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1. Research the requirements.

   Before applying for a certificate, please for the certificate you wish to pursue. After selecting the certificate from the menu, scroll down to the Individual Evaluation pathway, and you will see the requirements listed underneath it. You can click on each requirement link for further information.

2. Apply for the certificate.

   Once you are familiar with the requirements, you can submit your paid application in the TEACH system. Select the certificate from the dropdown menu and advance through the application until you have signed and submitted the application and paid the application fee.

   �� �� �� �� ��Note: An application is not active until the application fee has been paid in full.

3. Decide if you want your application evaluated by the Office of Teaching Initiatives (�鶹����) or your local BOCES.

   Depending on which certificate you wish to pursue, you may be able to have your application initially evaluated by the Regional Certification Officer (RCO) at your local (BOCES). If available, it will appear as a choice when you submit your application. If you choose to have your local RCO evaluate your application, all documentation must be sent to the RCO, rather than the Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI).

   Please keep in mind that OTI and BOCES work in tandem. OTI is responsible for making the final determination on all evaluations, even if you opt for your local RCO to evaluate your application.

4. Submit supporting documentation.

   The candidate must submit documentation (e.g., official U.S. college transcripts, verification of paid experience, certification exam data, workshops, etc.) to satisfy the various requirements on their application. Most of the documentation is required to be submitted by approved, third-party organizations, but some can be submitted directly by the candidate. Detailed information can be found on our Submitting Documents page.

   Note: The candidate must make sure that official U.S. transcripts are submitted from all colleges/universities they attended – including any transfer credits on their original transcripts.

   For any coursework completed outside of the United States (and its territories), the candidate must get a foreign credential report submitted by an acceptable organization. The report must contain all academic coursework completed outside the U.S. – including high school coursework.

   �� �� �� �� �� ��Best Practices

   • Do not submit individual documents as you complete each requirement. As stated above, all supporting documents should be submitted prior to receiving your first evaluation. Then, if you have not met all requirements, you should plan to complete all deficiencies and send supporting documentation simultaneously in the future to ensure that all requirements are met.
   • If you have a maiden name, make sure that you add it to the Personal Information section of your TEACH profile.
   • Add all colleges and universities you attended in your TEACH account in the “Education Information” table. You may continue to update this information in the future by going to the “Update/Add Education, Employment and Personal Information” link on the homepage of your TEACH account.
   • To see if your document has been processed, go to the "Documents" table within the "Correspondence" section of your TEACH account.
   • If you requested a transcript to be sent to OTI by your college/university or a third-party service and it is not recorded in your TEACH account within 4 weeks, please email us at NOTINTEACH@nysed.gov and include the following in the body of your email:
     • Your full name – as it appears in TEACH
     • Either your date of birth or the last four digits of your SSN, and
     • Specific information about the transcript(s) that are not appearing in TEACH. This information should include the institution, the type of degree that was awarded, your graduation date and a screen shot of your transcript receipt.����

   Verification of Work Experience

   NYS public schools, BOCES, and NYS charter schools must verify experience by entering an electronic Superintendent Statement onto the applicant's TEACH account. All other employers may use the appropriate form(s) found on our Verification of Work Experience page.

   NYCDOE work experience is verified by a specific individual (e.g., Human Resources Director), who varies depending on the type of experience being verified. For information on how to get in contact with the appropriate NYCDOE individual, please see our page.

   New York State-Mandated Workshops

   Information can be found on our Workshops page.

   Fingerprint Clearance

   The fingerprint clearance process is not overseen by OTI; it is overseen by the Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability (OSPRA). Therefore, all fingerprint inquiries must be addressed to OSPRA.

5. Monitor your TEACH account to view the progress of your application.��

After the paid application has been submitted and either a transcript or a foreign credential report has been received, the application will enter “ready for review” status and become active. Applications are evaluated in the order in which they enter that status.��

If you completed all requirements, OTI will issue the certificate. If you did not, OTI will generate a Notice of Incomplete Requirements letter in your account (Account Information page, Correspondence section) detailing any requirements that were incomplete and how you can move forward with your application.

Review Policy

By regulation, applications are valid for 3 years from the date they were submitted, or two manual evaluations - whichever occurs first. If you do not satisfy the requirements within the lifetime of your application, your application will be disapproved and will no longer be active.

If your application is disapproved and you wish to pursue obtaining this certificate in the future, you must submit a new application and application fee via your TEACH account. Candidates should always be aware that requirements are subject to change over time, and it is crucial to research the requirements before applying.��When a new application is submitted, the candidate must make sure to submit supporting documentation that satisfies all requirements listed on the application at that time.

How to Complete any Unmet Requirements

It is the applicant's responsibility to research the requirements and complete them to become certified. To research the unmet/deficient requirements on your application, log in to your TEACH account, go to the Account Information page, Certificates section, and View Evaluation History. There, you can view your evaluation and click on each requirement link for further information. Then, you can visit our Unmet/Uncompleted Requirements page for information on how to complete the requirements