Sec. 80-2.6. Certificates valid for teaching special education, the deaf and hearing-impaired, the blind and partially sighted, the speech- and hearing-handicapped

Preparation. To obtain a certificate as a teacher of special education, the deaf and hearing- impaired, the blind and partially sighted, or the speech- and hearing-handicapped, a candidate shall meet the requirements set forth in this section.

(a) Provisional certificate.

(1) The candidate shall hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or from an institution authorized by the Regents to confer degrees and whose programs are registered by the department, and shall have completed within, or in addition to, that degree: 12 semester hours of study in professional education, a college-supervised practicum in the area of certification for which an application is filed, and 24 semester hours of study appropriate to teaching special education, the deaf and hearing-impaired, the blind and partially sighted, or 36 semester hours of study appropriate to teaching the speech- and hearing-handicapped.

(i) Substitution. One year of paid, full-time experience as a teacher of special education, the deaf and hearing-impaired, the blind and partially sighted, or the speech and hearing- handicapped, may be accepted in lieu of the college-supervised practicum when such experience carries the recommendation of the employing school district administrator.

(ii) Distribution.

Special education:
Collegiate study in teaching emotionally, mentally, multiply or physically handicapped children	15 semester hours
Collegiate study related to teaching emotionally, mentally, multiply or physically handicapped children	9 semester hours
Deaf and hearing-impaired:
Collegiate study in teaching the deaf and hearing-impaired	15 semester hours
Collegiate study related to teaching the deaf and hearing-impaired	9 semester hours
Blind and partially sighted:
Collegiate study in teaching the blind and partially sighted	15 semester hours
Collegiate study related to teaching the blind and partially sighted	9 semester hours
Speech–and hearing–handicapped:
Collegiate study in teaching the speech- and hearing-handicapped	24 semester hours
Collegiate study related to teaching the speech- and hearing-handicapped	12 semester hours

(2) Examinations for provisional certificate.

(i) Each candidate for a provisional certificate who is issued a certificate of qualification with a date of issuance prior to September 2, 1999, or each candidate who was not issued such certificate but who is issued the provisional certificate with a date of issuance prior to September 2, 1999, shall submit evidence of having achieved a satisfactory level of performance on either the NTE Core Battery tests or the liberal arts and sciences portion and the written assessment of teaching skills portion of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations.

(ii) Each candidate who is issued the provisional certificate with a date of issuance on or after September 2, 1999 shall submit evidence of having achieved a satisfactory level of performance on the liberal arts and sciences portion and the written assessment of teaching skills portion of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations, except that such candidate who has achieved a satisfactory level of performance on the NTE Core Battery tests prior to September 2, 1999 shall be permitted to substitute such performance on the NTE Core Battery tests for a satisfactory level of performance on the liberal arts and sciences portion and the written assessment of teaching skills portion of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations.

(3) Time validity. The provisional certificate is valid for five years from date of issuance.

(b) Permanent certificate.

The candidate shall have completed two years of school experience as a teacher of children with handicapping conditions and a master's degree that is functionally related to a field of special education or the deaf and hearing-impaired or the blind and partially sighted or the speech- and hearing-handicapped. The total program of preparation shall include the preparation required for the issuance of the provisional certificate.

(c) Exception to stated preparation.

(1) In lieu of meeting the education, experience, and examination requirements prescribed in subdivision (a) of this section, a candidate may meet the following requirements for a provisional certificate as a teacher of the speech- and hearing- handicapped:

(i) the candidate must request in writing an exception to stated preparation under this subdivision;

(ii) the candidate's application for provisional certification must be received by the department on or before February 1, 2004; and

(iii) the candidate must be registered and hold a New York State license in speech-language pathology, pursuant to title VIII of the Education Law.

(2) In lieu of meeting the preparation requirements prescribed in subdivision (b) of this section, a candidate issued a provisional certificate under the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subdivision shall meet the following requirements for a permanent certificate as a teacher of the speech- and hearing-handicapped:

(i) the candidate must continue to be registered and hold a New York State license in speech-language pathology, pursuant to title VIII of the Education Law;

(ii) the candidate must satisfactorily complete two years of experience as a teacher of the speech- and hearing-handicapped in a school offering instruction in any grade, pre-kindergarten through grade 12; or two years of equivalent experience as determined by the department, such as experience providing speech-language pathology services to children in a preschool program, as defined in section 200.1 of this Title;

(iii) the candidate must achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the liberal arts and sciences portion of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations; and

(iv) the candidate must satisfactorily complete while under the provisional certificate either:

(a) 40 clock hours or coursework or other professional learning activities which are approved by a school district or BOCES under the school district's or BOCES' professional learning plan established in accordance with section 100.2(dd) of this Title, and which must be in the following subjects: classroom management; literacy education; and the development of knowledge, understanding, and skills for working with general education teachers in terms of the impact of speech, language, and hearing disabilities on learning in the general curriculum areas of the State learning standards for students, which are prescribed in Part 100 of this Title; or

(b) six semester hours of undergraduate coursework from an institution of higher education with programs registered pursuant to Part 52 of this Title or a regionally accredited institution of higher education, which must be in the following subjects: classroom management; literacy education; and the development of knowledge, understanding, and skills for working with general education teachers in terms of the impact of speech, language, and hearing disabilities on learning in the general curriculum areas of the State learning standards for students, which are prescribed in Part 100 of this Title; or

(c) 40 continuing competency hours in acceptable learning activities, as defined in section 75.4 of this Title, except for undergraduate or graduate coursework as otherwise specified in clause (b) of this subparagraph, which must be in the following subjects: classroom management; literacy education; and the development of knowledge, understanding, and skills for working with general education teachers in terms of the impact of speech, language, and hearing disabilities on learning in the general curriculum areas of the State learning standards for students, which are prescribed in Part 100 of this Title; or

(d) a combination of the activities prescribed in clauses (a), (b) and/or (c) of this subparagraph that the department determines provides equivalent educational preparation.

(3) Undergraduate or graduate coursework completed prior to the candidate obtaining the provisional certificate may be accepted by the department to meet the education requirement for the permanent certificate, as specified in clause (2)(iv)(b) of this subdivision.