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Teaching Assistant Certification Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NYSATAS?
This stands for “New York State Assessment of Teaching Assistant
Skills”.
Who needs to take the NYSATAS?
According to new NYS certification requirements, everyone who
applies for credentials to work as a Teaching Assistant after February 2, 2004
will be required to submit proof of a satisfactory score on the NYSATAS.
What if I’m already certified?
If you currently hold a “continuing certificate” or “temporary
certificate” issued before February 2, 2004, then you are not required to take
the NYSATAS. Certification in another professional educational field or
successfully passing the NYS teaching certification exams is sufficient to meet
the NYSATAS requirement.
What are the new certification levels?
As of February 2, 2004, New York State is no longer granting “continuing
certification”. Instead, certification of new Teaching Assistants is now
divided into four levels.
- Level I is roughly equivalent to the old temporary
certificate. The candidate must possess a HS diploma and pass the NYSATAS.
It is valid for one year.
- Level II is roughly equivalent to the former
“continuing certificate”. The candidate must meet the above requirements,
possess 6 college credits, and work for one year as a Teaching Assistant.
It is valid for two years.
- Level III represents the new requirements for Teaching
Assistants. Candidates must meet the above requirements, except they must
now have 18 college credits. The license is continuously valid with 75
hours of professional development every five years.
- Level IV is called “Pre-Professional”. All of the
above applies, plus the candidate must be matriculated in a teacher
preparation program.
How do these new levels affect the “Continuing
Certification”?
If you currently hold a continuing or temporary certificate issued prior
to February 2, 2004, you don’t have to worry about these new certification
levels. Your current Teaching Assistant certification is “grandfathered” and
will remain valid.
What is “NCLB”?
This stands for a federal initiative called “No Child Left Behind”.
NCLB is requiring new education standards for all of the states. The NYSATAS is
a result, in part, of the new NCLB requirements that all Teaching Assistants be
“highly qualified” to perform their jobs, either through college coursework, or
through an assessment of their skills.
How will NCLB affect my certification?
NCLB, as a federal program, has more requirements than New York State. By
January 8, 2006, all Teaching Assistants working in a school that receives
federal Title I funds must possess at least: an Associates Degree, or
two years of college level study (48 credits), or pass a formal
skills assessment test.
This means that even if you currently hold a valid NYS
Continuing Certification, you will need to meet the NCLB requirements by
January, 2006.
Fortunately, New York State has designed the NYSATAS to meet
the new federal NCLB requirements.
How do I find out more about the NYSATAS?
Test dates, locations, registration information, test formats, and a
test preparation guide can all be found online at
www.nysatas.nesinc.com or
NYSATAS
National Evaluation Systems, Inc
PO Box 660
Amherst, MA 01004-9008
(413) 256-2895
How do I find out more about NYS Teaching Assistant
Certification?
You can visit the NYS Dept. of Education online at
www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert or
NYS Education Department
Office of Teaching Initiatives
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-3901
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