GRADUATION PROCEDURE

1. As soon as you REGISTER for your last course, please come in to see Dr. Castagno to check your Status and Grades on the System.
2. Application for Graduation and the Graduation Fee ($200.00) must be submitted by May 1, 2008 to Kaleena (ext. 352) or one of the Program Coordinators. No late applications will be accepted.
3. Prior to the Application Deadline, please follow-up with Kaleena or one of the Program Coordinators to make sure that your application has been successfully processed.

 

CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Applying Online for New York State Teacher Certification.

A Guide for Touro College Graduates

The New York State Education Department has eliminated paper applications for NY State Teacher Certification.
Touro College no longer accepts and submits paper applications for NY State teacher certification.
All Touro College graduates eligible for certification must apply online with the state in order to become certified.
Included in this guide are step by step instructions on how our graduates can apply for certification via the internet.
If you have any additional questions, please contact our Certification Officer, Steven Camacho, or our Assistant Certification Officer, Seth Shapiro. You can find Steven’s and Seth’s contact information on the back of this guide.

Initial Certification (fewer than three full years of full-time teaching experience SEPT – JUNE)

Professional Certification (at least three full years of full-time experience, SEPT – JUNE)

First you must create a TEACH online account to apply for certification. 

 

Creating your TEACH ONLINE account:

Step 1
Go to the NY State Education Department’s website:
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/index.html

Step 2
Click on the TEACH sign to access the new online system.

Step 3
To create a user account, click on the Self-Registration link.  This located on the far right side of the screen in a purple rectangular shape.

Step 4
Click the yellow and black CONTINUE arrow at the bottom right side of the screen 3 times until you come to a screen with a red STOP SIGN. 

Step 5
At the bottom right corner of the screen with the red stop sign, a button that shows the words SELF REGISTER NOW will appear.  Click this button.  This will bring you to the page in which you enter your personal information (Name, Address, Date of Birth, Etc.).  Enter all of your information.  Once that is completed you are required to create a User ID.  Next you must select one of the secret questions and provide an answer.  After this you must confirm your answer.  This is followed by entering the security code provided by the website in the appropriate box.  When this is complete you must create a password followed by confirming your password.  Then continue to click the CREATE ACCOUNT button.  This will be followed by the website verifying that your information is correct.  If it is correct, click the CONTINUE button followed by the OK button.  Please keep in mind that your USERNAME and PASSWORD are case sensitive.  Your TEACH account should be now complete. 

 

Applying for certification:
Step 1
Go to the NY State Education Department’s website:
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/index.html

Step 2
Click on the TEACH button in the middle of the screen as you did earlier while creating your account to access the new online system.

Step 3
Click on the LOGIN to TEACH link located in the same purple rectangular shaped box as the self registration link used earlier. 

Step 4
This will bring you to the login page.  Proceed to login using your USERNAME and PASSWORD created earlier during your self-registration. 

Step 5
Click the Purple TEACH online services bar.  After this, you are required to enter your Social Security Number.  Then click “submit.”   This will bring you to your TEACH home page.  Here there will be several options.  Under the online application option click on the blue link that says APPLY FOR CERTIFICATE.  Then click the NEXT button on the following page.    This will bring you to a screen that says Verify/Update Profile. 

Step 6
Proceed by clicking the GRAY button on the bottom right of the screen that says EDIT EDUCATION INFORMATION.  In the INSTITUTION TAB you will find that there are two choices for TOURO COLLEGE.  One will be TOURO COLLEGE FLATBUSH and the other will read TOURO COLLEGE.  Click the one that applies to you.  Next, you must enter your award title.  All degrees at Touro College are MASTER’S OF SCIENCE.  Next, you will enter your PROGRAM CODE.  This can be found on the last page of this packet labeled PROGRAM CODES AND MAJORS.  After entering your program code you must enter your MAJOR, which again can be found on the last page of this packet (labeled PROGRAM CODES AND MAJOR’S).  Next, you must enter your DATE DEGREE RECEIVED.  Keep in mind that this is NOT the same date as the date that you walked for graduation.  Following the entering of your date degree received, you then must enter the dates on which you STARTED and ENDED your Touro College Program, and the number of credits in your program, which can also be found on the last page labeled PROGRAM CODES and MAJORS.  After all of your education information is entered, click the gray ADD button followed by the grey DONE button. 

Step 7
If you are applying for your PROFFESIONAL CERTIFICATE, you must continue to enter your EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION.  If you are NOT applying for the Professional Certificate, you may skip step 7 and proceed to step 8.  You can enter your employment information by clicking on the GRAY button that says ENTER EMPLOYMENT INFO.  Enter all of the required information and proceed to click the gray ADD button followed by the gray DONE button on the bottom right of the screen.  Please proceed to click the gray NEXT button on the bottom right. 

 

Step 8
In step 8, you are actually going to apply for the certificate.  Here is where you must enter your AREA OF INTEREST, SUBJECT AREA, GRADE LEVEL, TITLE, and TYPE OF CERTIFICATE.  This information can be found on the PROGRAM CODES and MAJORS page as well.  Once this information has been entered, click the gray ADD button followed by the gray NEXT button at the bottom right of the page. 

Step 9
 After completing the application, the following page will prompt the student to choose a pathway.  This step is VERY IMPORTANT.  All students who are applying for a certification in the concentrated area in which you have completed your master’s degree should choose the APPROVED TEACHER PREPERATION PROGRAM PATHWAY.  Then click the NEXT button.  

Step 10
The next step is signing the affidavit.  Please proceed to answer the questions that the website asks regarding your moral character determination.  Once you complete answering the questions, please click the gray SIGN AFFIDAVIT button at the bottom right of the page. 

Step 11
On the next page, you confirm and sign the application.  If all information is correct, please click on the SIGN APPLICATION BUTTON at the bottom of the page.

Step 12
After you have completed your application for certification, you must contact either Steven Camacho or Seth Shapiro for your INSTISTUTIONAL RECOMMENDATION to be entered on the NYSED system.  Their contact information can be found on the PROGRAM CODES AND MAJORS page.  It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to request the recommendation.  It is not done automatically.