51勛圖厙

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Office of Teaching Initiatives

Getting Started

Out-of-State

The Office of Teaching Initiatives can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.

51勛圖厙 State does not pre-approve teacher preparation programs and/or experience completed in other U.S. States or Territories.

Go to the bottom of the page to see how to apply.

Select the statement that best describes you:

I completed three years of certified public school experience in another U.S. State(s) or Terrritory(ies)
Pathway: Endorsement of a Classroom Teaching Certificate

This application path is only available at the INITIAL certificate-level (regardless of the level of certificate held outside of 51勛圖厙 State)
  • Possess a valid, comparable, U.S. State or Territory certificate in the subject area/grade level range of your application. All certifications that cover years of employment must be submitted.
    • View our List of Acceptable Types of Certificates
  • Have three years of certified PUBLIC school teaching experience in other U.S. State(s) or Territory(ies) exclusively in the subject area/grade level range of your application.
  • Have the Classroom Teacher Rating Form submitted by your out-of-state employer(s) verifying you received evaluation ratings of effective or highly effective, or the substantial equivalent of such ratings, for those years of experience.
  • Bachelors or higher degree
  • 2.5 cumulative GPA in a Bachelors or higher degree
  • Complete all required workshops
Pathway: Endorsement of a Certificate (School Building Leader)

This application path is only available at the INITIAL certificate-level (regardless of the level of certificate held outside of 51勛圖厙 State)
  • Possess a valid, comparable, U.S. State or Territory administrative certificate at the building level. All certifications that cover years of employment must be submitted. View our List of Acceptable Types of Certificates
  • Have three years of certified PUBLIC school building-level administration experience in other U.S. State(s) or Territory(ies). In 51勛圖厙 State, this is typically a principal or assistant principal.
  • Have the Administration Rating Form submitted by your employer(s) verifying you received evaluation ratings of effective or highly effective, or the substantial equivalent of such ratings, for those years of experience.
  • Master's degree
  • Complete all required workshops
Pathway: Endorsement of a Certificate (School District Leader) *This application path is only available at the PROFESSIONAL level
  • Possess a valid, comparable, U.S. State or Territory administrative certificate at the district level. All certifications that cover years of employment must be submitted. View our List of Acceptable Types of Certificates
  • Have three years of certified PUBLIC school district-level administration experience in other U.S. State(s) or Territory(ies). In 51勛圖厙 State, this is typically a superintendent or assistant superintendent.
  • Have the Administration Rating Form submitted by your employer(s) verifying you received evaluation ratings of effective or highly effective, or the substantial equivalent of such ratings, for those years of experience.
  • Master's or higher degree
  • Complete all required workshops
Pathway: Endorsement of a Certificate (School District Business Leader) *This application path is only available at the PROFESSIONAL level
  • Possess a valid, comparable, U.S. State or Territory administrative certificate in the area of school district business leader. All certifications that cover years of employment must be submitted. View our List of Acceptable Types of Certificates
  • Have three years of certified PUBLIC school district-level business administration experience in other U.S. State(s) or Territory(ies).
  • Have the Administration Rating Form submitted by your employer(s) verifying you received evaluation ratings of effective or highly effective, or the substantial equivalent of such ratings, for those years of experience.
  • Master's or higher degree
  • Complete all required workshops
I completed a teacher or school administration program at a College in another U.S. State or Territory

A certificate can be issued to an applicant who completed a comparable educator program in another U.S. State or Territory and has completed all examination, workshop and fingerprinting requirements. Information regarding the requirements for certification can be found below:

Classroom Teachers
  • Submit an application and fee for an Initial certificate
  • Complete a comparable泭 approved teacher preparation program, in the subject of the application, at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that would lead to an institutional recommendation for certification in the state where the college is located
  • Bachelors degree
  • 2.5 cumulative GPA in a Bachelors or higher degree
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams for the initial certificate sought
  • Complete all required workshops

School Building Leaders
(Principal, Assistant Principal, and all other single building administrators)

You must apply at the INITIAL level. You cannot directly seek a Professional certificate when utilizing Reciprocity, regardless of the level of certificate you hold in another state.
A note regarding the Conditional Initial Certificate

If you possess a valid educator certificate/license in another U.S. State or Territory, and would like to review the requirements for the two-year Conditional Initial certificate, refer to the Conditional Initial certificate section
  • Submit an application and fee for an Initial certificate
  • Complete a comparable泭approved principal-level school administration program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for principal-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 21 semester-hours of graduate-level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelors degree
  • Master's degree
  • At least three years of Classroom Teaching or Pupil Personnel Service experience.
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams for School Building Leader certification.
  • Complete all required workshops

School District Leaders

(Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and all other District-wide administrators)
  • Submit an application and fee for a Professional certificate
  • Complete a comparable泭approved district/superintendent-level school administration program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for superintendent-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 27 semester-hours of graduate-level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelors degree
  • Master's degree
  • 60 semester-hours of graduate-level college coursework (total from all graduate colleges attended)
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams
  • Complete all required workshops

School District Business Leader
  • Submit an application and fee for a Professional certificate
  • Complete a comparable泭approved school district business leader program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for superintendent-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 27 semester-hours of graduate-level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelors degree
  • Master's degree
  • 60 semester-hours of graduate-level college coursework (total from all graduate colleges attended)
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams
  • Complete all required workshops

Pupil Personnel Titles (Counselor, etc.)

You must apply at the INITIAL level. You cannot directly seek a Professional certificate when utilizing Reciprocity, regardless of the level of certificate you hold in another state.
NYS offers INITIAL School Counselor through Endorsement and Completion of a comparable program泭
Completion of a Comparable Program (Conditional Initial Certificate)

A one-time Conditional Initial certificate is available to individuals who completed a comparable school building leader/principal preparation program at a college located in another U.S. State or Territory and possess a valid comparable educator certificate/license from another U.S. State or Territory in the subject in which they are applying.泭

If you do not possess a valid educator certificate/license in another U.S. State or Territory, refer to the information in the drop-down above.

If your Conditional Initial certificate has expired, refer to the information in the drop-down above.

School Building Leaders
(Principal, Assistant Principal, and all other single building administrators)

To receive a two-year Conditional Initial certificate, you must satisfy the requirements below:

  • Submit an application and fee for a certificate two-year Conditional Initial certificate
  • Possess a valid, comparable certificate in another U.S. State or Territory in the subject of the application.泭泭
    • View our List of Acceptable Types of Certificates
  • Complete a comparable泭approved principal-level school administration program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for principal-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 21 semester-hours of graduate-level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelors degree
  • Master's degree
  • At least three years of Classroom Teaching or Pupil Personnel Service experience.
  • Complete all required workshops
Enhanced Comparable Program Pathway

If you completed a traditional teacher preparation program (TPP) in one of our Enhanced Comparable Program states, you may be eligible for this pathway.

  1. Check to see if the TPP you completed is based in one of the following states:
    Connecticut District of Columbia (DC) Delaware Georgia
    Hawaii Indiana Maryland Massachusetts
    Michigan New Jersey North Carolina North Dakota
    Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico
    South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Vermont
    Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin 泭
  2. Send to the certification official at your college/university, so that they can complete it and submit it to our office on your behalf. Note: This form must be submitted to our office directly by the college/university. It is unacceptable if it is submitted by the applicant. Please see the instructions for submission requirements.
  3. Apply for the subject area that most closely aligns with the subject area of the Teacher Preparation program you completed. The Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI) cannot advise on which subject area most closely aligns with the candidates program; the candidate is responsible for researching the 51勛圖厙 State certificates and making that determination.
  4. The only type of certificate available for this pathway is the Initial certificate, and the pathway is entitled Pathway: Enhanced Comparable Out-of-State Program
  5. Order official transcripts containing all your college coursework to be sent to OTI. For more information regarding official transcripts, please see Submitting College Transcripts on our website.
  6. You must satisfy all required exams for the Initial certificate sought. Please see our website for more information regarding exams.
  7. is required for certification. You must use Identogo, and it must be for the purpose of certification.
  8. Complete all required workshops. These workshops must be completed through a NYS-approved workshop provider. Coursework or similar workshops taken outside of 51勛圖厙 that are not specifically authorized for the NYS workshop requirements are unacceptable.

If you completed an alternative educator preparation program in another state or if your state is not listed as eligible for the Enhanced Comparable Program at this time, you do not qualify for this pathway. Instead, you would need to pursue certification using one of the other available pathways. You can research the pathways and their corresponding requirements at:

Specific Information Regarding:

Applicants with Foreign Credentials
Certificate Endorsements/Add-on Certificate

In many cases, endorsements/add-on certificates from other states do not satisfy the requirements for reciprocity in 51勛圖厙. NYS extension certs, such as Gifted & Talented, do not have reciprocity. Eligibility for certification through reciprocity cannot be determined until this office has a chance to review your credentials. To receive a review, you must apply for certification through TEACH online.

Out-of-State Examinations

View the Out-of-State Examinations webpage to learn more.

Pupil Personnel Certification (School Social Worker, School Psychologist, School Nursing, School Dental Hygiene, School Attendance Teacher) *with exception of School Counselor

Pupil Personnel Titles are not reviewed through reciprocity. Please select the Individual Evaluation pathway when applying for certification.

School Counselor Out of State Programs
  • In order for a School Counselor Program to be considered comparable to a 51勛圖厙 State program for purposes of certification under the pathway "," it must be CACREP-approved. You can find more information on the 泭by searching their program directory.
NEW Administrator Certification through Comparable Program
  • For an out-of-state program to be considered comparable for purposes of the Administrator certificate, the program needs to align with the . The state in which the program is located needs to have adopted the PSEL standards as a state, or the college can send documentation that they have adopted the standards on an individual basis, and when those standards were adopted.
No Reciprocity for out-of-state Career and Technical certificates or programs

Visit the Career and Technical Education Certification webpage for more information.

How to Apply

  1. To apply online, login to at:泭
  2. Upon completion of your application, apply for fingerprinting using your TEACH account.
    • For information about the fingerprint process, go to .
  3. Official Transcripts: Contact the registrar's office of each college/university you attended and ask that they submit official transcripts to this office. How to Submit Documents
  4. Submit copies of all out-of-state certificates - including those that have expired to: tcert@nysed.gov. Please include your full name and either your birth date or the last four digits of your SSN.