New Registration and Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Requirements for Classroom Teachers and School Leaders Holding a Permanent or Professional Certificate, and Level III Teaching Assistant Certificate Holders

The Board of Regents, at its March 2016 meeting adopted a new Subpart 80-6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to implement Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2015 relating to the registration process for any holder of a classroom teaching, school leader and teaching assistant certificate that is valid for life (Permanent, Professional and Level III Teaching Assistant) and the establishment of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) requirements for Professional and Level III Teaching Assistant certificate holders.

These new Registration and CTLE requirements do not apply to holders of Continuing Teaching Assistant certificates and Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) certificates such as School Attendance Teachers, School Counselors, School Psychologists, School Social Workers, School Dental Hygiene Teachers and School Nurse Teachers.

Registration of Permanent, Professional and Level III Teaching Assistant Certificates

The following information is a general overview of the new registration and CTLE requirements. We will be updating this web page frequently with new information. Registration will be completed through your TEACH account.  All certificate holders must maintain access to their TEACH accounts and keep all contact information current.  Any change of name or address for a certificate holder must be updated by the holder in the TEACH system within thirty days of any such change. Any certificate holder who fails to inform the Department of his or her new address may be subject to moral character review. 

Beginning on July 1, 2016 individuals who hold a permanent or professional certificate in the classroom teaching service or educational leadership service (i.e., school building leader, school district leader, school district business leader) or a Level III Teaching Assistant certificate prior to July 1, 2016, shall apply for initial registration during the 2016-2017 school year during his/her month of birth and shall renew his/her registration in the last year of each subsequent five-year period thereafter. For example, an existing professional certificate holder that works in a NYS public school and has a date of birth of 3/20 would register during the month of March 2017. Their first Registration period would be 3/2017 through 2/28/2022. Permanently or Professionally certified classroom teachers, educational leaders and Level III Teaching Assistants practicing in a New York State school district or Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) must register as indicated. Practicing means employed 90 days or more during a school year by a single applicable school in a position requiring certification. Classroom teachers and educational leaders that hold Professional certificates and Level III Teaching Assistants practicing in a New York State school district or BOCES will be subject to CTLE requirements in addition to Registration requirements.  

Individuals who are issued a permanent or professional certificate in the classroom teaching service or educational leadership service (i.e., school building leader, school district leader, school district business leader) or a Level III Teaching Assistant certificate on or after July 1, 2016, will be automatically registered and the certificate holder shall re-register during the fifth succeeding birthday month thereafter and during each birthday month in the last year of each subsequent five year period. For example, when a new professional certificate holder is issued his or her certificate on 7/6/2016 and their date of birth is 9/20, their first Registration Period would be 7/6/2016 through 8/31/2021.

Any holder of a permanent or professional certificate in the classroom teaching service or educational leadership service (i.e., school building leader, school district leader, school district business leader) or a Level III Teaching Assistant certificates not practicing in a New York State school district or Board or Cooperative Education Services (BOCES)(“applicable school”), may notify the Department that he/she is no longer practicing in an applicable school and change their registration status to “Inactive.”  At such time as the certificate holder may choose to resume practicing in an applicable school, the certificate holder shall register with the Department.

The following statuses will be used for purposes of Registration:
Registered:       The certificate holder has notified the Office of Teaching Initiatives they wish to be registered. Individuals issued their first permanent or professional certificates in the classroom teaching service or educational leadership service or a Level III Teaching Assistant certificates issued on or after July 1, 2016 will be automatically registered.
Not Registered: The certificate holder has not notified the Office of Teaching Initiatives they wish to be Registered or Inactive.
Inactive:            The certificate holder has notified the Office of Teaching Initiatives they do not wish to be registered and are not practicing in an applicable school.

Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Requirements

Holders of professional certificates in the classroom teaching service, educational leadership service and Level III teaching assistant certificate holders are required to successfully complete 100 clock hours of acceptable CTLE during the registration period if they practice in a NYS school district or BOCES.

The CTLE requirement may be completed at any time during the registration period. CTLE completed during a prior registration period may not be carried over.

Permanent classroom teacher and school leader certificate holders practicing in New York State school districts or BOCES will be subject to Registration requirements, but will not be subject to CTLE.  Holders of Continuing Teaching Assistant certificates or Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) certificates such as School Attendance Teachers, School Counselors, School Psychologists, School Social Workers, School Dental Hygiene Teachers and School Nurse Teachers are not subject to Registration or CTLE requirements.

Acceptable Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE)

Acceptable CTLE must be taken from a sponsor approved by the Department.

Acceptable CTLE shall be study in the content area of any certificate title held by the individual or in pedagogy, and include any required study in language acquisition addressing the needs of English language learners as described in section 80-6.3 ofCommissioner’s Regulations.  Acceptable CTLE must be conducted through activities designed to improve the teacher or leader’s pedagogical and/or leadership skills, targeted at improving student performance, including but not limited to formal CTLE activities. Such activities shall promote the professionalization of teaching and educational leadership, as applicable, and be closely aligned to district goals for student performance.

Measurement of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE)

CTLE credit shall only be granted for CTLE acceptable to the Department and conducted by a sponsor approved by the Department.

For credit-bearing university or college courses, each semester-hour of credit shall equal 15 clock hours of CTLE credit, and each quarter-hour of credit shall equal 10 clock hours of CTLE credit.  For all other approved continuing teacher and leader education courses, one CTLE credit hour shall constitute a minimum of 60 minutes of instruction/education.

Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Recordkeeping Requirements

CTLE certificate holders shall maintain a record of completed CTLE, which shall include: the title of the program, the total number of hours completed, the number of hours completed in language acquisition addressing the need of English language learners, the sponsor's name and any identifying number, attendance verification, and the date and location of the program. Such records shall be retained for at least three years from the end of the registration period in which the CTLE was completed and shall be available for review by the Department upon request. Completion certificates are not to be submitted to the Office of Teaching Initiatives unless they are requested.

Adjustments to the Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Requirement

An adjustment to the CTLE requirement, in terms of clock hours and/or the time for completing CTLE, may be granted by the Commissioner, provided that the CTLE certificate holder documents good cause that prevents compliance, which shall include any of the following reasons: poor health certified by a health care provider, extended active duty in the Armed Forces, or other good cause acceptable to the Department which may prevent compliance. The Department will not pre-approve adjustments prior to the conclusion of a five-year Registration period.

Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Language Acquisition Requirements

Holders of Professional English to Speakers of Other Languages certificates or Bilingual Extension Annotations are required to complete a minimum of 50 percent of the required CTLE clock hours in language acquisition aligned with the core content area of instruction taught, including a focus on best practices for co-teaching strategies, and integrating language and content instruction for English language learners.

All other Professional certificate holders must complete a minimum of 15 percent of the required CTLE clock hours in language acquisition addressing the needs of English language learners, including a focus on best practices for co-teaching strategies, and integrating language and content instruction for English language learners.

Level III Teaching Assistant certificate holders must complete a minimum of 15 percent of the required CTLE clock hours dedicated to language acquisition addressing the needs of English language learners and integrating language and content instruction for English language learners.

Exemption from the Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Language Acquisition Requirements

Classroom teachers,  school leaders and Level III Teaching Assistants who are employed by a school district or BOCES with an approved exemption pursuant to section 154-2.3(k) shall be exempt from the language acquisition CTLE requirements prescribed in this subdivision for each such year that they practice in a New York State school district or BOCES with an approved exemption. Such exemption does not reduce the 100-hour requirement.

 

Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Requirements for National Board Certification Holders

A holder of a certificate in the classroom teaching service who achieves certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall be deemed to have met the CTLE requirement for the registration period in which such National Board Certification is achieved; provided that the CTLE certificate holder continues to meet the applicable required CTLE requirements in language acquisition as described above.

Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Sponsor Approval

An entity seeking approval by the Department as a provider of CTLE shall submit an application on forms prescribed by the Commissioner, accompanied by a fee of $600. At this time, the application is being developed. More information will be posted regarding the approval of CTLE providers in the next couple of weeks.
Any of the following entities may apply to the Department to be an approved sponsor of CTLE:

  • school districts
  • board of cooperative educational services
  • teacher centers
  • accredited New York State institutions of higher education
  • institutions of higher education in other jurisdictions that are accredited by an acceptable accrediting agency and offer coursework that is directly related to the enhancement of practice, skills and knowledge of teachers, school leaders and teaching assistants
  • professional organizations and unions
  • government agencies
  • any other entity approved by the Department

Notification of Name and/or Address Change
Any change of name or address for a certificate holder must be updated by the holder in the TEACH system within thirty days of such change. A certificate holder who fails to inform the Department of his or her name or address change may be subject to moral character review. 

For more information see the March 2016 Regents item

Last Updated: July 13, 2016