certificate to:
Office of Teaching Initiatives
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Ave, 5N EB
Albany, New York 12234