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Academic/Professional Standards and Regulations

Each undergraduate program establishes the academic and professional standards expected of its candidates. Traditional professional standards conform to but are not limited to the codes of ethics of professional educational associations.

The right is reserved to ask for the withdrawal of any candidate who fails to meet professional standards and/or fails to maintain a satisfactory academic and professional record in courses.

Jurisdiction over Academic and Professional Standards

Department chairs have jurisdiction over offenses regarding academic and professional standards for any candidate whose major field of interest is in their department.

Appeals Procedures of Academic Judgments

The School of Education Committee on Course and Standing will only review appeals that pertain to the School of Education. Appeals relating to the college core must be submitted to the CLAS Committee on Course and Standing.

Candidates who wish to appeal academic judgments, including grades, begin by discussing the grades with the instructor as soon as possible after the grade is issued. Temporary grades in courses may not be changed after the first month of the following semester without approval of the department chair and the dean and no grade may be changed after a candidate has graduated.

If after discussing the grade or other academic judgment with the instructor, a candidate wishes to pursue an appeal, he or she must discuss it with the program director. The program director will make an independent recommendation and then forward it to the chair.

The candidate may pursue the appeal further to the Committee on Course and Standing, which has final jurisdiction. Such appeals are transmitted to the committee through the Office of Admissions & Student Services and, in general, candidates should discuss the appeal with the Assistant Dean of Enrollment and Student Services before submitting a formal appeal.

The Committee on Course and Standing considers appeals in writing and neither the candidate nor the instructor appears in person. The candidate's appeal should be in the form of a detailed letter, accompanied by any supporting evidence the candidate wishes to submit, including copies of the papers or letters from other candidates or instructors. Appeal forms are available online and in the Office of Admissions & Student Services.

The Committee normally asks the instructor, the program director, and the department chair to comment in writing on the candidate’s appeal. On request, the Assistant Dean will discuss these responses with the candidate before the Committee meets. The Committee’s decision is sent to the candidate in writing by the Assistant Dean. Other academic appeals, such as appeals from probation, academic dismissal and failures for poor attendance may be appealed directly to the Committee on Course and Standing. In addition, requests for waivers of degree requirements, extensions for incompletes, limitations on registration, and similar matters should be made to the committee.

Licensing and Certification Requirements

For each field, an attempt is made in these paragraphs to summarize the requirements of New York State for certification. This is offered as a service only, for general information, and should not be construed as official; nor is it guaranteed to be the latest word, although it is abstracted from recent announcements. Each student is urged to obtain a copy of the requirements from the New York City Public Schools Office of Recruitment, Professional Advisement, and Licensing (ORPAL), 65 Court Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, http://schools.nyc.gov and from the Office of Teaching Initiatives, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany New York 12234,www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert.

Certification Requirements of New York State

All those who complete one of the approved Education sequences may qualify for initial certification upon the award of the baccalaureate degree. However, the dean of the School of Education reserves the right to recommend for New York State certification only those candidates who have satisfied all additional requirements that are regarded by City College as important qualifications for teaching. Candidates completing degrees in Childhood Education and Bilingual Childhood Education must receive a minimum of a B grade in student teaching to be recommended to New York State for certification as a classroom teacher. In addition to the academic requirements of the education program, candidates must also pass the New York State Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) appropriate to the certificate they seek. The requirements for classroom teachers include a teacher performance assessment, the Educating All Students (EAS) test, and the Content Specialty Test(s) (CST). In addition, Bilingual Childhood Education candidates must also take the Bilingual Education Assessment (BEA). Information about exam requirements can be found on the Office of Teaching Initiative website, https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/home.html

The State Department of Education requires all degree candidates seeking initial New York State certification to file an application for certification electronically, using the TEACH Online Services application system at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/. Instructions for using the system are available from the CCNY certification website at https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/education/state-certification. Candidates must apply for graduation in their last semester in order to receive a recommendation from the CCNY certification office. The recommendation will be submitted upon degree conferral.

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Initial Certificates

  1. Indicate that the holder has satisfied the requirements for initial certification in the grade level/subject area identified;

  2. Indicate to a prospective school employer that the holder is eligible for employment in the specified grade level/subject area identified;

  3. Are valid for five years only, and may be extended once.

Bilingual Extension Certificates

Those who teach children in a language other than English, bilingual teachers, must be certified in the area in which they are teaching (i.e., elementary education, special education, or a secondary subject area). They must also have a Bilingual Extension Certificate, which enables them to teach the area to a bilingual student population. The undergraduate Bilingual Childhood Education program at City College prepares students for both the initial teaching certificate and for the bilingual extension of that certificate. To qualify for New York State certification as a bilingual teacher, students must pass the required New York State examinations for the base certificate. They must also pass the Bilingual Education Assessment (BEA).

Teaching Out of New York State

Candidates who have completed an undergraduate teacher education program at City College meet the educational requirements for certification in over 40 states through the Interstate Agreement on Qualification of Educational Personnel. Included among these are Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. More information on teaching in other states is available through the SOE Certification Officer, NA 3/213.