Certification 101 Webinar for Charter School Administrators

Transcription

1 Certification 101 Webinar for Charter School Administrators Caryl Cohen, Certification Consultant Hannah Shirey, Manager, Partnerships & Development Kenea Letts, Coordinator, School Supports Certification Team NYC Charter School Center March 31, 2015

2 Learning Goals 1. Understand guidelines for NYS and federal compliance with teacher certification 2. Understand different types of NYS teaching certificates 3. Understand the various pathways to obtain NYS teacher certification 4. Develop a better understanding about reciprocity 5. Learn about common hiring problems 6. Understand NCLB and highly qualified core subject assignments 7. Obtain a list of resources are available to you from the NYC Charter School Center 2

3 To Be Compliant with Federal, State and Authorizers Regulations, Charter Schools must ensure: 1. All teachers are New York State certified A very small number of uncertified teachers can work in charter schools; all uncertified teachers must meet one of the uncertified teacher exemption criteria (see slide #15) 2. All teachers (certified and uncertified)of core No Child Left Behind (NCLB) subjects are highly qualified for their assignments. An uncertified teacher is still uncertified although s/he is HQ for the teaching assignment. 3. All teaching assistants have applicable New York State certification 3

4 Certification Basics A teaching certificate is issued for a particular subject and grade level NYS charter schools ARE allowed to have certified teachers teaching out of their certification subject or grade level However, the charter school teacher MUST prove that s/he is NCLB highly qualified for his/her assignment(s) Certificates have varying types, years of validity and specific course/certificate requirements 4

5 Understanding NYS Certification Types There are many types of certificates Initial, Conditional Initial, Professional, Permanent, Trans B, Internship, etc. Certificates are valid for varying lengths of time (2 years, 3 years, 5 years, no expiration date) a teacher with an expired certificate is UNCERTIFIED Some certificates are only valid if the certificate holder is currently in a specific educational program (Trans B, Internship) Some certificates require the holder to take exams within a specific period of time (Conditional Initial) Once teachers obtain the Professional certificate, they must complete a certain number of PD hours every 5 years to maintain the Professional certificate (see Useful Resources) 5

6 Certification Pathways in New York State 1. Approved NYS teacher preparation program 2. Individual evaluation Cannot apply for Childhood Ed grades 1 6; Early Childhood Ed, Birth grade 2; Middle Childhood Generalist, grades 5-9; English Language Arts, grades 5-9; English Language Arts, grades 7-12; Literacy, Birth grade 5; and Literacy, grades 5-12 as a first certificate via this pathway 3. Individual evaluation for the above certificate titles are permitted when applying for an additional Initial certificate 4. National Board Certification exempt from NYS certification exams for the comparable NYS certificate 5. Interstate reciprocity Conditional Initial valid for ONE year to complete the applicable edtpa. Please note that there is a proposed sunset effective 5/1/17 for the issuance of the Conditional Initial certificates. Initial includes passing all of the NYS exams (ALST, EAS, CST(s) AND the applicable edtpa 6

7 Reciprocity Reciprocity has changed as of July 9, 2014 There are two pathways available for those who meet the criteria Completion of a College Teacher Education Program in another US State Endorsement of a Classroom Teaching Certificate 7

8 What is the Out-of-State Candidate s Educational Background? There are two types of out-of-state teacher prep programs Traditional (Comparable) Can be undergraduate or graduate program in teacher education leading to state certification in a specific subject and grade level Includes student-teaching May or may not have a valid Level 2 certificate from that state Alternative (i.e. TFA) May or may not be affiliated with a college Often teach full-time while in program in lieu of student-teaching May or may not have a valid Level 2 certificate from that state May or may not have 3 years of full-time teaching in that state with valid teaching certificates 8

9 Pathway Completion of a Comparable Teacher Education Program in another Jurisdiction as of 7/9/14 Completion of a comparable out-of-state program in a specific subject area and level Bachelor s degree with a minimum of a 2.5 GPA Passing scores up front on the ALST, EAS, applicable CST(s) and the edtpa Completion of all NYS workshops: Child Abuse Identification, Violence Prevention, DASA (and autism for those seeking reciprocity for special education certificates) Fingerprint clearance 9

10 Pathway Completion of a Comparable Teacher Education Program in another Jurisdiction as of 7/9/14 (contd.) IF the candidate also possesses a currently valid Level II outof-state teaching certificate in the same state in which the teacher education program was completed, the candidate may be able to obtain a one-year Conditional Initial certificate. All of the NYS certification exams would need to be completed up front with the exception of the edtpa which would need to be successfully completed prior to the expiration date of the Conditional Initial certificate. 10

11 Pathway - Endorsement of a Classroom Teaching Certificate for an Initial Certificate as of 7/9/14 Under this pathway, a one-year Conditional Initial certificate may be issued: Possess a currently valid Level 2 out-of-state certificate Minimum of a bachelor s degree with at least a 2.5 undergraduate GPA Minimum of 3 years of the past 5 years full-time teaching in the subject and level of the certificate Passing scores up front on the ALST, EAS, applicable CSTs. 11

12 Pathway Endorsement of a Classroom Teaching Certificate (contd.) Completion of all NYS workshops: Child Abuse Identification, Violence Prevention, DASA (and the autism workshop for those seeking reciprocity for special education certificates) Fingerprint clearance For those who have completed all of the above (exams, workshops) AND who have also passed the applicable edtpa, the Initial certificate may be issued in lieu of the Conditional Initial certificate. 12

13 A Few Words of Caution BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHEN HIRING THOSE TEACHERS who completed an out-of-state alternative program such as TFA AND have a Level 2 out-of-state certificate but only have two years of teaching in that state. A TFA alum who completed a full master s in education such as at the University of Arizona and received a Level 2 Arizona certificate upon completion of the program should simply apply for the comparable Initial certificate based on reciprocity as if s/he completed a comparable (traditional) out-of-state program. Those who have a Level 2 out-of-state certificate but completed an alternative program such as TFA that did not culminate in a full master s degree such as a district-based PD program, or a smattering of college coursework will NOT be eligible for a (Conditional) Initial based on reciprocity UNLESS they have 3 years of teaching in the past 5 years in that state, state certificates covering all three years culminating in a Level 2 certificate AND have passed the ALST, EAS, applicable CST(s). They will have one(1) year to successfully complete the edtpa and be issued the Initial certificate. Make sure that you have done your due diligence with regard to background checks. Refer to the template (slide 19) that is useful prior to hiring and verifying fingerprint information on TEACH. 13

14 #1 Do Not Hire Too Many Uncertified Teachers No school can have more than 5 teachers or 30% of the teaching staff uncertified, which ever number is less. The count of uncertified teachers is in October, when the BEDS surveys are completed. A teacher who has applied for certification is UNCERTIFIED until certification has been issued and appears on the TEACH system with an effective date 14

15 #2 The Uncertified Teacher Exemption as per NYS Education Law 2854 (3) (a-1) Uncertified teachers MUST meet one of the four exemptions to be able to work at a charter school: 1. Three years prior teaching experience; or 2. Tenure or tenure track college faculty; or 3. Two years TFA experience; or 4. Exceptional experience - possesses exceptional business, professional, artistic, athletic or military experience. An example is the college graduate who majored in of the fine arts but not as part of an education program. 15

16 #3 Rapidly Move Uncertified Teachers to Certified Status The ability to hire uncertified teachers is precious. The SED s Individual Transcript Evaluation Pathway is used for teachers to become certified without going through a teacher prep or alternative certification program. A candidate s background may prevent him/her from becoming certified through the Individual Evaluation pathway. Avoid teachers who: Would want their first certificate in any of the subject areas that are no longer viable through the individual evaluation pathway. Have a GPA less than 2.5 Have foreign documents (a very lengthy SED evaluation process) 16

17 Fingerprinting All employees must be fingerprinted and cleared for employment. Employees must apply and pay the current $89.75 application fee on TEACH. Founders must follow the guidelines established by their authorizer. Provide a copy of the Center s Fingerprint Flowchart to new staff so they can determine their appropriate pathway. gerprintinstructions2015fnl.pdf Go to to register. Refer to the document on Fingerprinting for more information. 17

18 Fingerprint Instructions for Charter School Staff STEPS TO GET FINGERPRINTED 1. Self-register, create a TEACH account with the New York State Education Department, submit a TEACH application for fingerprint clearance and pay the corresponding $89.75 fee. 2. Pay $30 to the NYC Charter School Center through PayPal using a credit card. (You do not need a Paypal account to make the payment.) 3. Schedule a fingerprint appointment using our online calendar. 4. Bring a government-issued photo ID and proof of your 2 online payments when you come to your appointment. DOWNLOAD CHARTER CENTER INFO SHEET 18

19 Recommended Background Questions See Pre-Hire Teacher Qualification Checklist 19

20 Certification Examinations Candidates for NYS certification must achieve passing scores on all applicable certification exams.* * Candidates who are certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in a title which is the same or comparable to a NYS certificate title are exempt from testing requirements 20

21 Paper-Based Tests Very few exams are still offered via paper. The test fee is $79 and there are four test dates between October 2014 and July 2015 This group includes: American Sign Language*, Blind and Visually Impaired*, Cantonese*, Dance, French*, German*Greek*, Hebrew*, Italian*, Japanese*, Latin*, Mandarin*, Music, Russian* Spanish* Theatre, Visual Arts and Bilingual Education Assessments (languagespecific). Those with an asterisk will be phased out and updated tests start to be administered during winter

22 Computer-Based Tests The majority of the NYS certification exams are computer-based tests. Test dates are by appointment only and are yearround Monday Saturday, excluding some holidays. Test sites are located in New York State and nationwide. To find the nearest test center, go to: 22

23 Computer-Based Tests (contd.) Before you register, you may wish to check real-time seat availability at the test center location of your choice: Seat availability information is subject to change so it is suggested that you register as quickly as possible. See Test Dates for computer-based score report dates. When you register, it is suggested that you also sign up to receive your scores via when they are released. You should view, print and save for your records inasmuch as they are only available online for 45 days. 23

24 New York State Teacher Certification Examinations Preparation Guides For a complete list of materials for the NYSTCE go to: For the NYSTCE Preparation Guides go to: There are also some online practice tests for several of the NYSTCE test fields which are designed to simulate the experience of taking a full-length NYSTCE test. For more information, go to: 24

25 Required Tests for Certification For the Initial teaching certificate Educating All Students (EAS) Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST) Content Specialty Test (CST) edtpa (see safety net information) For the Initial teaching assistant certificate Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills (ATAS) For the Initial School Building Leader(SBL) certificate Educating All Students (EAS) Revised SBL assessments 25

26 Required Tests for Certification (contd.) Initial certificates in the following areas have varying test requirements: Teacher for Speech and Language Disabilities EAS and ALST Teachers via the STEM Pathway EAS and ALST Trans B EAS, ALST and applicable CST* (as prescribed by the Commissioner) 26

27 edtpa for NYS The edtpa is a student-centered multiple measure assessment designed to predict effective teaching and student learning. There are minimum cut scores and mastery scores broken down by three fields: 1) Elementary Education; 2) all other areas; and 3) World Languages, Classical Languages For more information, go to and 27

28 edtpa safety net and the ATS-W (Elementary and Secondary Assessment of Teaching Skills Written) edtpa safety net - CHECK REGENTS UPDATES AT THIS TIME, any candidate who applies for and meets all requirements for an Initial certificate on or before June 30, 2015, EXCEPT THAT S/HE HAS FAILED THE edtpa, may either Take and pass the ATS-W AFTER receipt of the failing score on the edtpa. Must do this PRIOR to June 30, 2015, OR If s/he previously passed the ATS-W on or before April 30, 2014 (before the new certification exam requirements became effective) and s/he has taken and failed the edtpa prior to June 30, 2015, s/he will be issued the Initial certificate. This also applies to Trans B program candidates pursuing their Initial certificate AS WELL AS Trans C certificate holders applying for the Professional certificate. 28

29 Test Registration Fees for Computer-Based Testing Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST) $131 Educating All Students (EAS) $102 Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) $119 Assessment of Teaching Skills Written (ATS W) $119 School Building Leader Assessment One Part $237 Both Parts $474 School District Leader and School District Building Leader Assessments One Part $195 Both Parts $390 Multi-Subject CSTs: Part One $ 75 Part Two $ 75 Part Three $ 49 Total if all three parts are taken together at one administration $179 29

30 Test Registration Fees for Computer-Based Testing (contd.) Communication and Quantitative Skills Test (CQST) $119 Original* Content Specialty Test (CST) $119 Redeveloped* Content Specialty Test (CST) $149 Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills (ATAS) $ 79 Additional Service Fees Additional copy of test results (per copy) $ 20 Fee to clear an account (for example, due to a disputed credit card charge) $ 20 * Refer to the Test Development Schedule at to see if your test has been redeveloped. 30

31 Test Score Results Your test scores will automatically be reported to you and the NYSED. Please be sure to write your full name and social security number when registering. Scores may be delayed for newly developed or redeveloped tests and will be noted on the schedule published in TEST DATES. Scores for the Bilingual Education Assessments (BEAs) that are not listed in TEST SELECTION will be posted and mailed within 2 weeks after the score report date. For the following tests only, you will receive preliminary results at the conclusion of the test session: Assessment of Teaching Skills (ATAS), Communication and Quantitative Skills Test (CQST) and Part 3 of the Multi-Subject CST (Arts and Sciences) 31

32 TEACH Account for Teachers and Employers PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TEACHERS ESTABLISH A TEACH ACCOUNT, COMPLETE THE PROFILE AND CLICK ON PRIVATE WHEN LISTING CHARTER SCHOOL TEACHING EXPERIENCE! In this category, PUBLIC refers to traditional public schools. Frequently asked Questions about the TEACH account can be found at 32

33 The TEACH Account Applicants for teacher certification, including administrative (school leadership) and pupil personnel services professionals: Apply for a certificate Check the status of your application Apply for a duplicate certificate View/update your profile (update address, request a name change or social security update, etc.). CLICK ON PRIVATE WHEN LISTING TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN A NYS CHARTER SCHOOL View your certification record View/add your professional development record Apply for fingerprint clearance View the status of a fingerprint clearance request School Employers View an employee/prospective employee s certification, fingerprinting, and employment history Enter Superintendent Statements (under certain conditions) Obtain application status updates on current or potential employees Submit a request for fingerprint clearance for a prospective employee Report the termination of an employee View a report of requested fingerprint clearances 33

34 The TEACH Account The TEACH Authorization Form for Administrators can be found on our website at: authorization_form_for_administrators.pdf A document outlining the process for teachers to establish a TEACH account the process can be found on our website at: Establish_a_TEACH_Account.pdf Charter Schools can request that the SED expedite the review of an application for certification at: 34

35 TEACH Authorization Form for Administrators See TEACH Authorization Form for Administrators 35

36 NCLB HIGHLY QUALIFIED 36

37 What are the NCLB Core Subjects? NCLB Core Academic Subject Areas English Reading Language arts Mathematics Science History Geography Economics Civics and government Languages other than English (LOTE) The arts: art, dance, music, theatre (including public speaking), drama 37

38 How Does a School Prove a Teacher is Highly Qualified for an Assignment? USE THE NCLB CHECKLIST The easy way The teacher is certified in the subject and grade level of his/ her assignment The more complicated way Teacher is certified is something other than assignment and must demonstrate HQ status depending on level of the assignment and newness to teaching. Teacher is uncertified Teacher (has prior teaching experience) cannot prove HQ status via applicable exam or having majored in the subject so needs to use the HOUSSE to document 100 points on the rubric 38

39 NCLB Checklist Federal guidelines stipulate that the school must maintain HQ records on file for six years after the teacher is no longer employed in the school The NCLB checklist is portable within New York State The burden of proof is on the SCHOOL Charter school leaders/hr/ops directors should check the TEACH database to verify the information MAKE SURE THAT YOU REVIEW THE BEDS SURVEYS BEFORE SUBMISSION TO THE SED AND ENSURE THAT THIS INFORMATION CORRELATES WITH THE NCLB CHECKLIST NCLB Checklists on our website at: nclb_checklist_housse_rubric.pdf The full document covering NCLB s HQ status can be found at: memo_3_2008.pdf 39

40 What about UNCERTIFIED Teachers? A school must still prove that any uncertified teachers are NCLB Highly Qualified for their core subject assignment(s) However, if a school has ONE teacher over the allowable number of uncertified teachers New York State will not consider the teacher to be highly qualified School is no longer 100% compliant with HQ teachers School is out of compliance! 40

41 WRAPPING UP 41

42 Our Services for Your School A secure online teacher certification worksheet to provide detailed certification assistance to your school s ops/hr team; A detailed analysis of your school's teacher certification status; A telephone or in-person review of your school s status with the school s administrative certification contact to help your school maintain or secure full compliance status; Monthly certification 1:1 sessions for teachers who need to develop an individualized plan to obtain certification; Topical Professional Development (PD) sessions or webinars on certification subjects open only to program members such as interstate reciprocity, how teachers maintain their professional certificate(s), and special education Day-to-day support for teacher certification issues. For more information about our services, please visit us at: Registration will for the school year will open in late Spring 2015 and end in August

43 Useful Resources All of the documents below are available on the Center s website at: Hire Right March 2015 Pre-Hire Checklist for Teachers (in revision) NCLB Checklists and HOUSSE Rubrics (will be revised by SED) Administrative TEACH account form Fingerprint Flowchart for Charter School Staff Certification 101 for CS Administrators NYS Certification Exams (will be available shortly) Reciprocity (will be available shortly) How to Establish a TEACH Account (for teachers) Maintaining Your Professional Certificate 43

44 Useful Resources (contd.) SED TEACH website Interstate reciprocity Types of Certificates Topics A Z Search Certification Requirements (drop-down menu) eservices.nysed.gov/teach/certhelp/certrequirementhelp.do 44

45 Contact Information School leaders/ HR/Ops directors should contact Caryl Cohen directly at She is generally in the office Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Individual teachers with pressing certification questions or concerns should contact the certification team members (Herman, Virginia and Larry), who are generally in the office Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 am 5 pm at certification@nyccharterschools.org. Questions on worksheets or workshop scheduling should be sent to Kenea Letts at kletts@nyccharterschools.org 45

46 Q & A If a teacher has a Master s degree but receives notification that additional coursework is needed, what are the next steps? Generally, this means that the teacher must successfully complete 12 graduate credits in the subject area of the certificate. How can HR support the teachers in obtaining certification? Use the guidance on your school s certification worksheet. How do we use the HOUSSE rubric to bill for Special Ed services? Special education billing questions must be directed to Dixon Deutsch and his team at the Special Education Collaborative: How does a teacher obtain an extension for Early Childhood, birth to grade 2? There are several pathways depending the base certificate. Go to the dropdown at When are the remaining certification workshops scheduled? May 4, May 11 and June 1. We will be adding an April session. Can teachers discuss their concerns prior to the 1:1 certification sessions? The evaluators are here two days a week working on worksheets, responding to s and preparing for the next certification session. Phone calls are difficult due to schedules. The purpose of the sessions is to give the teacher individual counseling with all of the documents in front of the evaluators. Each teacher gets anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes depending on his/her certification situation. Does time served as a teaching assistant count towards teaching experience? For detailed information about TAs go to Teaching assistant experience is NOT APPLICABLE for the Professional certificate which includes 3 years of full time teaching as part of the requirements. 46

47 Q & A How can we ask the SED to expedite a certificate application for a NYS Charter School teacher? Requests can only be made by schools that have access to TEACH ONLINE SERVICES. If you do not have access to TEACH, you may request it by completing the Designation Of Authorized Representatives For TEACH System Form to request access to TEACH. The requestor must check TEACH to determine if there is an application on file and the fee is paid. If the application has a status in TEACH of Ready for Review, you must submit the Request to Expedite a NYS Teacher Certification Application: For Schools Not Served by a BOCES Regional Certification Office. the completed form to otiadmin@nysed.gov; in the subject line of your , indicate Box ES. If the application is Not Ready for Review or Review Complete Pending Information you must submit transcripts and/or other supporting documents along with the Request to Expedite a NYS Teacher Certification Application: For Schools Not Served by a BOCES Regional Certification Office. If you are sending official transcripts* and/or documentation to the Office of Teaching Initiatives, mail the request to expedite form and the documentation to: NYS Education Department Office of Teaching Initiatives Room 5N Albany, New York See guidance also here: * Transcripts: must be original (not photocopied), official (not a student copy) transcripts in a sealed college/institution envelope. 47

48 Q & A How do veteran teachers who were certified under the old system renew their certification? If you are referring to those teachers who possess the NYS Permanent certificate, it is a non-expiring certificate and there is nothing for them to do to maintain it. Those who hold the NYS Professional certificate must complete a certain number of Professional Development hours every five years to maintain the Professional certificate. NOTE: Charter School teachers must document their own PD hours. See more information here: te.pdf. Can a California edtpa be used to satisfy this requirement in New York? Each state establishes its own passing scores. If you completed an edtpa in another state, make sure that your score for this specific edtpa is acceptable for NYS. For more information, go to the edtpa FAQ at or Who determines which teachers will be held to the post 5/1/14 certification requirements and how do we get that information? Go to Are there practice tests for the NYSTCE exams? Yes for some of the NYSTCE tests. Go to How can a teacher check the status of his/her application for certification? Go to 48

49 New Reciprocity Rules Pathway College Teacher Education Program (outside New York) Needed Program, Certificate, Experience A comparable approved teacher prep program (Min. GPA 2.5), in the subject of the application, at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that would lead to an institutional recommendation for certification in the state the college is located A valid, comparable, U.S. State or Territory certificate in the subject of the application Leads To NYS Conditional Initial Certificate Required NYS Exams & Workshops ALST, EAS, applicable CST, SWD CST (for SWD certificates ONLY). The candidate should have 1 year to complete the applicable edtpa. Child Abuse Identification, Violence Prevention, DASA, Autism (for SWD certificates ONLY). College Teacher Education Program (outside New York) A comparable, approved teacher prep program (Min. GPA 2.5), in the subject of the application, at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that would lead to an institutional recommendation for certification in the state the college is located NO valid, comparable, U.S. State or Territory certificate in the subject of the application. NYS Initial Certificate (Commonly referred to as FULL RECIPROCITY) ALST, EAS, applicable CST, SWD CST (for SWD certificates ONLY) and the applicable edtpa. Child Abuse Identification, Violence Prevention, DASA, Autism (for SWD certificates ONLY). 49

50 Pathway Endorsement of a Classroom Teaching Certificate Needed Program, Certificate, Experience A valid, comparable, U.S. State or Territory certificate in the subject of the application Three years of certified teaching experience in that subject, within five years of the application date *Note: Experience must be completed in one U.S. State or Territory Leads To NYS Conditional Initial Certificate Required NYS Exams & Workshops ALST, EAS, applicable CST, SWD CST (for SWD certificates ONLY). The candidate should have 1 year to complete the applicable edtpa. Child Abuse Identification, Violence Prevention, DASA, Autism (for SWD certificates ONLY). Endorsement of a Classroom Teaching Certificate A valid, comparable, U.S. State or Territory certificate in the subject of the application Three years of certified teaching experience in that subject, within five years of the application date *Note: Experience must be completed in one U.S. State or Territory NYS Initial Certificate (Commonly referred to as FULL RECIPROCITY) ALST, EAS, applicable CST, SWD CST (for SWD certificates ONLY) and the applicable edtpa. Child Abuse Identification, Violence Prevention, DASA, Autism (for SWD certificates ONLY). 50

51 NOTES 51