Requirements for Literacy PreK-12

New York State offers several 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, Literacy Certification, 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. These requirements are outlined below:

NYS Certification Requirements Pathway: Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate
The following is the list of requirements from the New York State Office of Teaching Initiatives website on approved pathway:

Hold a Valid NYS Classroom Teaching Certificate
Pedagogical Core- 12 S.H
- College Coursework-Human Development and Learning
- College Coursework-Teaching Students with Disabilities & Special Health-Care Needs

College Coursework- Child or Adolescent Literature
College Coursework- Foundations of Education

Graduate Coursework- Literacy- 12 S.H

Literacy Instruction and Assessment- 6 S.H.
Literacy Diagnosis and Remediation
Literacy in Content Area
College Practicum in PK-Gr 4 & Grades 5-12 (50 hours) or 1 Year Experience-Literacy (All Grades)

Content Specialty Test (CST) - Literacy or Safety Net Literacy
Workshop - Child Abuse Identification
Workshop - School Violence Intervention and Prevention
Workshop - Dignity For All Students Act
Fingerprint Clearance

The number of courses that you may need can be confusing. Since this is an individual pathway to certification and does not lead to a degree, the only definitive answer about how many courses that you may need must come from NY State because you may have taken courses in your past that satisfy 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've taken sounds similar, I would suggest holding off taking that course or courses until you receive the official notification from NYS.

To have a definitive answer as to how many courses you may need you must actually apply for certification by going to the following webpage: NYS Office of Teaching Initiatives and file for Literacy PreK-12 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! You will be notified of anything additional you need to take or any missing requirements. Your credits don't "expire", so if you can produce a college transcript for the courses and the courses match the NYS requirements, you will be able to get credit for them. Therefore, send all your college transcripts to NYS for evaluation. You have nothing to lose. The evaluation process can take up to 3 months or more, so you should start the process right away. There is a $100 fee to apply for Literacy PreK-12 certification, but once you've paid the fee you do not have to pay it again if you complete the process within three years and do not ask for more than two evaluations.

CST in Literacy

One of the requirements for Literacy Pk-12 certification is to take and pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) in Literacy test (065).

For additional information, Krista Lombardo at klombardo@molloy.edu