Please review below for an update on how Relay New York is responding to the rapidly evolving and challenging situation that is COVID-19.
Relay New York has regulatory approval and instructional flexibility to administer coursework online this fall. Thus, for the health and safety of our graduate students, school partners, and staff, all Relay coursework for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 term, including Deliberate Practice, will be held online. Our experience with online classes this spring and summer gives us the confidence we can continue to facilitate an engaging and effective learning environment in the online modality and we can continue our high levels of support to ensure student success in coursework and with licensure. Please note that Deliberate Practice class sessions will continue to be held during the school day. Relay Residents will need private space within or outside of the school building to attend this 3-hour class.
As an NYS licensure program, Relay faculty regularly observe students via classroom visits and video review throughout the academic year. We anticipate that these observations will mean that faculty members will join virtual instruction and our students will need to record their virtual class sessions. As always, Relay will continue to follow federal and district privacy and security regulations regarding observations and student video.
Coursework Changes for Currently Enrolled Students in Class of 2021 & 2022 and the Advanced Certificate in Special Education:
Pass/ Fail Courses
- Relay NY will offer the option for all enrolled students to take any coursework Pass/Fail. While we continue to process the events of the crisis, we provide this option to alleviate any stress associated with earning a specific course grade to those who would like this option. The registrar’s office will send guidance to all teachers to describe how to request a Pass/Fail grade instead of a letter grade for all who prefer that option. All Pass/Fail requests must be submitted via this form by January 6, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST. Please encourage teachers to connect with their advisor if they have questions about this process, or would like support in making this decision.
- Please note: our minimum cumulative 2.7 GPA requirement for graduation will remain unchanged for the Class of 2020. This means that taking coursework Pass/Fail for some teachers may not be an option if they hope to graduate on time. Any teacher in the Class of 2021 or 2022 with a cumulative GPA lower than 2.7, should consult directly with their advisor before opting into a pass/fail grading scheme for a course. By opting into a course as Pass/Fail, your final Pass/Fail grade will not impact your term or cumulative GPA; however, a Fail in any course will require you to retake the course in order to complete your program of study and graduate.
SGA-315: Master’s Defense II
- Teachers enrolled in this course in the spring of 2021 will not be required to reach a specific achievement floor (or ambitious goal) as a program requirement for graduation.
Oral Presentation Cancellations
- The oral presentation of the program capstone for CO2021 MAT students in all majors and programs and CO2021 Advanced Certificate in Special Education are canceled. The written component of the capstone has been adapted to include deeper reflection and analysis of student and teacher growth and observations of student learning. Faculty will be sharing details of the revised prompts for the paper in the coming weeks if they have not done so already. We believe this adaptation to the program completion requirements will allow teachers to focus on the act of reflection and effectively prioritize given their current needs.
Mid-Term/ Final Assessments
- Because our program assessments are based on teachers’ clinical experience, we have made significant changes to our assessment requirements. Our faculty teams have worked to ensure all assessments are flexible enough to meet the new and evolving realities of teachers in New York while ensuring they meet the competencies of our teacher preparation requirements.
Coursework Changes for CO 2021 and CO 2022 Students, Beginning Summer 2020:
- Relay GSE has regulatory approval and flexibility to administer coursework online. We are currently making adjustments to offer coursework online this summer, as we assume the conditions in New York will require it. For more information on certification and course instruction and assessment changes, please review the COVID 19: Updates to Student Policies and the NEW YORK: COVID-19 Information for Current Students articles.
Policy Changes for Currently Enrolled Students
Bursar Holds
- All Bursar Holds will be placed on accounts on October 15, 2020. Students will need to bring their balance below $500 to register for Spring 2020 by February 16, 2021. Students on an active payment plan are placed on a bursar hold until the payment plan has finished and the balance is at $0.
- Should you have questions about third party billing, please contact support@relay.edu
Certification Holds
- CO 2022 Students:
- Students in Relay’s class of 2022 should have completed the three required NYS workshops in order to be recommended for their Trans-B certificate(s).
- Students should have applied for their Trans-B certificate on TEACH (both Trans-B certificates if the student is in Relay’s Dual Certificate program). If students have not met all Trans-B requirements, they should have applied for their COVID-19 Emergency certificate(s) aligned to their endorsement area(s) in order to ensure they are teaching under a valid New York State certificate.
- Students in CO2022 have until October 4th 2021 to submit proof of passing certification exams (CST(s), EAS).
- CO 2021 Students:
- Relay recommends students to complete certification exams by the end of the Spring or Summer 2021 terms. If they are not able to complete their exams by the time they are set to graduate, they may be eligible to pursue either the Emergency COVID-19 certificate (by applying for the emergency and non-emergency certificates on TEACH by September 1, 2021) or remain enrolled at Relay through Extended Enrollment.
- Many teacher candidates may not be able to complete the EdTPA in their classrooms due to issues related to COVID-19. In such cases, students completing their Relay program in Spring or Summer 2021 are eligible to take Assessment of Teaching Skills Written (ATS-W) in lieu of the EdTPA.
Policy Changes for Future Students CO 2023: Application Materials and Deadlines
Certification:
- Incoming CO 2023 MAT students are required to hold a Transitional B certificate by the state of New York. In order to maintain enrollment, students must hold a valid Transitional B certificate no later than October 1, 2021. Students who do not meet this deadline are not eligible to continue in their program.