Certification
College-Supervised Practicum Requirement - Literacy
Literacy (All Grades) Certificate
For the Literacy (All Grades) certificate, candidates must complete a college-supervised practicum of at least 50 clock hours in teaching literacy to students in the pre-kindergarten through grade 4 grade band and in the grades 5-12 grade band.
Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) and Literacy (Grades 5-12) Certificates
For the Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) certificate, candidates must complete a college-supervised practicum of at least 50 clock hours in teaching literacy to students at both the early childhood and childhood levels.
For the Literacy (Grades 5-12) certificate, candidates must complete a college-supervised practicum of at least 50 clock hours in teaching literacy to students at both the middle childhood and adolescent levels.
For individuals who apply for both certificates, at least 25 clock hours at each developmental level (Birth-Grade 6 and Grades 5-12) is required.
The following table shows the “lower level” grade band and “upper level” grade band that the practicum must include for the indicated literacy certificate.
| Literacy certificate title | Practicum Grade Bands | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth - Grade 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 -12 | |
| Literacy (Birth to Grade 6) | Lower level | Upper level | ||||||
| Literacy (Grades 5-12) | Lower Level | Upper Level | ||||||
The following practicum/experiences are not acceptable for the practicum/experience requirement:
- A practicum that is completed at the undergraduate level.
- A practicum that is completed as part of a literacy graduate degree program that does not lead to teaching certification.
- A practicum that does not meet the 50-clock hour and grade band requirements.
Teaching Experience in Lieu of the College-Supervised Practicum
One year of paid, satisfactory, full-time experience as a literacy (remedial reading) teacher at the elementary and/or secondary level may be accepted in lieu of the college-supervised practicum. Please note that when such experience takes place at a New York State public school, the candidate must hold a valid Supplementary, Initial, or Professional Literacy certificate covering the grades they are teaching. For other employers such as nonpublic schools or schools located outside NY, the candidate is not required to hold a valid Literacy certificate.
New York State public schools, BOCES and charter schools located in New York must verify the full year of experience by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement (entitled “Paid Teaching Exp. For Initial”) onto the applicant’s TEACH account. All other employers may submit the Verification of Paid Teaching Experience for Initial Certification form.