Gifted Education Extension Certificate

Cupola atop a building on the Molloy University campus

New York State offers a number of pathways to teacher certification. One pathway is the "Individual Evaluation."  It is designed for teachers who hold a valid New York State Teaching Certificate, have a Master's Degree and wish to earn an extension, such as Gifted Education, 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 for the Gifted Education Extension (PreK - 12):

NYS Requirements College Coursework (12 credits)

  • Identifying characteristics of gifted students
  • Tools and methods for identifying and assessing gifted students
  • Learning environments for students who learn differently from classmates
  • Curriculum design for gifted students
  • Collaborating with other school staff to provide individualized instruction


The following online graduate-level and 3-credit courses are offered at Molloy to meet these requirements: 

EDU 5290 - Identifying and Assessing Gifted Students
EDU 5291 - Designing Curriculum and Instruction for Gifted Students
EDU 5292 - Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learners
EDU 5293 - Collaboration and Leadership in Gifted Education

Please note: If you plan to take all four courses; we require teachers to take them in the sequence above.

Fall 2022 Schedule of Classes

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: New students for the Summer Fall- when completing the online application/registration form please select "2022 Fall Institute" as the term in the drop down.

All of these course are asynchronous online.


EDU 5290 01 - Identifying and Assessing Gifted Students
9/7 - 9/28/22, Reyes

EDU 5291 01 - Designing Curriculum and Instruction for Gifted Students
9/29 - 10/20/22, Sulsky

EDU 5292 01 - Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learners
10/24 -11/14/22, Reyes

EDU 5293 01 - Collaboration and Leadership in Gifted Education
11/16 - 12/6/22, Sulsky

These courses are taught by experienced Gifted educators via asynchronous methods for a flexible learning environment. For information on Course Descriptions and Instructor Bios, please click here.

Requirements and NYS Evaluations of Credentials (TEACH Online)

You will have to apply directly to NYS for your certification through the TEACH online system. However, you may have courses in your background that would satisfy some of the course requirements. 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 have taken is similar, we would suggest taking a different course. The only definitive answer about how many courses you may need must come from NYS. To file for the extension in Gifted Education and have your credentials evaluated by NYS, visit the NYS Office of Teaching Initiatives. There is a $100 fee to apply for teacher certification, but once you have 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 to the NYS TEACH online system for certification and an evaluation.


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


Tuition
Each course is offered at only $945 per 3-credit graduate course. This is a discounted tuition rate. Tuition is normally about $3,800 per 3-credit graduate course. The tuition is offset by a professional development scholarship that is given to those teachers who already possess a master's degree, possess a valid New York State Teaching Certificate, and are not pursuing a master's degree with Molloy College. No other discounts are offered. Students and teachers who are pursuing a master's degree at Molloy College are not eligible to enroll.

Admission and Registration Procedures
The extension does not have a deadline because courses are offered throughout the year, and they do not follow a semester schedule. There are no defined overall start and end dates. Therefore, you can complete an application and registration at any time. Everyone is accepted as long as they are a NYS certified teacher. There is no application fee and GREs are not required. If you are registering for the first time, you will be sent an email within a few business days with your username to log in to your student account, to access the system for future registrations as well as Canvas, our learning management system.

We suggest that you 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.
Click here for the application/registration procedures. 

Virtual Information Session
August 9 th at 4 pm
Email Alina Haitz at ahaitz@molloy.edu to receive the Zoom link

Virtual Office Hours
Thursdays, 4 pm - 5 pm.
Email Alina R. Haitz at ahaitz@molloy.edu to RSVP and receive the Zoom meeting information.
If Thursdays s do not work for your schedule, please contact Alina R. Haitz to set up a call for an alterative time/day.

If you have specific questions about the gifted education coursework, please contact Dr. Vicky Giouroukakis.