State Board of Regents Approves Extension Of Safety Net Regulations For Teacher Certifications

The New York State Board of Regents today extended the teacher certification safety net regulations to allow higher education teacher certification programs more time to prepare students for the revised content specialty tests (CST).  

“Extending the safety net is the right thing to do – not only for teacher education programs but for our aspiring teachers as well,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. “The regulations adopted by the Regents today will also help take some of the financial pressure off of students by eliminating the need to take the revised exam first and, if unsuccessful, be allowed to take the existing exam. Again, that’s the fair thing to do.”

“Ensuring that teachers are qualified is an important part of providing the best education possible to New York’s children,” State Education Department Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said. “While we raise the bar for our teacher candidates, we must allow time for higher education programs to adapt their coursework to help students succeed by extending the safety net options.”

Currently, there are a total of 41 single-subject or multi-subject CSTs, 19 of which have been revised and released. There are 14 revised CSTs planned to be released in November 2016. The Board of Regents extended the safety net options for these CSTs due to concerns that not all higher education programs have adjusted their curricula to prepare their students for the revised CSTs. The specific extensions include: 

• New Single-Subject CSTs: For the 14 CSTs that will be released in November 2016, the new safety net will allow candidates to take and pass either the revised CST or the predecessor CST for certification. Based on concerns from the field, this will provide teacher education programs with additional time to prepare for the revised CSTs. This policy serves to help relieve some of the financial burden on candidates because they will not be required to take and fail the revised CST before taking the predecessor CST.  This safety net will expire on June 30, 2019.

• Previously Revised Single-Subject CSTs: Conforming changes to the existing safety nets for the previously revised CSTs (those CSTs that became operational in September 2014 or 2015) will allow candidates who apply for certification on or after October 18, 2016 or who have a pending certification application with the Department to take and pass either the revised CST or the predecessor CST for certification.  This safety net for those previously revised CSTs will expire on June 30, 2017.  These safety nets will expire before the safety net for the newly revised tests (those being released in November 2016) because those students and institutions have already had time to prepare for the revised exams since those examinations will have been operational for over two years when the safety net expires.

• Multi-Subject CSTs: The amendment allows a candidate on or after October 18, 2016 through June 30, 2017, to receive either a satisfactory passing score on the revised MST B-2, 1-6, and 5-9 or the predecessor MST B-2, 1-6, and 5-9, removing the requirement for the candidate to take the revised tests. Previously, the candidate was required to take and fail the revised test before taking its predecessor. This safety net will expire on June 30, 2017.

• Multi-Subject CSTs for Grades 7-12: At its January 2016 meeting, the Board of Regents directed the Department to create a temporary safety net for those candidates who have taken and failed Part Two (the Mathematics portion) of the Multi-Subject: Secondary Teachers Grade 7 - Grade 12 Content Specialty Test. To be eligible for the safety net, a candidate must pass Part One (Literacy and English Language Arts) and Part Three (Arts and Sciences) of the Multi-Subject: Secondary Teachers Grade 7 - Grade 12 CST and then take and fail Part Two (Mathematics) of the CST and then complete a mathematics tutorial. This safety net is extended until June 30, 2018 to allow time for a team of educators to review the appropriateness of the rigor of Part II (the math component) of this examination.  

A Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Emergency Action will be published in the State Register on November 2, 2016. NYSED will accept comments on the proposal through Dec. 19.

At its June 2015 and July 2016 meetings, the Board of Regents adopted safety nets for the revised CSTs, which allowed candidates who have taken and failed the revised CSTs to take and pass the predecessor CST in lieu of passing the revised CST until June 30, 2017.

Update - 11/4/16

A Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Emergency Action was published in the State Register on November 2, 2016. NYSED will accept comments on the proposal through Dec. 19. Please email comments to regcomments@nysed.gov.