resources - educators > memos to the field

	THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 Office of Higher Education Deputy Commissioner
Date:	June 2006
To:	District Superintendents Superintendents of Public & Non-Public Schools Charter Schools New York City Department of Education Deans and Directors of Teacher Education Programs Directors of Approved Preschool Programs and Preschool Educators Early Childhood Direction Centers Municipality Preschool Special Education Coordinators Regional Certification Officers School Personnel Administrators SETRC Project Directors Special Education Pre-Schools State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching New York State United Teachers National Education Association of New York United Federation of Teachers Other Interested Parties
From:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
Subject:	Changes provide one-time opportunity to renew expired provisional pupil personnel services and administrator certificates, and additional time for teaching assistants to meet certification requirements

In response to requests from the field for flexibility to address regional shortages of school principals, pupil personnel professionals, and teaching assistants in New York State, we are pleased to inform you of two recent amendments to Part 80 of Commissioner’s Regulations that:

• provide a one-time opportunity for individuals with expired 1) Provisional certificates in a pupil personnel service title or 2) school administrator and supervisor certificates to renew their certificates for one five-year term; and
• provide additional time for individuals to complete the educational and experience requirements necessary to advance through the tiered certification system for teaching assistants

One-time Opportunity to Renew Provisional Certificates (section 80-5.17 of Commissioner’s Regulations)

Individuals with either expired Provisional certificates in pupil personnel service titles or school administrator and supervisor certificates now have a one-time opportunity to renew their certificates for one five-year term. This will provide an opportunity for these individuals to meet the experience requirement for the Permanent certificate. Except for school counselors, candidates are required to have completed all requirements for the Permanent certificate, except the experience requirement, before the renewed Provisional certificate will be issued. For school counselors, the renewed Provisional certificate enables the candidate to complete both the experience requirement and additional graduate study required for the Permanent certificate. We hope that this new opportunity will help you to address regional shortages of school principals and pupil personnel professionals by expanding the pool of qualified candidates for these important positions.

The opportunity to renew Provisional school administrator and supervisor certificates will sunset on September 1, 2007. After September 1, 2007, candidates will have to complete the new requirements for certificates in educational leadership service.

Flexibility for Teaching Assistants (section 80-5.6 of Commissioner’s Regulations)

To help school districts address regional shortages, teaching assistants now have additional time to complete the education and experience requirements necessary to advance through the tiered certification system. To help ensure that a candidate is positioned to meet the experience requirement for the Level II certificate, teaching assistants with Level I certificates must have a commitment for employment under the Level I certificate before the certificate may be renewed. The amendment also clarifies that the semester hours of collegiate study required for certification must be acceptable toward meeting the requirements of either an associate or baccalaureate degree. Please note that there are no changes to the pre-professional teaching assistant certification requirements.

OVERVIEW OF TEACHING ASSISTANT CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (effective April 2006)
Certificate	What education is required for this certificate?	What examination is required for this certificate?	How long is this certificate valid?	Can the certificate be renewed?
Level I	High School Diploma or its equivalent	New York State Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills Test	3 years	Yes. It can be renewed for 3 years based on commitment of employment.
Level II	6 credits for certifcates applied for on or before February 1, 2007 9 credits for certificates applied for after February 1, 2007	Same as Level I	3 years	No
Level III	18 credits (cumulative)	Same as Level I	Continuously valid provided that the teaching assistant completes 75 hours of professional development every 5 years	Not applicable

Thank you for your commitment to ensuring an adequate supply of teachers, teaching assistants, and educational leaders in your schools. We appreciate the feedback many of you have shared on staffing needs and shortages within your districts. We look forward to continuing to work with you to address these key areas. If you need more information about the amendments described above or have any additional questions, please contact the Office of Higher Education’s Office of Teaching Initiatives at (518) 474-4661.

Attachment

Disclaimer: The information on this page is current as of the date of the memo and may be superceded by newer information.