Identification of Child Abuse and Maltreatment

Candidates who apply for certification on or after January 1, 1991 are required to complete a minimum of two contact hours of course work or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment. This requirement can be met by satisfactory completion of H&PE 350 or by completing a state-approved training workshop.

Current information is available at: http://eservices.nysed.gov/teach/certhelp/ReqDescription.do?metaValueId=419&catGrpId=null&crcId=22&WIN_TYPE=null

School Violence Intervention and Prevention

Candidates who apply for certification on or after February 2, 2001 are required to complete a minimum of two contact hours of course work or training in the warning signs related to violence, and policies related to safe climates, and effective classroom management.

Current information is available at: http://eservices.nysed.gov/teach/certhelp/ReqDescription.do?metaValueId=418&catGrpId=null&crcId=22&WIN_TYPE=null

Fingerprinting and Criminal Background

All candidates for initial certification and all new school employees must be cleared through FBI fingerprinting and criminal background check. The costs for the fingerprinting and the background check are incurred by the candidate.

Current forms and regulations are available at: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ospra/home.html

Fingerprinting Process from Start to Finish (online submission)

Request Fingerprint Cards:

Individual fingerprint cards are available at your local school district, charter school, BOCES, colleges with teacher preparation programs or by sending a request to the Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability (OSPRA) at the address below.

Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability (OSPRA)
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue, Room 981 EBA
Albany, NY 12234
Email: OSPRA@mail.nysed.gov

The School of Education has fingerprint cards. You will need two.

Get Fingerprinted:

Fill out the top of both blue fingerprint cards as completely as possible, in accordance with the sample fingerprint card. Do not make any stray marks on the card. Carefully compare your card to the sample. Sign your fingerprint card. If your fingerprint card is missing required information, or your fingerprint card has stray marks or highlighting on it, your application will be rejected before it is processed, which will result in a significant delay in processing. Click Sample Fingerprint Card to view a sample card.

University Police will roll fingerprints for $15. Please pay with check made payable to SUNY Geneseo. May also pay with cash if have exact amount. Call for an appt. – 5651

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Dept. will also roll fingerprints with an appointment and they charge $10. 243-1700

Call the Location Where You Will be Fingerprinted:

You may be fingerprinted at a number of locations, such as a local police station, school district, BOCES, and some colleges. Please call the location prior to when you need to be fingerprinted. Find out whether they will "scan" or "roll" fingerprints for civil purposes; whether they charge a fee to "scan" or "roll" your fingerprints; whether they have specific dates and times dedicated to "rolling" fingerprints; and whether you need to make an appointment to have your fingerprints "scanned or rolled". OSPRA does not have and does not provide a list of LIVESCAN stations because many LIVESCAN locations are not open to the general public and will provide service only to prospective employees. You can contact a school or BOCES near you.

Apply Online for Fingerprint Clearance and Make Payment:

Enter your personal information on the online fingerprint application. Pay the $$91.50 fee with a credit card or by mailing a certified check, bank check, money order, or employer check, payable to the New York State Education Department. Personal checks will not be accepted. You will need a printer available to complete the payment process.

Click to apply for fingerprint clearance.

http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/teach/login.html

This is the same site used to apply for certification. If you wish to do both at the same time, use the instructions at http://dean.geneseo.edu/advisement/UG_TEACH_instructions.pdf

Mail Fingerprint Cards and Credit Card Confirmation or Coupon with Fee:
- Two fingerprint cards
- Credit Card payment confirmation OR payment coupon with $$91.50 fee.

Mail To:
Fingerprint Processing
NYS Education Department
PO Box 7352, Albany, NY 12224.

Fingerprint Processing:

Upon receipt of your fingerprint cards and fee, OSPRA will process your fingerprints with the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). DCJS and the FBI provides OSPRA with a copy of your criminal history background, if any, so that OSPRA can make a determination on your clearance for employment or application for certification. After receipt of the criminal history, the Department then analyzes any information received in accordance with the requirements of the Executive Law and the Corrections Law.

Rejection of Fingerprints:

Your fingerprints may be rejected before the clearance process is complete. DCJS and/or the FBI may reject your fingerprints because there was a problem with the quality of the fingerprints, such as, your fingerprints were smudged, or too light or too dark. If your fingerprints are rejected, OSPRA will mail you detailed instructions on the steps you need to take to resubmit your fingerprints.

No Criminal History:

If you filed your fingerprints for the purpose of obtaining a clearance for employment and you have no criminal history you are eligible for clearance for employment. A clearance for employment will be issued when a school district, charter school or BOCES (covered school) requests a clearance for your employment. OSPRA will only issue a clearance for employment when a request by a covered school is made. When a clearance to a covered school is issued you will receive a copy of the clearance. The issued clearance is only good for the school named on the clearance.

If you are seeking a finerprint clearance to satisfy the certification requirement and you have no criminal history, OSPRA will notify the Education Department's Office of Teaching Initiatives that you have completed the fingerprint requirement.

Criminal History:

If you have a criminal history, the matter is reviewed by OSPRA, pursuant to the provisions in Executive Law Section 296(16) and Correction Law Sections 752 and 753, to determine whether there is any basis for a possible denial of clearance and/or certification. Click Fingerprinting Due Process link for a full explanation of the review process. At any time during the process, you may submit in writing any information that may be relevant to the consideration of your application for clearance, including, information in regard to good conduct and rehabilitation.

Subsequent Arrests:

If you are arrested subsequent to filing your fingerprints with OSPRA, notice of the arrest will be made to OSPRA by DCJS. You will receive a copy of the notice. OSPRA is obligated to notify your employing school district, charter school or BOCES of the name of the arresting agency, the date of your arrest and the court of jurisdiction.

11. Destruction of Fingerprints:

The FBI will destroy your fingerprints once its criminal background check is completed. DCJS will retain your fingerprints following its criminal background check as part of its "Search and Retain" services, until the Education Department requests that the fingerprints be destroyed.

If you were fingerprinted for employment purposes and you subsequently leave that employment and are not reemployed within 12 months at a public school, charter school or BOCES, OSPRA shall request that DCJS destroy your fingerprints. You also have the right to request that your fingerprints be destroyed prior to the end of the twelve-month period.

If you seek employment in a school after your fingerprints are destroyed, you will need to be fingerprinted again. If you were fingerprinted for certification purposes, your fingerprints may not be destroyed for the period of time that your certification is valid.

New York State Certification Examinations (NYSTCE)

Current forms, regulations, test dates, and test frameworks are available at: http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/ and http://www.highered.nysed.gov/ . Information is also available through the Career Services Office in Blake A.

Information regarding certification exams from NYSED website

Because things are continually changing with this new exam format, we strongly suggest you check in with the NYSTCE website http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/NY_annProgramUpdate.asp regularly and not solely rely on our information on this page.

http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexamsl2012.html

Per the website: We anticipate that candidates applying for certification on or after May 1st, 2014 will be required to take certain new exams

At the February 2012 meeting, the New York State Board of Regents approved a change to the implementation schedule for the new testing requirements for the initial certification of teachers and school building leaders. Read the policy memo here. The following non-regulatory guidance is based on the Board’s direction and is subject to change when regulations are adopted later this year.

	Current Exams	New Exams
Teacher	Assessment of Teaching Skills – Written (ATS-W)	Teacher Performance Assessment (Portfolio)
	Assessment of Teaching Skills – Written (ATS-W)	Educating All Students Test
	Liberal Arts And Science Test (LAST)	Academic Literacy Skills Test
	Content Specialty Tests (CST)	Revised Content Specialty Tests
School Building Leader	School Building Leader Exam (Written)	School Building Leader Exam (Including Performance Assessment)
School Building Leader	School Building Leader Exam (Written)	Educating All Students Test

Anticipated requirements for qualified candidates who apply for a certificate on or before April 30, 2014 and qualified candidates who apply via the Individual Evaluation pathway prior to September 1, 2013

All candidates for the Initial or Transitional B teaching certificate may take the current Content Specialty Test in their field. Candidates who do not pass the current CST prior to implementation of the new CST will have to pass the new CST. (See “When will the new exams be available,” below.)
Candidates who apply for their first Initial certificate on or before April 30, 2014 and who will have completed all of their requirements by April 30, 2014 will be required to pass the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS‑W). Candidates who do not complete all requirements (including passing both the LAST and the ATS-W) by April 30, 2014 will be required to pass the new Teacher Performance Assessment, Educating All Students test, and Academic Literacy Skills Test.
Candidates who apply for the initial school building leader (SBL) certificate on or before April 30, 2014 and who will have completed all of their requirements by April 30, 2014 will be required to pass the current SBL exam. Candidates who do not complete all requirements (including passing the current SBL exam) by April 30, 2014 will be required to pass the new SBL exam and the Educating All Students Test.
Candidates who will have completed all of the requirements for the Transitional B certificate by April 30, 2014 will be required to pass the LAST and CST by that date and will be required to pass the ATS-W prior to obtaining the Initial certificate. Candidates who do not complete all requirements for the Transitional B certificate by April 30, 2014 will be required to pass the new Teacher Performance Assessment, Educating All Students test, and Academic Literacy Skills Test.

Anticipated requirements for candidates graduating or applying for a certificate on or after May 1, 2014

All candidates for the Initial or Transitional B teaching certificate may take the current Content Specialty Test in their field. Candidates who do not pass the current CST prior to implementation of the new CST will have to pass the new CST. (See “When will the new exams be available,” below.)
Candidates who apply for their first Initial certificate on or after May 1, 2014—including candidates who will graduate from an approved teacher preparation program on or after May 1, 2014—should not take the LAST or the ATS‑W. These candidates will be required to pass the new Teacher Performance Assessment, Educating All Students test, and Academic Literacy Skills Test.
Candidates who apply for the initial SBL certificate on or after May 1, 2014—including candidates who will graduate from an approved SBL preparation program on or after May 1, 2014—should not take the current SBL exam. These candidates will be required to pass the new SBL exam and the new Educating All Students test.
Candidates who will complete all of their requirements for the Transitional B certificate on or after May 1, 2014 should not take the LAST or the ATS-W. These candidates will be required to pass the new Educating All Students test and Academic Literacy Skills Test (as well as the CST) to qualify for the Transitional B certificate and the new Teacher Performance Assessment to qualify for the Initial certificate.

When will the new exams be available?

The Teacher Performance Assessment will be available in Fall 2012. The Academic Literacy Skills Test, Educating All Students test, and SBL exam will be available in Fall 2013. The Department plans to publish a timetable in spring 2012 at http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/ giving the date when each new CST will be available.

What is going to be covered on the new exams?

To enable program administrators and faculty to adjust their curricula and prepare their candidates to pass the new exams, the Department will post test frameworks that outline in detail the material that each test will cover, as well as the performance standards for each test. During the spring 2012 semester, we plan to post preliminary frameworks and scoring rubrics for the Teacher Performance Assessment, the Academic Literacy Skills test, the Educating All Students test, and the new School Building Leader exam at http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/. The framework for each new CST will be published well before the first administration date.

Additional information regarding the new exams and other Department initiatives in educator preparation and certification can be found at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/resources.html

Questions? Email edcertpolicy@mail.nysed.gov. The Department will periodically publish answers to your Frequently Asked Questions.

Certification Exam Checklist

Other New York State Education Department Websites

Applying For Certification

Click on the following link for step-by-step directions of how to apply for a certificate, as well as program codes and how to send the information to Geneseo.

http://www.geneseo.edu/dean_office/teacher_certification

Employment Information

New York Commissioner's Regulation 52.21(b)(2)(i)(e) requires that all teacher education institutions make information available to prospective and enrolled students about the labor market and job availability for the programs we offer. The following table is based on 2005 research from the American Association for Employment in Education.

Program	Demand in the Northeast	Demand Nationally
Early Childhood	Balanced Supply & Demand	Balanced Supply & Demand
Childhood	Balanced Supply & Demand	Some Surplus
Childhood w/Special Education	Some Shortage	Some Shortage
Adolescence-English	Balanced Supply & Demand	Balanced Supply & Demand
Adolescence-Math	Considerable Shortage	Considerable Shortage
Adolescence-Social Studies	Some Surplus	Some Surplus
Adolescence-Biology	Some Shortage	Some Shortage
Adolescence-Chemistry	Some Shortage	Some Shortage
Adolescence-Earth Science	Some Shortage	Some Shortage
Adolescence-Physics	Considerable Shortage	Some Shortage
Adolescence-French	Balanced Supply & Demand	Balanced Supply & Demand
Adolescence-Spanish	Some Shortage	Some Shortage
Reading & Literacy	Some Shortage	Balanced Supply & Demand
Speech Pathologist	Considerable Shortage	Some Shortage

The Follow-up Study for the past three graduating classes at SUNY Geneseo revealed the following placement data:

Post Graduation Status of Bachelors Degree Recipients by area of study:

For All Teacher Certification and Communicative Disorders and Sciences Graduates

	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005
Number Reporting	211	220	232	279	289
Employed Full-Time	37%	47%	41%	44%	43%
Employed Part-Time	17%	9%	12%	12%	12%
Graduate School	43%	42%	44%	41%	40%
Unemployed Available	1%	0%	2%	2%	3%
Unavailable for Work	2%	2%	1%	1%	2%

Ella Cline Shear School of Education