Sec. 80-2.7. Certificate valid for reading teacher

(a) Preparation.

Except as provided in subdivision (b) of this section, a candidate for a certificate as a reading teacher shall meet the requirements of either paragraph (1) or (2) of this subdivision.

(1) Provisional certificate. A provisional certificate will be issued as follows:

(i) Completion of an approved program registered by the department. A provisional certificate will be issued upon completion of a graduate program culminating in a master's degree which is registered or approved by the department for the preparation of teachers of reading.

(ii) Alternative completion of requirements. A provisional certificate will be issued upon evidence that the candidate has completed 24 semester hours of graduate study in reading and a college-supervised practicum in reading, and holds a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or from an institution authorized by the Regents to confer such degrees and the programs of which are registered by the department. The department will recognize the successful completion of one or more parts of the two- part graduate-level college proficiency examination in reading as equivalent to up to 15 semester hours of graduate study in reading. One year of paid, full-time experience as a reading teacher on the elementary and/or secondary level may be accepted in lieu of the college-supervised practicum in reading when such experience is verified by the employing school district administrator.

(iii) Examinations for provisional certificate.

(a) 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.

(b) 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.

(iv) A provisional certificate shall be valid for five years from its effective date and is renewable subject to the approval of the commissioner for good cause shown as defined in section 80-1.6 of this Part, except that the commissioner shall not accept applications for such renewals which are submitted to the commissioner after February 1, 2004.

(2) Permanent certificate. A permanent certificate will be issued to a candidate who has completed, in addition to the requirements for the provisional certificate, two years of teaching experience at the elementary and/or secondary level.