New York Credential Guide
English to Speakers of Other Languages, All Grades Requirements in New York
Issued by New York State Education Department, Office of Teaching Initiatives.
A supplementary ESOL certificate is for a teacher who already holds a valid New York classroom-teaching certificate and has a school district offer for a shortage-area assignment. Check the current ESOL requirements in TEACH before choosing that route.
Official sources reviewed . Requirements can change, so confirm your route with the issuing agency before enrolling.
Multiple Certificate Routes
Start With Your Current Certification Status
A supplementary ESOL certificate is for a teacher who already holds a valid New York classroom-teaching certificate and has a school district offer for a shortage-area assignment. Check the current ESOL requirements in TEACH before choosing that route.
Initial Candidate
Look for an approved teacher-preparation route leading to the all-grades ESOL certificate.
Already Certified
The ESOL supplementary certificate can let an already-certified teacher serve in an ESOL shortage-area assignment while working toward an Initial or Professional certificate. The district must enter a current Superintendent Statement in TEACH, and the certificate lasts five years without renewal. Check the current application requirements before relying on a past flexibility or deadline.
What Approved Initial Preparation Covers
Approved initial ESOL programs cover language acquisition, linguistics, English grammar, methods of teaching English as a new language, literacy, and study of a language other than English. Requirements vary by certificate route.
Field Experience Depends on the Preparation Route
New York's approved initial programs require field experience and supervised student teaching or practica. The published minimums and any exemption depend on the preparation route.
Professional and Permanent Certificates Have Different Maintenance Rules
Professional ESOL certificate holders who are subject to continuing teacher and leader education requirements must devote at least half of their required hours to language acquisition. Permanent certificate holders are not subject to that requirement.
Review New York’s language-acquisition requirement