Childhood Grades 1-6 Certification

New York State offers a number of pathways to teacher certification. One pathway is the: "Individual Evaluation for Additional Certificate Pathway". It is designed for teachers who hold a valid New York State Teaching Certificate and wish to earn an additional certification, such as, Childhood Grades 1-6, without having to earn an additional degree. Candidates for NYS certification through this "Individual Pathway" must meet certain Content Core and Pedagogical Core requirements and must also meet any non-coursework requirements, such as the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and fingerprint clearance, as specified.

The following are the course requirements for the Individual Pathway Childhood Grades 1-6:

Content Core (18 credits)
    -College Coursework - Concepts in Historical and Social Sciences - 6 credits
    -College Coursework - Scientific Processes - 6 credits
    -College Coursework - Mathematical Processes - 6 credits

It has been our experience that most teachers have the 18 credits needed in the content core. If you should need credits in this area we would suggest that you look into taking the needed credits at a local community college.

Pedagogical Core (9 credits)
-College Coursework EXCLUSIVELY at Student Developmental Level - Childhood-Grades 1-6 - 6 credits
-College Coursework - Teaching Literacy Skills Methods - 3 credits (It has been our experience that most teachers have this course in their background)

The following courses are offered at Molloy meet the pedagogical core requirements:

EDU 5277, Strategies, Methods & Environments for Teaching Childhood Students with Disabilities (meets 3 of the 6 credits required in the college coursework exclusively at the Student Development Level - Childhood-Grades 1-6)

EDU 5279, Curriculum, Content, Practices, and Environmental Issues for Teaching Childhood Students with Disabilities (meets 3 of the 6 credits required in the college coursework exclusively at the Student Development Level - Childhood-Grades 1-6)

EDU 5062, Language and Literacy: Principles and Practices for Childhood Classrooms (meets the 3 credits required in the college coursework for Teaching Literacy Skills Methods and may meet 3 of the 6 credits required in the college coursework exclusively at the Student Development Level - Childhood-Grades 1-6) It has been our experience that most teachers have this course in their background.

Spring 2025 Institutes Schedule of Classes
Registration for the Spring Institutes will begin October 28, 2024

Molloy's online admission/registration system is called Lion's Den. The Lion's Den web page for Professional Studies courses can be found at: https://lionsden.molloy.edu/ICS/Professional_Studies/

Please note: when you search for the term please select "2025 Spring Institute" If you put in the term "2025 Spring" it will include the non-discounted courses that you are not eligible to take.

1/27/25-2/10/25

EDU 5062-01 Lang&Literacy:PrincipPractChld(1-6), Linda Kraemer, asynchronous online

3/05/25-5/09/25

EDU 5277-01 Strat & Tech-Tchng Childhood/Inclusiv, Kristin Watts, asynchronous online

EDU 5279-01 CurricCont&PracTchngChDisabilities, Robin Small, asynchronous online

How many courses do you need to become certified?

Most teachers may have courses in their background that would satisfy some of the course requirements. The only definitive answer about how many courses that you may need must come from NY State. We suggest looking at the courses that you have taken to see if any of those courses are similar to what is required by NYS. If any course that you've taken sounds similar, we would suggest holding off taking that course or courses until you receive the official notification from NYS.

To have your credentials evaluated by NYS visit the NYS Office of Teaching Initiatives and file for certification for Childhood Education to find out which courses that you have taken before may qualify. Do this as soon as possible - even before you enroll in any courses! There is a $100 fee to apply teacher certification, but once you've paid the fee you do not have to pay it again as long as you complete the process within three years and do not ask for more than two evaluations. Click here for detailed instructions on applying for certification.

Practicum, Field study, Observations or Student Teaching
Under this pathway you are not required to do a practicum, field study, observations or student teaching. NYS does not require teachers who are NYS certified to complete student teaching again when they are applying for additional certification.

Course Schedule and Modality

Online asynchronous course content is delivered online with no required virtual or instructional site meetings. The course has a start date and an end date, but no set time you must log on to the course. You must log on to Canvas on the first day of class and continue to do so on a regular basis to complete assignments and participate in discussions in the time allotted by the professor.

The courses will be taught using an online platform at Molloy called Canvas. Please see the "Canvas" link under the "explore" column for details on Canvas.

The fall schedule is posted on the website in May. The spring schedule is posted in October. The summer schedule is posted in February.

Tuition

The tuition is discounted to $945 per course. There are no application or course fees. This is a discounted tuition rate. Tuition is normally about $4,000 per 3-credit graduate course. The tuition is off-set by a professional development scholarship that is given to those teachers who already possess a master's degree and are not pursuing a master's degree with Molloy University. There are no other discounts given. Students and teachers who are pursuing a master's degree at Molloy University are not eligible to enroll in this program at the discounted rate.

Admission and Registration Procedure
The program does not have traditional deadline dates because courses are offered throughout the year and they do not follow a semester schedule. There are no defined overall start and end dates for the program. Therefore, you can apply to the program at any time. The registration process is rather simple because you are not applying for a Molloy degree. There is an online application that you need to complete, but that is for information purposes only. Everyone is accepted as long as you are a NYS certified teacher. There is no application fee and GREs are not required. If you are enrolling in the program for the first time, there is a combined application/registration form that you will complete online. Once you register for the first time you will be sent an email within one to two business days with your username to login your student account to access the system for future registrations and to access Canvas, our online learning platform.

You should register at least a week before the course start date at the latest in order to register for the first time. After that you can register up until the day before the class, but then you run the risk that a course could be full.

All registrations for courses are conducted online. Click here for the application/registration procedures. The online registration process differs if you are a continuing student or if you are a new student.

Quick Links

Questions?
Email Krista Lombardo at klombardo@molloy.edu