Planning ahead is key when it comes to New York State certification. You should not apply for certification until you complete your graduate program at Bank Street, but you should begin the necessary exams and fingerprinting components as early as possible so that you are able to become certified promptly after you graduate.
The certification requirements may seem overwhelming. See below for a suggested timeline for completing requirements.
New York State requires that you get fingerprinted through MorphoTrust USA.
To begin the process at the state level for certification, visit this webpage and be sure to use the code 14ZGQT. This code is specific to those seeking certification with the New York [State] Department of Education.
In order for us to recommend you for certification when you graduate, you must create a TEACH account. Your certification will not be issued until your master’s degree is granted.
Provided that you have a TEACH account, after you graduate you will be recommended for certification by Bank Street. Approximately a month after your degree is conferred, we will send a Student Application Information Form to your Bankstreet.edu email address, which includes all of the information you need when you apply for certification online. Each program has it’s own unique code assigned by New York State. Bank Street will automatically recommend you for the initial and professional certification(s) for which your Bank Street degree grants you eligibility.
You can request a recommendation in the final month of your final semester at Bank Street. If you are an alumni, a request can be made at any time. Confirmation of a recommendation will be sent once the process is complete. Recommendation timelines vary based on a candidate’s date of completion. Submit questions to certification@bankstreet.edu
You will find instructions on how to apply in the tab below.
New York State does not issue paper certificates, nor will it inform you once the certification has issued. You will need to log in to your TEACH account periodically to check the status of your certification. Any questions? Please email us at certification@bankstreet.edu.
You will need to apply online for New York State certification. It is important that you submit your application using the unique Bank Street program code provided to you upon your graduation. If you are unsure of your program code, contact certification@bankstreet.edu.
What kind of student are you?
Candidates who are applying for certification must take and pass:
*There are four Multi-Subject tests available for four different grade levels. Each test has three parts. Part Three is shared by all four Multi-Subject tests; therefore, if you are seeking more than one Multi-Subject certificate, you need to pass Part Three only once.
| Certification | Required Exams |
| Bilingual Education Extension | BEA, EAS |
| Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) | EAS, Childhood Multi subject CST |
| Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2) | EAS, Early Childhood Multi subject CST |
| Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) | CST for literacy |
| Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2) | EAS, CST Students With Disabilities |
| Students with Disabilities Grade 1-6) | EAS, CST Students With Disabilities |
| TSOL | CST – ESOL, EAS |
Leadership Certification Exams:
If you are interested in working in a public setting in New York before graduating, you can work under the Internship Credential. Once you have completed at least one-half of the credits required in a qualifying degree program, you can obtain this temporary certification, which allows you to earn a teacher salary while completing your coursework and culminating project in the evenings and over the summer.
What is it?
The internship credential is a temporary certificate that allows you to accept a job that requires certification as a condition of employment while you are in the process of completing your degree.
Who qualifies?
You must be a matriculated student enrolled in a certification-eligible program, in good academic standing, and you must have completed at least 50 percent of the credits required for the program. You must not have completed the fieldwork required for your program.
You must also be fingerprinted. Both the State Department of Education and the New York City Department of Education will need to clear your fingerprints in order for you to be eligible. Proof of fingerprints must be reflected in your TEACH account with New York State.
Steps to obtain the credential:
Other important information:
The internship credential is temporary and will expire as soon as a recommendation for initial certification is entered following the completion of your program. You will need to complete all of the requirements for regular certification, including exams and workshops, and you will need to submit an online application. You must apply for regular certification upon completion of your program.
We recommend that you wait until you complete a degree through Bank Street before applying for certification. Upon your graduation, Bank Street will send you a graduation packet with detailed instructions to help you apply online for your certification(s). These instructions pertain only to certification that you will earn based on your Bank Street coursework.
Visit the Office of Teaching Initiatives website to get started.
On your Student Application Information form (sent in your graduation packet), the program code is the 5-digit number that appears before your Bank Street program.
This code applies only to the certificate(s) that your Bank Street program is registered for. No other certification application should not be submitted using this code.
Professional certification requires three years of paid, full-time experience, including a mentored experience in your workplace. (The mentor year cannot be your Bank Street fieldwork year.) If you do not have this, you should apply for initial certification. You will have five years to get the experience required for professional certification. If you do have this, go to this page to download the appropriate form to have your experience verified. The form must be submitted by your employer. If you worked in multiple schools during the three years, you must submit multiple forms.
Once you hold professional certification, you must complete 100 hours of professional development every 5 years. Go to this page to learn more about this requirement.
Visit the Office of Teaching Initiatives website to get started.
New York State Education Department
Office of Teaching Initiatives
Room 5N, Education Building
Albany, NY 12234
For certifications issued based on your Bank Street coursework, no. If you have a prior certificate or would like to obtain another certification, official transcripts are required.
You must apply for a time extension through the TEACH system. If you are applying for an extension on the basis that you have not completed your master’s degree, you must develop a written plan, signed by your advisor describing how you will complete the academic requirements for this master’s degree prior to the expiration of the time-extended certificate. You must also submit official transcripts to the state. Send supporting documentation to:
New York State Education Department
Office of Teaching Initiatives
Room 5N, EB
Albany, NY 12234
Non-citizens with permanent residency status may be able to obtain the full range of certificates. Non-citizens without permanent residency status may be eligible for time-limited certificates.
Students who have completed at least half the credits of their programs and who have a job offer from a school are eligible for the Internship Certification Credential (see above section: Elements of Certification – Internship Certification).
The Educating All Students test consists of selected-response items and constructed-response items. Each constructed-response item will share scenario-based stimulus material with several selected-response items. The EAS test measures the professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills necessary to teach all students effectively in New York State public schools.
Courses to help prepare for the exam: EDUC 500, EDUC505, EDUC 803 (after EDUC 500), the three State-Mandated Workshops
Content Specialty Tests consist of multiple-choice questions and a written assignment. The CSTs for languages other than English include recorded listening and/or speaking components and writing components. The American Sign Language CST includes video-recorded signing components. These tests measure knowledge and skills in the content area of the candidate’s field of certification.
If you are seeking dual certification in early childhood and childhood, you will need to take both the Multi-Subject CSTs.
Multi-Subject Early Childhood (birth – grade 2):
Courses to help prepare for the exam: EDUC 500, EDUC 505, EDUC 510, EDUC 514, EDUC 535, EDUC 540, EDUC 551, EDUC 563, EDUC 564, EDUC 590 (or EDUC 591), after completion of fieldwork.
CPS offers math support workshops for this exam. Check the schedule for upcoming dates.
Multi-Subject Childhood (grades 1 – 6):
Courses to help prepare for the exam: EDUC 510 (or EDUC 511), EDUC 513 (or EDUC 514), EDUC 515 (or EDUC 517), EDUC 535 (or EDUC 551), EDUC 540 (or EDUC 542 or MATH 495), EDUC 560, EDUC 563 (or EDUC 568)
CPS offers math support workshops for this exam. Check the schedule for upcoming dates.
Literacy:
Students with Disabilities:
Courses to help prepare for the exam: The Literacy and Students with Disabilities CST are meant to be taken at the end of your coursework.
The BEAs consist of multiple-choice questions and constructed-response assignments. They include recorded listening and speaking components in English and include listening, speaking, reading, and writing components in the target language. The BEAs are required of candidates seeking a bilingual education extension to a certificate. Students seeking a Bilingual Education Extension to a teaching certificate are required to take this exam in the target language of instruction.
Each of the School Leadership Assessments consists of two individually administered tests called “Parts.” Each part consists of both selected-response questions and performance tasks.
Each of the School Leadership Assessments consists of two individually administered tests called “Parts.” Each part consists of both selected-response questions and performance tasks.
The Content Specialty Test is a component of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE). Offered in specific subjects, the CSTs in Languages other than English and Music include taped listening and/or speaking components and a written assignment. The purpose of the test to assess knowledge and skills in the subject of the certificate sought.
ESOL Prep Guide