certification > preparation pathways

Individual Evaluation of U.S. Credentials

Notice of Individual Evaluation Deadline

If you satisfy those requirements, the State Education Department will issue the appropriate certificate.  If you do not qualify, we will provide a detailed written evaluation that lists the remaining requirements you need to meet in order to receive the specified certificate.  Below are links to the information that can be found on this page.

• Evaluation through Regional Certification Offices
• "One Evaluation" Policy
• Satisfaction of Unmet Requirements
• Prior Approval of Coursework Enrollment, Experience or Exams
• Retention of Records
• Applying for a Certificate

Evaluation through Regional Certification Offices
Individual evaluation (in most certificate areas) is also available through any of the Regional Certification Offices  located at Boards of Cooperative Educational Services throughout New York State.  A limited number of Regional Certification Offices have staff who are available to meet with and advise applicants, and they provide expedited processing of applications.  Applications submitted through the Regional Certification Offices are forwarded for review by the State Education Department.  Regional Offices accept applications ONLY from those living within the office's jurisdiction or employed by one of its member school distircts.

"One Evaluation" Policy
We provide only ONE evaluation of credentials per application.   Your application must be complete and include all required documentation to receive an evaluation.

Satisfaction of Unmet Requirements
If you have not met all requirements for a certificate, you should complete all remaining course, assessment, and/or experience requirements first, and then submit the necessary transcripts and other documentation at ONE time.  Please include a cover letter stating that all unmet requirements have been completed and request that your certificate be issued.  Additional documentation should be submitted directly to the Office of Teaching Initiatives.

Please DO NOT SUBMIT INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTS AS YOU COMPLETE EACH REQUIREMENT.  Documentation submitted without a cover letter attesting to completion of ALL requirements may not be evaluated.

Prior Approval of Coursework Enrollment, Experience or Exams
Requests for prior approval of specific coursework, experience, or examinations may be submitted to the Office of Teaching Initiatives in writing for review.

• Applicants for teacher certification may request prior approval of coursework by submitting the form Request for Academic Coursework Approval Prior to Course Enrollment (PDF). This process is designed to allow applicants who have coursework deficiencies identified through a transcript evaluation conducted by the Teacher Certification Office a means to determine if a course is suitable to fulfill a course-credit deficiency. The applicant must provide a copy of the college catalog course description and for "Independent Study" or "Special Topics" courses, a letter or statement from the Professor offering the course that provides an appropriate course description or course syllabus.
   

• Credit by Examination:  Some of the coursework requirements may be satisfied by examination.  For information, contact Excelsior College at 518-464-8500 or the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) at 1-800-257-9558.  Credit earned through examination will be acceptable toward certification only if it does not duplicate college credit completed.  CLEP offers exams that apply to the requirements for English, math, science, social studies, and languages other than English, as well as professional education.  Excelsior College offers exams which satisfy requirements for professional education.
  
  

• Distance Learning:  Correspondence courses and courses offered via the Internet are accepted if they are allowed towards a degree program at a regionally accredited institution, are offered to students in residence, and are acceptable for certification by the state where the institution is located.  For more information about distance learning programs offered in New York State, go to the Office of College and University Evaluation (OCUE) web site for Distance Education: Programs by Institution and Subject Area.

Retention of Records
The Office of Teaching Initiatives retains paper records for three years.  If you take longer than three years to complete the requirements for your certificate, you must submit an Application Update (PDF) (no additional fee required), original college transcripts, and other supporting documentation.  Therefore, we suggest you retain copies of all documents you submit.