Please review the TEACH Guide for instructions on applying for a Transitional B, Initial, and or Professional certificate.
Although the TEACH guide describes the application process for the Transitional B certificate, the instructions are similar when applying for an Initial and Professional Certificate. The primary difference is that you will change your selected certificate type depending on what you are applying for (e.g. Trans B, Initial, Professional). Additionally, the program codes listed in the TEACH guide are the same for each certificate type and are based on the major you hold/held during your enrollment at Relay.
When students graduate from Relay, Relay recommends graduates to New York state for both the Initial and Professional teaching certificates. For graduates of Relay’s Dual Certificate program, we recommend you for both the Initial and Professional in both the Students with Disabilities and Generalist endorsement areas.
To determine your eligibility for the New York Professional Teaching Certificate, view this resource from the Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI). You will need to complete an Experience Verification Form (to be submitted to OTI by past employers) as a part of your Professional application.
To determine the specific requirements for the certificate sought, you can use this step-by-step resource provided by NYSED and TEACH.
- Under “Area of Interest” - select Classroom Teacher
- Under “Subject Area” - select the area aligned to your major at Relay.
- Dual Certificate students - you will need to do this process twice, once for the SwD certificate, and once for the Generalist certificate, if you are seeking professional certificates in both.
- Under “Grade Level” - select the grade level band aligned to your major at Relay
- Under “Title” - select the title aligned to your major at Relay
- Under “Type of Certificate” - select “Professional”.
After you have selected the options above, click “search” and you will be given the list of requirements for the certificate sought. You likely pursued your Trans-B and Initial through the Approved Teacher Preparation Program pathway (the first pathway in the list below your selections for #1-5 above). Many of the requirements for your Professional Certificate were also required for your Trans-B or Initial and these will remain on file to satisfy requirements for your Professional Certificate.
- Completion of a NYS Registered Program
- This was your two-year Relay program
- Institutional Recommendation - Certificate Title
- Relay recommended you upon graduation for both your Initial and Professional Certificates in your major area(s)
- New York State Teacher Certification Exam - Educating All Students Test (EAS)
- Required for you to hold an issued Trans-B
- Content Specialty Test(s)
- Required for you to hold an issued Trans-B, and to hold an Initial in Students with Disabilities
- Paid, full-time Classroom Teaching experience - 3 Yrs
- Verification of Paid Experience form
- Mentored Experience
- This was completed during your two years at Relay
- Workshop - Dignity For All Students Act
- Fingerprint Clearance
- Citizenship Status - INS Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship
Dual Certificate Teachers: Three years teaching under an Initial certificate can be fulfilled under either your Students with Disabilities or Generalist setting to make you eligible for a Professional in both certificates. What matters is the pathway you select when applying for your additional professional certificate.
Example: A Relay alum teaches in a 3rd-grade classroom for three years while holding a Childhood 1-6 Initial and Students with Disabilities 1-6 Initial. At the completion of the three years, they would apply for their Childhood 1-6 Professional via the “Approved Teacher Prep Program - Certificate Progression” pathway. Once issued (or possibly just after they submit their application), they would apply for their Students with Disabilities 1-6 Professional via the “Approved Teacher Prep Program - Additional Certificate” pathway, because the classroom setting in which the 3 years of teaching under an Initial was completed does not matter as long as they’ve met the other requirements for the Students with Disabilities 1-6 Professional.
If you have additional questions, please email support@relay.edu with your graduation year so we can best assist you.