Fredonia - Teacher Certification

Question: What is a TEACH Account?
Answer: The New York State Education Department has created an online system called TEACH where you must establish an account to apply and pay for your certificates, enter education and teaching experience, and maintain other critical certification information.

Question: How do I create a TEACH account?
Answer: See the instructions to Create a TEACH account here. If you need assistance, contact the Office of Student Services in E262/264 Thompson Hall or call at 716-673-4768.

Question: Is it OK if I apply for my certification before I graduate?
Answer: Yes, it is best if you do. However, it is not recommended that you apply for certification any earlier than your final semester. You will get specific directions when you attend the Professional Development Seminar, at the start of your student teaching semester.

Question: How much does it cost to apply for my certificate(s)?
Answer: You will need to apply for each certification through your TEACH Account. The application for each certificate is $50 when applying as the result of completing an approved Fredonia teacher preparation program.

Question: How do I know my Program Code to apply for my certificate(s) through TEACH?
Answer: You will receive a Student Application Information Sheet when you attend the Professional Development Seminar at the start of your student teaching semester. Click here for a master list.

Question: I think I want to wait a while before applying for my certificate(s). Is that OK?
Answer: Not any more. While some program completers wait a bit before applying for their certificate(s), based on a number of personal reasons, great caution should be taken should you decide to do so. Regular changes to NY State certification requirements can have a significant impact on a candidate's certification eligibility should the candidate not be certified prior to the implementation of a change.
In some instances candidates have been required to complete new exams, new coursework, and even entire programs in order to earn the certificate(s) for which they were once eligible but failed to earn as a result of delaying their certification application.
Extreme caution should therefore be exercised when making the decision to delay applying for a certificate.
The Office of Student Services provides updated information on pending certification changes. There is no guarantee that the changes identified on these pages are inclusive of all possible changes proposed by NY State at any given time.

Question: How do I find out if my certificate has been issued?
Answer: Log in to your TEACH Account. Go to your TEACH Home page. Select "Account Information" then select "Certificates" from the scrolling menu and click "GO". Displayed information includes all of your certificate applications and all issued certificates. Time limited certifications, such as Initial Certificates, will not be mailed to you. They are only visible through your TEACH account.

Question: How and when can I apply for a time extension on my Initial Teacher Certification?
Answer: You should see if you are qualified to apply for a time extension by visiting the New York State Office of Teaching Initiatives page related to extensions. Typically, New York State will not process a time extension application unless it is within 6 months of the certificate's expiration date.

Question: How do I find out more about teaching in another state once I am certified in New York?
Answer: Many states have different levels of reciprocity with New York state. You can start searching these requirements here.

Question: Since one of the requirements for Professional Certification is a Master's Degree, how do I know what degrees are appropriate for my area(s) of Initial Certification?
Answer: In order to satisfy the Master's degree requirement for professional certification, you must have been awarded a Master's from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or from an institution authorized by the Regents to confer degrees. Click here to see the four possible routes and a quick reference chart.

For more information on requirements for Professional Certification, please see Fredonia's other website for certification requirements.