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Also on this page: CHART: NYS Certificate Types for Teaching Assistants

Let's say you've determined that your job duties are those of a teaching assistant: You are providing instructional support services. In that case, no matter what your title is, New York state requires you to be certified as a teaching assistant. There are two different sets of requirements.

The old requirements cover anyone whose application is filed on or before Feb. 1, 2004 for a state credential to work as a teaching assistant. Under the old state rules:

• To get hired to work as a teaching assistant you must have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
• Once you're hired to work as a teaching assistant, your district applies for you to receive a temporary one-year license (which can be renewed for one additional year).
• Next, your district applies for you to receive a permanent ("continuing") state teaching assistant certificate, after you successfully complete one year of experience as a teaching assistant and six semester hours of relevant college courses.

The new requirements cover anyone who applies on or after Feb. 2, 2004 for a state credential to work as a teaching assistant. The new system introduces a whole series of four different certificates (Levels I, II, II and Pre-Professional ) that eventually can lead to preparation to be a teacher; you eventually must achieve at least a Level III. And the requirements are rigorous. Under the new state rules:

• To get hired to work as a teaching assistant, you must have a high school diploma and pass a basic skills test, the state Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills (ATAS). You then will start working on a series of requirements that lead to a continuously valid state teaching assistant certificate.

• Ultimately, to earn a continuously valid state teaching assistant certificate, you also will have to complete at least 18 semester hours of college courses. (Plus, to keep that state certification, you will have to complete 75 hours of district-provided professional training every five years thereafter.)

The chart that follows gives you more specifics on state teaching assistant certificates.

The new state requirements are a high standard for an important job. You would think those would be enough. But - remember the apples and oranges - the federal government also has some requirements for people who perform the duties of teaching assistants. The good news is that your statewide union, New York State United Teachers, fought to make sure experienced teaching assistants wouldn't have to jump through a whole new set of hoops to meet these requirements.

Still, the federal rules are complicated.

They are explained in the next section.

NEXT: What the federal government requires

NYSUT.ORG. Copyright New York State United Teachers. 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, New York, 12110-2455. 518.213.6000.