Success Academy – Childhood Special Education (Advanced Certificate)

As a participant in the Success Academy Childhood Special Education Advanced Certificate program at Hunter College, you will complete a NYS certification program for Childhood Special Education (Advanced Certificate). You will apply for your certification through the New York State Education Department (NYSED). You will apply for initial and professional certification.

The School of Education reserves the right not to recommend for certification any student who has committed a serious breach of professional ethics or behavior.

Initial Certification

When you graduate from the Advanced Certificate program, you will be recommended for both initial and professional certification in Childhood Special Education. You must apply for the initial certificate when you are preparing to graduate from the Advanced Certificate program in order for the state to issue your initial certification.

Professional Certification

The Professional Certificate is an advanced certificate. Once you have completed three years of full-time, paid teaching experience (including one year of mentored teaching), you can apply for professional certification in your base certificate. When you do so, you will also apply for professional certification in Childhood Special Education. Your professional certification will be continuously valid with completion and documentation of required professional development hours within a five-year professional development cycle as determined by New York State.

If you will not graduate from the Advanced Certificate program prior to the expiration of your initial certificate, you may be eligible for an extension through NYSED’s TEACH Online Services. Create/Log in to your TEACH account and select “Apply for a Time Extension.”

Candidates seeking initial and professional certification must fulfill the following requirements before applying:

1. Pass all required New York State Teacher Certification Exams

Content Specialty Test (CST) – Students with Disabilities
Content Specialty Test (CST) – Multi-subject Secondary Teachers (Grades 7-12)

If you have already taken Content Specialty Test (CST) – Multi-subject Secondary Teachers (Grades 7-12) for prior certification you do not have to take it again.

Need help preparing? The Hunter College School of Education Center for Career, Professional & Partnership Development (CPPD) conducts test preparation workshops regularly. Learn about upcoming Test Preparation Workshops.

For information regarding exam safety nets consult the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

2. Complete NY State Certification required workshops and submit to the Office of Academic and Students Affairs (OASA)

All applications for NY State certification require that students take and complete the workshops listed below. Students who have completed these workshops for a prior certification, do not need to take them again.

School Violence Intervention and Prevention

This workshop is included in coursework for your program.

Child Abuse Identification and Reporting

This workshop is included in coursework for your program.

Autism Workshop

This workshop is included in coursework for your program

Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Workshop

Students may take this workshop through Hunter College’s Continuing Education department or with another approved provider through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) website.

3. Submit Workshop Certification(s) to the Office of Partnership Programs

Upon completion of workshops, students must submit their workshop certification(s) to the Office of Partnership Programs.

4. Clear fingerprints with the New York State Education Department (NYSED)

All students in programs leading to New York State certification need to have their fingerprints cleared by the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

Visit the Fingerprinting for Hunter College School of Education Students to learn how to obtain fingerprint clearance.

5. Graduate

When to Apply

Students must fulfill all exam, workshop, and security clearance requirements before applying for certification. Students apply for certification through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) TEACH Account.

How to Apply for Certification

The following is a step-by-step guide to apply for certification through the New York State Department of Education’s TEACH Account.

1. Create/Log in to your TEACH Account

Students must create/log in to their New York State Education Department (NYSED) TEACH Account.

2. Verify/Update Profile

The Verify/Update Profile section will ask for education and employment history. For educational history, provide information from bachelor’s degree to present. For employment history enter all full-time, paid teaching experiences in both public and private schools.

Hunter College is an approved New York Teacher Certification Program. When prompted provide the following information:

Award Title: Advanced Certificate
Program Code: 37799 – CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION
Major: Education
Enter all full-time, paid teaching experience (in both public and private schools).

3.Select Certificate(s)

Enter the following information for the certificates section.

Initial Certificate

Select your Area of Interest: Classroom Teacher
Select your Subject Area: Students with Diabilities
Select the Grade Level: Grades 1-6
Select the Title: Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6)
Select your Certificate Type: Initial

Professional Certificate

Select your Area of Interest: Classroom Teacher
Select your Subject Area: Students with Diabilities
Select the Grade Level: Grades 1-6
Select the Title: Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6)
Select your Certificate Type: Professional

On the next page, enter the Program Code 37799.

4. Sign Affidavit

5. Confirm and Sign Application

6. Make Payment

We recommend paying by credit card for ease of tracking.

7. Review Application Transaction Summary

This will help you keep track of what you need to do in order to obtain your certificate.

Upon completion of workshops, students must submit their workshop certification(s) to the Office of Partnership Programs.

If you have applied for a certificate but have not yet graduated, the status of your certificate application will be “Not Ready for Review”. Once your graduation is posted, have met all the requirements and have institutional recommendation, your status will change to “Ready for Review” and NYSED will then review your application.

Students applying for certification or licensure in states other than New York must complete the Out of State Certification and Licensure Form.

Registering for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE)

During the registration process enter all 9s when prompted for your Social Security Number (SSN). Once you do receive a Social Security Number, you will need to fax a copy of your Social Security Number card and Passport to the New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) with a cover letter including your assigned New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) ID number to request they change your temporary Social Security Number replacement with your assigned Social Security Number.

The fax number for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) is 413-256-7088. Follow up a few days later to ensure they have received your fax. The phone number for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) is 413-256-2882.

Registering for the edTPA without a Social Security Number

International students without a valid Social Security Number (SSN) should leave the Social Security Number section blank. Do not enter any numbers, including a temporary number assigned by the NYCDOE. You will see a message stating “The Social Security Number that you entered is not valid. If you do not have a valid Social Security Number please click here.”

In the next window you must confirm you do not have valid Social Security Number. The system will let you proceed with the registration process at this point.

Applying for NYSED TEACH Account without a Social Security Number

You do not need to wait for a Social Security Number (SSN) to create an account on the NYSED TEACH system. If you do not have a valid Social Security Number, you will need to email soeoasa@hunter.cuny.edu to request a TEACH Access Number first. The access number is only for use with TEACH and meeting requirements for New York State teacher certification. If you do get a social security number, you must notify NYSED.

If you apply for OPT the process will generate a Social Security Number which you will use to create your TEACH account and apply for New York State Department of Education teaching certification. You should apply for OPT as soon as you can, but you cannot apply earlier than 90 days before your program completion date.

For general instructions on setting up your NYSED TEACH account, please refer to the Certification and Licensure section on this program page.

New York City Department of Education Employment with OPT once your NYS Certificate has issued

International students cannot apply for employment with New York City Public Schools until they have a Social Security Number (SSN). International students may qualify for employment in New York City public schools once they hold New York State certification and hold an OPT visa. You will be ineligible to apply to work for the New York City Department of Education unless you hold OPT authorization, have a Social Security Number and your New York State certification has issued. Candidates fitting the above criteria may apply online to the New York City Department of Education. Once the application is received and reviewed, further instructions will follow. This policy is subject to change at any time.

If you have questions regarding certification, contact Daniel Hernandez for support.