Certification
Individual Evaluation of U.S. Credentials
You may submit an application for an evaluation of your credentials for a certificate. Before applying for a Certificate, please search for the requirements for the certificate you are requesting. Click on the Icon below to search the Certification requirements.
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 listing 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
- Satisfaction of Unmet Requirements
- 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
districts.
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 original transcripts and other
documentation at ONE time. Please leave transcripts in sealed envelopes
from the college. 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.
- Credit by Examination: Some of
the coursework requirements may be satisfied by examination.
Credit earned through examination is acceptable toward Certification
only if it does not duplicate college credit completed.Two
options are the College
Level Examination Program (CLEP)
(1-800-257-9558) and
Excelsior
College (518-464-8500). 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: Some of the coursework requirements maybe satisfied by correspondence courses and courses offered on the internet. For details, go to Distance Learning .
Retention of Records
The Office of Teaching Initiatives retains paper records for three
years. If your file has been inactive for three or more years,
have your college send original official transcripts for review. Please
make sure that all information (name, address, employment history,
etc) is kept current on your TEACH account profile. Send transcripts and other documents to:
New York State Education Department
Office of Teaching Initiatives, Room 5N EB
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234