As you may know New York State is in the process of changing the state teacher exams.

I. Students who are graduating in spring 2014 or after will be required to pass the new Teacher Performance Assessment (EdTPA), Educating All Students Test (EAS), and Academic Literacy Skills test (ALST). The new exams will become available in September 2013. Students graduating in spring 2014 or after should not take the LAST exam or the ATS‑W; these tests will not count toward certification.

The EdTPA involves submitting video clips of your teaching, as well as lesson plans and other material. There will be different EdTPA’s for different certification areas. If you are in a dual certificate program, you need to take only one EdTPA, not two. You may choose, after consultation with your advisor, which of the two you will do.

If you are in an extension program, you do not need to take the EdTPA in the content area of the extension. However, if you do not have initial NYSED certification, you must complete the EdTPA for your initial NYSED certification. For example, if you are in the bilingual childhood education program, you will complete the EdTPA in childhood education.

If you hold initial or professional certification as a teacher in New York State and are in the process of getting a second certification, NYSED does not require you to take the edTPA in the second certification area. This applies to all students in the literacy program and all students in the childhood math/science program.

Graduates in spring 2014 or after will also be required to pass the Content Specialty Test (CST). New Content Specialty Tests will begin to roll out in spring 2014. Until then, the old CSTs will continue to be offered. Students who do not pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) prior to implementation of the new and more rigorous CST will have to pass the new CST. The School of Education strongly encourages all students to take the CST prior to this changeover.

II. Students who are graduating in fall/winter 2013 or earlier will be required to pass the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS‑W). However, students graduating in fall/winter 2013 or earlier who do not pass both the LAST and the ATS-W by April 30, 2014, will be required to pass the new Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), Educating All Students test (EAS), and Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST) instead.

Students who are graduating in fall/winter 2013 or earlier will also be required to pass the Content Specialty Test (CST). The new Content Specialty Tests will begin to roll out in spring 2014. Students who do not pass the current Content Specialty Test (CST) prior to implementation of the new and more rigorous CST, will have to pass the new CST. The School of Education strongly encourages all students to take the CST prior to this changeover.

For more information on the new teacher certification exams, please visit the NYSTCE website at www.nystce.nesinc.com.