Sec. 80-2.8. Certificates valid for school media specialist, school media specialist (library), school media specialist (educational communications)

(a) Preparation.

To obtain a certificate as a school media specialist, school media specialist (library), school media specialist (educational communications), a candidate shall meet the requirements set forth in this section.

(1) Provisional certificate.

(i) 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, 36 semester hours of study in school media or school media (library) or school media (educational communications), 12 semester hours of study in professional education, and a college-supervised practicum in school media, school media (library) or school media (educational communications).

(a) Substitution. One year of paid, full-time school media or school media (library) or school media (educational communications) experience may be accepted in lieu of the college-supervised practicum when such experience carries the recommendation of the employing school district administrator.

(b) Distribution. The school media specialist certificate is granted to applicants whose preparation includes 18 semester hours in school media (library) and 18 semester hours in school media (educational communications), the school media specialist (library) certificate when the preparation includes at least 24 semester hours in school media (library), and the school media specialist (educational communications) certificate when the preparation includes at least 24 semester hours in school media (educational communications).

(ii) Examinations for provisional certificate.

(a) Each candidate for the 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.

(iii) Time validity. The provisional certificate shall be valid for five years from date of issuance.

(2) Permanent certificate. The candidate shall have completed two years of school experience as a media specialist and a master's degree in the field of school media or school media (library) or school media (educational communications). The total program of preparation shall include 12 semester hours in professional education, 36 hours in school media or school media (library) or school media (educational communications), and a college-supervised practicum.