Welcome
The Lehman College Certification Office is available for matriculated students enrolled in one of the School of Education’s teacher/educator preparation programs. Students must be matriculated and on the path to graduate from their teacher programs.
We provide guidance, referrals services and navigation tools for students to obtain their state certification from the New York State Education Dept. - Office of Teaching Initiatives after they graduate from their program at Lehman. Based on each student’s program area of study, we provide checklists for our students on behalf and under the New York State Education Department regulations and standards.
Our services are available via email and by phone for all School of Education students. Students must learn about their individual state certification requirements in preparation to obtain their initial certificate ideally after they officially graduate from their program.
It is important to check in with the Certification Office for advisement to learn about your requirements in addition to checking in with your own program advisor for your degree requirements. You should seek advisement early in your first semester.
Announcements from the New York State Education Department- Office of Teaching Initiatives
1. The NYSED has eliminated the edTPA exam requirement and the General Core in Liberal Arts & Sciences requirement for any person seeking their first initial certification. The state's official announcement is available on their website for more detailed information.
This will apply to all School of Ed. students (past, present and future) if seeking their very first teacher initial certificate. As part of all other certification requirements to obtain the first teacher initial certificate, the state will no longer require the edTPA exam. Because the edTPA exam has been eliminated, the ATS-W exam will no longer be required.
More detailed information is available in the following state links:
- Elimination of the edTPA requirement
- FAQ's
- Elimination of the General Core in Liberal Arts & Science
2. The Emergency COVID Certificate has been removed by the state. September 1, 2022, was the last day to apply for this temporary certificate. It is no longer available.
3. Memo from NYSED to verify employment of Certified Individuals with Expired Initial Certificates:
- A certified individual may continue to be employed after his/her certificate has expired.
- The applicant must have applied and paid for their next level certificate application.
- The employer may verify submission or an application and the required documents in TEACH while approval by New York State Education Department -Office of Teaching Initiative is pending.
For additional information regarding the following, please visit the NYSED webpages below:
- Re-issuance of an expired Initial Classroom Teaching Certificate
- Provisional Renewals - Pupil Personnel Service
- Time Extension of a Certificate
Please see the left sidebar menu for more information about teacher and other educator certification, workshops, exams, and preparation materials. Below are announcements and pertinent information from the New York State Education Department.
