NYS Teacher Certification Safety Net Exams

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has created safety net exams to assist candidates who have not passed the teacher certification exams. These safety nets will be effective through June 30, 2016.

See the NYSED memo

edTPA

The Board extended the existing edTPA Safety Net by one year. Any candidate who takes and fails to receive an acceptable passing numeric score on the edTPA may take and pass the ATS-W on or before June 30, 2016 in lieu of retaking and passing the edTPA, or use the ATS-W if the ATS-W was passed prior to May 1, 2014.

The Department has a limited number of vouchers, that will enable a candidate, who received a failing numeric score on the edTPA, to register for the ATS-W at no charge.

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Educating All Students Test (EAS)

Candidates who do not pass the EAS test are advised to take the safety net prior to June 30, 2016. The EAS Safety Net passing score has been set to 500.

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Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST)

The ALST and MST 7-12 attestations have been revised. The revised ALST is posted on our website and the revised MST has been sent to all people that completed the tutorial and do not have an approved MST attestation in TEACH. An institution is no longer required to complete the form and attest. The candidate will complete their own form and return with a transcript that indicates the coursework they believe meets the requirement, to examsafetynet@nysed.gov.

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Content Specialty Tests (CST)

Candidates who take and fail one of the eligible redeveloped CSTs (English Language Arts, Literacy, Mathematics, Multi-Subject: Teachers of Early Childhood, Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood, Educational Technology Specialist) will have the option of taking the corresponding predecessor CST (the Safety Net CST) in lieu of retaking the redeveloped CST. Candidates should take the Safety Net CSTs prior to June 30, 2016, in lieu of retaking the redeveloped CST.

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