Office of Teaching Initiatives

Enhanced Comparable Program Pathway

If you completed a traditional teacher preparation program (TPP) in one of our Enhanced Comparable Program states, you may be eligible for this pathway.

1. Check to see if the TPP you completed is based in one of the following states:

   Connecticut	District of Columbia (DC)	Delaware	Georgia
   Hawaii	Indiana	Maryland	Massachusetts
   Michigan	New Jersey	North Carolina	North Dakota
   Ohio	Oregon	Pennsylvania	Puerto Rico
   South Carolina	South Dakota	Tennessee	Vermont
   Virginia	West Virginia	Wisconsin

2. Send this form to the certification official at your college/university, so that they can complete it and submit it to our office on your behalf. Note: This form must be submitted to our office directly by the college/university. It is unacceptable if it is submitted by the applicant. Please see the instructions for submission requirements.
3. Apply for the subject area that most closely aligns with the subject area of the Teacher Preparation program you completed. The Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI) cannot advise on which subject area most closely aligns to the candidate’s program; the candidate is responsible for researching the New York State certificates and making that determination.
4. The only type of certificate available for this pathway is the Initial certificate, and the pathway is entitled Pathway: Enhanced Comparable Out-of-State Program
5. Order official transcripts containing all your college coursework to be sent to OTI. For more information regarding official transcripts, please see our website: https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/transcripts.html
6. You must satisfy all required exams for the Initial certificate sought. Please see our website for more information regarding exams: https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexam.html
7. Fingerprint Clearance is required for certification. You must use Identogo and it must be for the purpose of certification.
8. Complete all required workshops. These workshops must be completed through a NYS-approved workshop provider. Coursework or similar workshops taken outside NY that are not specifically authorized for the NYS workshop requirements are unacceptable.

If you completed an alternative educator preparation program in another state or if your state is not listed as eligible for Enhanced Comparable Program at this time, you do not qualify for this pathway. Instead, you would need to pursue certification using one of the other available pathways. You can research the pathways and their corresponding requirements at: Search Certification Requirements.