Certification
Types of Certificates and Licenses
The information in the boxes below describe the types of certificates that are most commonly sought. A full list of certificates and licenses can be found after the boxed information.
Initial Certificate |
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Professional Certificate |
Description: The entry-level certificate for classroom teachers, issued in specific subject/grade titles, and the entry-level certificate for School Building Leader (SBL). Validity: Valid for 5 years. Leads to: Professional Certificate |
Description: The advanced-level certificate for classroom teachers (issued in specific subject/grade titles) and School Building Leaders. Validity: Continuously valid with completion of required professional development hours on a five-year professional development cycle. |
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Provisional Certificate |
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Permanent Certificate |
Description: The entry-level certificate for pupil personnel professionals, issued in specific subject/grade titles. Previously, the entry-level certificate for classroom teachers, but discontinued as of February 2, 2004. Previously, the entry-level certificate for school administrators, but discontinued as of September 2, 2007. Validity: Valid for 5 years. Leads to: Permanent Certificate |
Description: The advanced-level certificate for pupil personnel professionals. The Permanent certificate also remains the advanced-level certificate for classroom teachers and school administrators who hold a valid Provisional certificate. Validity: Valid for life, unless revoked for cause by the New York State Education Department. Go to Permanent Certificate for more information. |
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| Annotation | |
| Description | Certificate attached to a regular base certificate, recognizing that the holder has additional knowledge and/skills beyond the base certificate. Annotations are not required and are not-free standing. |
| Validity | Valid as long as the base certificate remains valid. |
| Extension (subject) | |
| Description | Certificate attached to a regular base certificate, authorizing the holder to teach an additional student population, grade, or subject not authorized by the base certificate. Extensions are not free-standing, they may be attached to multiple base certificates. |
| Validity | Valid as long as the base certificate remains valid. |
| Conditional Initial | |
| Description | The certificate for classroom teachers issued to individuals holding a teaching certificate in the same or equivalent title from another state, but who have not yet met the NYS testing requirement. The certificate holder has up to two years to meet the testing requirements to qualify for an Initial certificate. |
| Validity | Valid for two years. |
| Leads to | Initial Certificate |
| Level I Teaching Assistant Certificate | |
| Description | Entry-level certificate for teacher assistants. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) |
| Validity | Valid for three years, with the possibility of renewal for three additional years to meet the experience requirement for the Level II teaching assistant certificate. |
| Leads to | Level II Teaching Assistant Certificate |
| Level II Teaching Assistant Certificate | |
| Description | Second-level certificate for teaching assistants. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) |
| Validity | Valid for three years and not renewable. Leads to the Level III Teaching Assistant certificate. |
| Level III Teaching Assistant Certificate | |
| Description | Third-level certificate for teaching assistants. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) |
| Validity | Continuously valid with completion of the required professional development hours every five years. (The five-year professional development cycles begin on July 1 following the issuance date of the certificate.) |
| Pre-Professional Teaching Assistant Certificate | |
| Description | Advanced-level certificate for teaching assistants. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) |
| Validity | Valid for five years; may be renewed with matriculation in a teacher preparation program and completion of 30 semester hours of collegiate study. |
| Continuing Certificate as a Teaching Assistant | |
| Description | Certificate issued to permit the continued employment of an individual who has completed one year of experience under a temporary license and who has six semester hours of study in education. (Permits the holder to provide direct instructional services to students under the general supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.) |
| Validity | Continuously valid, except when the holder has not been regularly employed in the public schools for five consecutive years, in which case the certificate lapses. |
| Internship Certificate | |
| Description | Certificate issued to a student in a registered or approved graduate teacher education program, permitting the holder to serve an internship in a public school. Issued at the request of the college or university, provided that the student has completed one-half of the program's semester hour requirement and has guaranteed employment in a school district. This certificate is maintained electronically in the TEACH system, no actual paper certificate is generated. |
| Validity | Valid for two years and not renewable. |
| Statement of Continuing Eligibility (SOCE) | |
| Description | Credential for individuals whose teaching
predates Certification requirements in the subjects taught. With the
establishment of Certification requirements in those subjects, the SOCE
provides a credential that allows these individuals to continue teaching
in the noted areas. Effective September 1, 2004, individuals teaching classes in theater or in subjects or classes using American Sign Language as the instructional medium must have a certificate in these titles or the SOCE. As of September 1, 2006, individuals teaching in gifted and talented programs must hold the certificate in that title or the SOCE. For detailed requirements, go to the Search Certification Requirements feature. For "Theater," choose "Classroom Teachers," and for "Gifted Education" and "American Sign Language" choose "Other Extensions." The SOCE is transferable from one New York State school district to another. |
| Validity | Valid for life, unless revoked for cause by the New York State Education Department. |
| Supplementary Certificate | |
| Description | Certificate issued to already-certified classroom teachers to enable them to teach in a different subject area where a shortage exists. Candidates for the Supplementary certificate must meet certain semester hour and test prerequisites and have a commitment from the employing school for appropriate support while transitioning to the new subject area. |
| Validity | Valid for three years while completing requirements for the Initial certificate in the new subject area. |
| Leads to | Initial Certificate |
| Transitional A | |
| Description | Classroom teaching certificate issued to a school district to permit the employment of an individual in a specific career and technical education title (in agriculture, health, or a trade) who does not meet the requirements for an Initial certificate, but who possesses the requisite occupational experience. |
| Validity | Valid for 3 years. |
| Leads to | Initial Certificate |
| Transitional B | |
| Description | First-level teaching certificate issued to a school district to permit the employment of an individual who is enrolled in an alternative teacher Certification program. The Transitional B is tied to the school placement. Issued in classroom teaching titles. This certificate is maintained electronically in the TEACH system, no actual paper certificate is generated. |
| Validity | Valid for 3 years while the individual is matriculated in an alternative program. |
| Leads to | Initial certificate |
| Transitional C | |
| Description | Certificate issued to a school district to permit the employment of an individual who is enrolled in an alternative graduate teacher Certification program at the graduate level. Issued in classroom teaching titles. This certificate is maintained electronically in the TEACH system, no actual paper certificate is generated. |
| Validity | Valid for 3 years while the individual is matriculated in an alternative program. |
| Leads to | Professional Certificate |
| Transitional D | |
| Description | Certificate issued to a school district to permit the employment of an individual who is enrolled in an alternative school district leader Certification program at the graduate level. Issued in "School District Leader" title only. |
| Validity | Valid for 3 years while the individual is matriculated in an alternative program. |
| Leads to | Professional Certificate |
| Exchange Permit | |
| Description | Permit issued to a national of a foreign country to teach in New York State, while a New York State certified classroom teacher teaches in the foreign national's country of citizenship. |
| Validity | Valid for one year and renewable for an additional year. |
| Adult, Community, and Continuing Education | |
| Description |
At the request of a superintendent of schools, a certificate issued to an individual appropriately qualified to teach adult, community, and continuing, education classes to individuals who are not registered day students of the district. Go to Adult, Community, and Continuing Education for more information. |
| Validity | Valid for three years and may be renewed for three years. |
| Coaching License | |
| Description | At the request of a superintendent of schools, a license specific to the activity being coached issued to a person appropriately qualified when documented evidence shows there to be no qualified and certified teacher available to coach the activity. Requests for coaching licenses are submitted to, and licenses are issued by BOCES Regional Certification Office only. Go to Coaching License for more information. |
| Validity | Valid for one year.
After three years of coaching in a specific sport under a temporary coaching license, an individual may apply to the Office of Elementary, Middle secondary and Continuing Education through a BOCES Regional Office for a renewable certificate to coach that sport. Go to Professional Coaching Certificate for more information. |
| Permit authorizing service in an area for which no certificate exists | |
| Description | At the request of a superintendent of schools, a permit issued enabling a school district to employ a qualified person for a position for which no certificate title exits, e.g., teacher of Native American language and/or culture, teacher of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, etc. |
| Validity | Valid for two years and renewable for five -year periods. |
| Visiting Lecturer | |
| Description | At the request of a superintendent of schools, a license issued to an individual who has unusual qualifications in a specific subject to supplement the regular program of instruction. |
| Validity | Valid for one year. |