Office of Teaching Initiatives

Computer Science Statement of Continued Eligibility (SOCE)

*Courses That Will Require the Computer Science (All Grades) Certificate or SOCE*

Overview

Teachers must hold the Computer Science Statement of Continued Eligibility (SOCE) or Computer Science certificate to teach computer science courses after September 1, 2024. The Computer Science SOCE is available to teachers who meet the following requirements.

Validity

The Computer Science SOCE is valid for 10 years from the date it is issued. In addition, the Computer Science SOCE is only valid for service with the employer (i.e., school district, BOCES, or other school where teacher certification is required) where the teacher:

• taught at least one computer science course, AND
• was employed when the SOCE was issued.

The Computer Science SOCE is therefore valid with the employer that submitted the Superintendent Statement (please see the SOCE Requirements listed below) and is not transferrable to other school districts, BOCES, or other schools where certification is required. Teachers who hold the Computer Science SOCE would need to earn the Computer Science certificate to continue teaching computer science courses after the Computer Science SOCE expires.

Application Deadline

Teachers must apply for the Computer Science SOCE in TEACH and pay the application fee on or before September 1, 2024.

Please note that the Computer Science SOCE is valid for 10 years from the issuance date, and teachers would not need to hold the Computer Science SOCE or Computer Science certificate until after September 1, 2024 to teach computer science courses. Teachers may want to take this information into consideration when determining when they would like to apply for the Computer Science SOCE.

SOCE Requirements

The requirements for the Computer Science SOCE are listed below.

1. Professional or Permanent certificate. Teachers must hold a valid Professional or Permanent teaching certificate.


2. Computer Science Teaching Experience. Teachers must have taught at least one acceptable computer science course between September 1, 2017 and September 1, 2024 while holding a valid teaching certificate in a New York State public school, BOCES, or other school where teacher certification is required. The computer science teaching experience could be completed while holding any valid teaching certificate (e.g., Initial certificate).

   Acceptable courses are listed through the following link:

   • Acceptable computer science courses

The employer would submit a Superintendent Statement in TEACH verifying that the teacher taught an acceptable computer science course by recording the course ID number (BEDS PMF or SIRS code) and course name from the above list.

• The BEDS PMF assignments and SIRS courses should have been reported to NYSED as part of the annual data collection. Employers may need to consult their school data coordinator for assistance with SIRS course data.
• If the teacher taught a local computer science course that was not previously mapped to one of the acceptable BEDS PMF or SIRS State-approved SCED course codes, employers should use the SCED course descriptions in the above list of acceptable courses to determine if there is a match for their local course. If there is match, the employer would record the appropriate SIRS course code and course name on the Superintendent Statement.
• If the computer science course taught by the teacher is not on the acceptable list of courses, please do not contact the Office of Teaching Initiatives to find out if the course could be acceptable. In this case, employers should review the instructions in the above two bullets.

In the Superintendent Statement, the employer would be verifying the computer science teaching experience as well as current employment in the public school, BOCES, or other school where teacher certification is required.

3. Workshops. Teachers need to complete the following workshops, if they have not already completed them for a previous certificate: Child Abuse Identification and Reporting, Dignity for All Students Act, and School Violence Intervention and Prevention.
   
   
4. Fingerprinting. Teachers must complete the fingerprint clearance, if they have not already completed it for a previous certificate.