• Serves teacher candidates, faculty, administration, and the community as a resource for all topics relating to New York State teacher certification
  • Recommends Buffalo State graduates to the New York State Department of Education for teacher certification after completion of an approved teacher preparation program
  • Verifies program completion for graduates applying for out-of-state certification

Certification Officer: Patricia A. Recchio      Administrative Assistant I: Mary E. Codick

CHASE Hall 222   -   716-878-6121   -   teachercertification@buffalostate.edu

Office Hours Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5 pm (appointments 9 - 4)

FEATURED UPDATES

Child Abuse Identification (Second Update)

NYSED has made a SECOND UPDATE to the Child Abuse Identification Workshop. If you completed the Child Abuse Identification Workshop before September 1, 2025, you will need to complete additional content. Completion of the most recent version must be noted in Degree Works and TEACH as follows: Child Abuse Identification (Second Update). The new module of the workshop is operational in Brightspace. If you have any questions, please visit the Child Abuse Identification (Second Update) FAQ or email: teachercertification@buffalostate.edu. 

NYSTCE E-Vouchers

NYSED’s Office of Teacher and Leader Development (OTLD) has a limited number of NYSTCE vouchers and NYSTCE Right Start Learning Course vouchers for the 2026-2027 school year. Please visit OTLD for program details, application instructions, and deadlines.

NEW Content Specialty Test Waiver Process

The NYS Board of Regents recently adopted amendments to the Commissioner’s regulations for NYS teacher certification. These amendments establish a waiver process for candidates who have failed a Content Specialty Test (CST), but have scored within 0.5 standard error of measurement (SEM) of the passing score and have also achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in a completed Bachelor's or Master's degree program. Visit NYSTCE Waiver for more information.