Certification & Licensing

Exams, Fingerprinting, and Workshops

Please note:  If you are not currently enrolled in a Stony Brook University Teacher or School Administrator Preparation  program, please refer to your respective NYSED website for specific certification and licensing requirements.   

 

Initial Certification

All students who have been formally admitted to and successfully complete an initial certification program at Stony Brook University (i.e., an undergraduate, combined, or graduate D-TALE program), are eligible for an initial certification with institutional recommendation.  In addition to completing the coursework, field experience, and student teaching within each initial certification program, pre-service teachers must complete relevant workshops and exams and be fingerprinted by the state.  All information regarding a pre-service teacher's progress towards initial certification will be catalogued on their TEACH account.  Accepted students should create an account.  

• TEACH Account

   The New York State Education (NYSED) TEACH system administers all information relating to certification. Current and prospective teachers have an account through which they submit their educational credentials, fingerprint clearance and other required information. If you are a student who has not yet created an account, please log in to get started. Your fingerprint clearance and status may only be monitored through your TEACH account. Be sure to save your log-in information because you will be using your TEACH account to apply for your certificate and will continue to use it throughout your career.

  If you have any questions about your status you must contact New York State directly at 518-473-2998 or OSPRA@mail.nysed.gov.

• Additional Certifications

  If you are a teacher with a graduate student status taking undergraduate credits for the purpose of seeking an additional certification, courses must be taken at the graduate level in order to earn credit so that the credits appear on your transcript and can be eligible for review by NYSED. Contact the Program Director/Department for the course in which you are interested in enrolling for advisement. Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please email  SPD_GraduationandCertification@stonybrook.edu for additional information.

Exams

All students will have to complete the Educating All Students Test and the Revised CST (Content Specialty Test) in the area of the certificate.  It is the student's responsibility to monitor the TEACH website to ensure that they are taking the appropriate examinations. 

edTPA Portfolio

As of April 27, 2022, the NYS Education Department eliminated the edTPA as a certification requirement.  Effective September 1, 2023, in lieu of the edTPA, all students in teacher preparation programs will be required to complete a teacher performance assessment.  This assessment will be developed, administered, and evaluated by Stony Brook University instructors.

Fingerprinting

New York State law requires the Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability (OSPRA) to conduct fingerprint-supported criminal history background checks for applicants for certification and all prospective employees of school districts, charter schools and BOCES. After your fingerprints have been processed by OSPRA, your TEACH account will contain the following statement: "Your DCJS and FBI results have been received". You will not receive anything from OSPRA unless a school district requests a fingerprint clearance report for you.

The fingerprinting verification process is operated by IdentoGO. The fingerprint application fee is $101.75 (effective August 1, 2019). When visiting the IdentoGO website to set up your appointment, you may be prompted for a service number. Follow the website instructions to find out the correct service code and which forms of identification to bring to the appointment with you. 

Workshops

New York State Law requires many licensed professionals, teachers and school administrators applying for the renewal of a license, registration, certificate or limited permit to complete coursework regarding child abuse, DASA and school violence. To satisfy these requirements, SPD offers the following NYSED-approved workshops. If you are not currently enrolled in a Stony Brook University Teacher or School Administrator Preparation  program, please refer to your respective NYSED website for specific certification and licensing requirements.   

View schedule and registration information

Professional Certification

All teachers in New York State must earn a functionally relevant master’s degree containing a minimum of twelve credits in the content area of initial license and teach at level (grade level range encompassed within initial certification) for a minimum of three years, the first of which must be mentored. All teachers in New York State must be U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens who have obtained lawful permanent resident status, otherwise they will not be licensed. 

International Students 

All international students who graduate from a “registered and approved” program at Stony Brook and obtain an initial certification may work in New York State with an appropriate visa. These individuals who hold an initial license must become naturalized citizens or obtain a permanent-resident green card within five years of receiving their initial certification or their license will expire.