Certification

Requirements Teaching Assistant - Professional Certification

Professional Certificate

Does not expire

List of requirements for all new TA Pathways: New TA Certificate Pathways

Option A: Individual Evaluation (if you do not hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher degree)

  1. Paid application on file.
  2. High School Diploma, GED or HSE

    3. This has already been verified when you earned your previous TA certificate(s). You do not need to have documentation sent to OTI.

  3. 18 SH (Semester Hours) of college coursework with acceptable grades

    4. 18 semester hours are required in total:

    • First, 9 semester hours of pedagogical (professional education) coursework from one or more of these topics: Human Development; Teaching Students with Disabilities; Teaching Literacy Skills; Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; and/or Foundations of Education.
    • Then, 9 additional semester hours must be completed in any combination of:
      • More pedagogical coursework (in the topics detailed above) and/or
      • Coursework in English language arts, math, science, and/or social studies.

    Minimum grade requirements: "C" or better for undergraduate coursework, "B-" or better for graduate coursework.

    Life Experience Credit (also known as life credit) is not acceptable for certification purposes, regardless of the policy of an individual college/university.

    For information on how to satisfy this requirement, see our Coursework to Satisfy Unmet Requirement webpage.

  4. Three years of TA experience in New York State under a valid TA certificate.

    5. Experience must be completed in New York under any valid TA certificate (e.g., - Level 1, 2, or 3; Initial; Initial TA Renewal, Temporary; Continuing; Emergency COVID-19).

    Verification of paid experience must be submitted directly by the employer(s). NYS public schools, BOCES and NYS charter schools must submit verifications by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement (“TA Professional 3 Yr. Exp.") onto your TEACH account.

    Note: This statement can be used to verify anywhere from one year of TA experience to three (or more) years of TA experience. All other employers may use this form: Verification Form

    Please note that this requirement can also be met with classroom teaching experience completed in NY under a valid NYS classroom teaching certificate. NYS public schools, BOCES and NYS charter schools must verify experience by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement (“Classroom Teaching Experience") onto your TEACH account. All other employers may use this form: Verification Form for Teachers

  5. A passing score on the ATAS exam OR Foundations of Classroom Support and Instruction exam.

    6. Information about certification exams can be found here: https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexam.html

    Note: If you were previously issued a TA certificate based on passing the LAST, it is not acceptable for this certificate, and you will need to satisfy this requirement using one of these tests.

  6. All workshops required for certification.

    7. Workshop requirements are updated over time, so you may be required to complete updated workshop(s).

  7. Fingerprint clearance

    8. Fingerprint clearance is not handled by the Office of Teaching Initiatives. You can monitor your application to see if the fingerprint clearance requirement is verified met. Any questions about fingerprint clearance must be directed to the Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability.

  8. Citizenship Status – INS Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship

    9. You can find information about this requirement on our Citizenship webpage.

Option B: Individual Evaluation (if you hold a conferred Bachelor’s degree or higher degree)

  1. Paid application on file.
  2. Bachelor's degree or higher in any major.

    3. Please request all your official transcripts be sent to the Office of Teaching for evaluation under this pathway. To learn more about requesting official transcripts, please visit our Transcripts webpage. (Note: We do not accept transcripts sent by the applicant.)

  3. Three years of TA experience in New York State under a valid TA certificate.

    4. Experience must be completed in New York under any valid TA certificate (e.g., - Level 1, 2, or 3; Initial; Initial TA Renewal, Temporary; Continuing; Emergency COVID-19).

    Verification of paid experience must be submitted directly by the employer(s). NYS public schools, BOCES and NYS charter schools must submit verifications by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement (“TA Professional 3 Yr. Exp.") onto your TEACH account.

    Note: This statement can be used to verify anywhere from one year of TA experience to three (or more) years of TA experience. All other employers may use this form: Verification Form

    Please note that this requirement can also be met with classroom teaching experience completed in NY under a valid NYS classroom teaching certificate. NYS public schools, BOCES and NYS charter schools must verify experience by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement (“Classroom Teaching Experience") onto your TEACH account. All other employers may use this form: Verification Form for Teachers

  4. A passing score on the ATAS exam OR Foundations of Classroom Support and Instruction exam.

    5. Information about certification exams can be found here: https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexam.html

    Note: If you were previously issued a TA certificate based on passing the LAST, it is not acceptable for this certificate, and you will need to satisfy this requirement using one of these tests.

  5. All workshops required for certification.

    6. Workshop requirements are updated over time, so you may be required to complete updated workshop(s).

  6. Fingerprint clearance

    7. Fingerprint clearance is not handled by the Office of Teaching Initiatives. You can monitor your application to see if the fingerprint clearance requirement is verified met. Any questions about fingerprint clearance must be directed to the Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability.

  7. Citizenship Status – INS Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship

    8. You can find information about this requirement on our Citizenship webpage.

Option C: Completion of a NYS Approved Teaching Assistant Program

  1. Paid application on file.
  2. Completion of a NYS Approved Teaching Assistant Program. (See #3 below.)
  3. NYS Approved Teaching Assistant Program Recommendation.

    4. This recommendation would be entered by the college into your TEACH account verifying that you have completed a teaching assistant preparation program registered with NYS and that your degree has been conferred.

  4. Three years of TA experience in New York State under a valid TA certificate.

    5. Experience must be completed in New York under any valid TA certificate (e.g., - Level 1, 2, or 3; Initial; Initial TA Renewal, Temporary; Continuing; Emergency COVID-19).

    Verification of paid experience must be submitted directly by the employer(s). NYS public schools, BOCES and NYS charter schools must submit verifications by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement (“TA Professional 3 Yr. Exp.") onto your TEACH account.

    Note: This statement can be used to verify anywhere from one year of TA experience to three (or more) years of TA experience. All other employers may use this form: Verification Form

    Please note that this requirement can also be met with classroom teaching experience completed in NY under a valid NYS classroom teaching certificate. NYS public schools, BOCES and NYS charter schools must verify experience by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement (“Classroom Teaching Experience") onto your TEACH account. All other employers may use this form: Verification Form for Teachers

  5. A passing score on the ATAS exam OR Foundations of Classroom Support and Instruction exam.

    6. Information about certification exams can be found here: https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexam.html

    Note: If you were previously issued a TA certificate based on passing the LAST, it is not acceptable for this certificate, and you will need to satisfy this requirement using one of these tests.

  6. All workshops required for certification.

    7. Workshop requirements are updated over time, so you may be required to complete updated workshop(s).

  7. Fingerprint clearance

    8. Fingerprint clearance is not handled by the Office of Teaching Initiatives. You can monitor your application to see if the fingerprint clearance requirement is verified met. Any questions about fingerprint clearance must be directed to the Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability.

  8. Citizenship Status – INS Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship

    9. You can find information about this requirement on our Citizenship webpage.

Teacher to TA

  1. Paid application on file.
  2. Education - High School Diploma, GED or HSE

    3. This was already verified when you earned your teaching certificate. you do not need to have documentation sent to OTI.

  3. Holds/Held a New York State Initial/Professional or Provisional/Permanent Teaching Certificate

    4. To be eligible for this pathway, you must have been issued a Provisional, Permanent, Initial, or Professional classroom teaching certificate in New York.

  4. Content Specialty Test (CST) or Acceptable Out-of-State Exam

    5. Information about certification exams can be found here: https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexam.html

  5. Paid, fill-time Classroom Teaching experience - 1 Yr

    6. The applicant must complete one year (180 days) of acceptable classroom teaching experience in New York under a valid NYS classroom teaching certificate. Verification of paid experience must be submitted directly by the employer(s).

    NYS public schools, BOCES and NYS charter schools must verify experience by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement (“Classroom Teaching Experience”) onto the applicant’s TEACH account. All other employers may use this form: https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/pdf/ot-verifexper-teacher_2024.pdf

  6. All workshops required for certification.

    7. Workshop requirements are updated over time, so you may be required to complete updated workshop(s).

  7. Fingerprint clearance

    8. Fingerprint clearance is not handled by the Office of Teaching Initiatives. You can monitor your application to see if the fingerprint clearance requirement is verified met. Any questions about fingerprint clearance must be directed to the Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability.

  8. Citizenship Status – INS Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship

    9. You can find information about this requirement on our Citizenship webpage.

 NOTE:

The Professional TA Certificate is continuously valid. To maintain this certificate, you must register in TEACH every five years and complete 100 hours of Continuing Teacher Leader Education (CTLE) within the 5-year registration period. Please see this page for details. 

Last Updated: May 20, 2026
May 20, 2026