Office of Teaching Initiatives

Emergency COVID-19 Certificate

Candidates who are seeking certain certificates and extensions may be eligible for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate, allowing them to work in New York State public schools or districts for two years while taking and passing the required exam(s) for the certificate or extension sought.

Update (September 14, 2021): The certification requirement deadlines for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate have been extended from September 1, 2021 to September 1, 2022. For example, the application deadline for this two-year emergency certificate is now September 1, 2022. Individuals who applied for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate prior to September 14, 2021 will automatically have their certificate requirement deadlines extended to September 1, 2022.

See more: Covid 19 certificate

• Certificates. The Emergency COVID-19 certificate is available for candidates who are seeking one of the following certificates that require exam(s): Initial or Professional certificate in the classroom teaching service*, Initial or Professional certificate in the educational leadership service (School Building Leader, School District Leader, School District Business Leader), Initial Reissuance*, Teaching Assistant certificate, School Administrator and Supervisor (SAS) Provisional Renewal, Supplementary certificate, Transitional A certificate through the Option B pathway, Transitional B certificate, Transitional C certificate, or Transitional D certificate. Please note that the Emergency COVID-19 certificate is not available for candidates who are seeking the Conditional Initial certificate.
• Extensions. The Emergency COVID-19 extension is available for candidates who are seeking the following extensions.
  • Extensions that require an exam: Bilingual Education extension, Gifted Education extension, Subject in Grades 7-9 extension, or Subject in Grades 5-9 or 7-12 for Students with Disabilities extension.
  • Extensions or annotations that do not require an exam, if candidates hold an appropriate valid Emergency COVID-19 base certificate (please see above bullet): American Sign Language extension, Coordinator of Work-Based Learning Programs for Career Awareness extension, Coordinator of Work-Based Learning Programs for Career Development extension, General Science in Grades 5-9 and 7-12, Grade Level Extensions to Teach Students with Disabilities, Language Other Than English – Early Childhood Education and Childhood Education Extension, Severe or Multiple Disabilities annotation, Specific Subject in a Special Class in Grades 7-12 Limited Extension, Subject in Grades 5-6 Extension, or Supplementary Bilingual Education extension.
• Deadline for Applications. Candidates must apply for the non-emergency certificate or extension sought on or before September 1, 2022 (e.g., Initial Childhood Education certificate). They must also apply for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate or extension, in the same title as the non-emergency certificate or extension (e.g., Childhood Education), on or before September 1, 2022. If candidates only have a disapproved or withdrawn application for the non-emergency certificate or extension on file (e.g., Initial Childhood Education certificate), they must submit a new application and fee for the non-emergency certificate or extension as one of the requirements for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate.
• Application Fees. There is no fee to apply for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate. Candidates must pay the application fee for the non-emergency certificate or extension sought.
• Application Process. To apply for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate or extension, select “Emergency COVID-19” as the certificate type during the application process in TEACH.
• Validity Period. The Emergency COVID-19 certificate and extension are valid for two years.
• Certificate Requirements. The requirements for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate and extension are described through the following links. They are also available on the Search Certification Requirements webpage.
  • Emergency COVID-19 certificate
  • Emergency COVID-19 extension
• Certificate or Extension Issuance. When candidates take and pass exams, the passing scores are posted in TEACH and the exam requirements are automatically marked as “Met” on the application of the certificate or extension sought. For candidates who hold an Emergency COVID-19 certificate in the same certificate title, the certificate or extension sought will automatically issue in TEACH when all exam requirement(s) are met.
• Eligible Candidates. Examples of candidates who may be eligible for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate include, but are not limited to, those who:
  • Complete or completed a New York State registered teacher or educational leadership preparation program leading to Initial or Professional certification, or a registered extension program, prior to the Fall 2022 term, including traditional programs and Transitional B, C, and D programs;
  • Graduate or graduated from an acceptable out-of-state teacher or educational leadership preparation program and have less than three years of acceptable experience in another state prior to the Fall 2022 term (e.g., not eligible for the “Endorsement of a Certificate” pathway);
  • Are seeking Initial or Professional teacher certification through the “Individual Evaluation” pathway;
  • Are seeking a Teaching Assistant certificate and have not passed the Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills (ATAS);
  • Are seeking a Transitional A certificate through the Option B pathway, or a Transitional B, C, or D certificate;
  • Held an Initial teacher or school building leader certificate, have less than three years of experience, and are seeking an Initial Reissuance;
  • Hold or held a Transitional G certificate, or have acceptable postsecondary teaching experience, and are seeking an Initial or Professional teacher certificate; and
  • Hold a valid New York State teacher certificate and are seeking an additional Initial or Professional teacher certificate, Supplementary certificate, or certain extensions.

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* The Emergency COVID-19 certificate is not available for candidates who are seeking the following career and technical education (CTE) certificates because these certificates do not require a NYSTCE exam: Initial CTE certificates, Initial Reissuance CTE certificates, Professional CTE Certificate through the “CTE Certificate Progression – Initial/Transitional A Issued Prior to 5/9/2017” pathway, and Professional CTE certificate through the “CTE Program Certificate Progression – Initial/Transitional A Issued Prior to 5/9/2017” pathway.