The New York State Department of Education website (NYSED, 2019/2021) informed the content shared in Sections 1.1 and 1.2. Requirements can change quickly, therefore please monitor the NYSED site for changes during your teacher education program.

The requirements for level 1 teacher assistant certification include the following:

1. Completion of high school or GED. 
2. Completion of required workshops: Workshop – Child Abuse Identification; Workshop – School Violence Intervention and Prevention; Workshop – Training in Harassment, Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Discrimination in Schools: Prevention and Intervention (DASA training)
3. Completion with passing scores of the New York State Teacher Certification Exam – ATAS
4. Fingerprint clearance (link for outside of NYC).

Additional information about teacher assistant certification including Level 2 and 3 teaching assistants can be found on the NYSED website.

The requirements for teacher certification include the following:

1. Completion of your teacher education program with a GPA of 3.0. Once you have completed this requirement, the teacher education program will issue a letter recommending you for your initial teaching license.
2. Completion of the ed TPA with satisfactory scores on the multiple measures assessed. The ed TPA consists primarily of written reflections, lesson plans and videotaped classroom experiences in order to predict effective teaching and potential impact on students in the classroom. Guidelines, resources and handbooks are available on the NYSTCE web page.
   1. The edTPA is completed during student teaching. Three to five lesson plans and a video component are required.
   2. The edTPA consists of 4 templates: context, planning, instruction, and assessment. The templates ask for information about a short teaching experience selected by the pre-service teacher.
   3. Students with a concentration in elementary education, Birth – 6th (B-6) grade have a choice between two options: They may choose an ed TPA in B – 2 (birth – second grade concentration), or they may choose to complete the ed TPA for grades 1 – 6 (first – sixth grade concentration). The grades 1 – 6 ed TPA has an additional template for mathematics context and instruction.
3. Completion of the Content Specialty Test for your concentration. Under the Tests link on the NYSTCE web page you will find a list of content specialty tests. In order to gain initial licensure, you must demonstrate mastery of your chosen discipline. Many of these links will indicate the format of the test, the time the test will take, and study guides for the test.
4. Successfully complete the Educating All Students (EAS) assessment. The EAS assessment consists of multiple choice and written response items. Each multiple-choice item will portray a classroom-based scenario with several responses to the scenario. From these responses, students are asked to choose the most appropriate response. The EAS test measures the professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills necessary to teach all students effectively in NYS public schools. Pre-service teachers in the secondary programs should take the EAS after completion of EPSY 229 and EDUC 346. Preservice teachers in childhood/elementary programs should take the EAS after the methods block.
5. Students for whom English is a second language are required to take the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT). This assessment scores the prospective teacher’s ability to communicate proficiently with students in a primarily English-speaking classroom.

Some educators work in settings that don’t require NYSED certification, but have other requirements. For example, early childhood educators may need to meet requirements for OCFS or other agencies. Teachers in private or charter schools may have requirements for their accrediting agency.  Your employer should be able to guide you on what credentials you will need. Make sure to keep track of whatever you do to meet these requirements. It’s recommended that you have a file on your computer and a paper file of all of your credentials.