Educator Certification

Complete Your Education Requirement

Relevant education is needed for all educator certification titles. Learn how your degree will affect your certification, and review deadlines for filing your graduation audit.

Complete Your Certification Tests

Learn more about which certification tests you need to complete if you are a new teacher without certification or a certified teacher who is applying to teach another age group or subject.

Complete Your Mandated Workshops

Workshops are a required for New York State certification. Your workshops must be verified by the Brooklyn College certification officer before your recommendation for certification can be entered by Brooklyn College. These workshops are not test prep workshops.

Complete Your Fingerprint Clearance Documentation

Follow the fingerprint verification instructions for fieldwork, student teaching, or other college-related work in New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), formerly known as New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) schools.

For New York State Certification

Be sure to check your TEACH account to check if your fingerprint status is posted there. You can go to Account Information, Fingerprinting, and click “submit.”

If you see a note on your TEACH account that states “Teach does not have your fingerprint information…” and if you already processed your fingerprint records with the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), formerly known as New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), then you need to follow the instructions at the bottom of the form to create an account with DOE HR Connect and upload the OSPRA 104 form (PDF). If the information in section two of the OSPRA 104 form does not apply to you, you can leave it blank. Select the category “Walk-In Center.”

Allow about one month for your records to be processed, and then check your TEACH account to be sure your fingerprint records were received. When your records are received by TEACH, your account will only indicate if your records were received, not if your records are currently “cleared.” Records on TEACH cannot be used to confirm your current fingerprint clearance status.

Apply for New York State Certification

We will guide you through the step-by-step process for applying for certification, including certifications for teaching students with disabilities, school psychology, counseling, and leadership positions.

what’s next

Learn how to check the status of your application and how long it will take for New York State to process. In addition, learn about the next steps for your certification since most certifications have multiple steps.