NYSTCE Testing Program Update
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the New York State Board of Regents have announced the development of new tests required for teacher and School Building Leader certification in New York. The new tests include a portfolio-based Teacher Performance Assessment, an Educating All Students Test, an Academic Literacy Skills Test, revised Content Specialty Tests, and a revised School Building Leader Assessment.
Learn more:
- New tests under development
- Which tests will candidates be required to take?
- Test development schedule
- Draft frameworks and test designs updated 12/6/2012
- Sample test questions updated 3/19/2013
- About edTPA
- edTPA information for faculty
New Tests Under Development
The table below identifies the current exams and corresponding new exams under development.
| Candidate | Current Exams | New Exams |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher | Assessment of Teaching Skills—Written (ATS–W) | edTPA |
| Educating All Students Test (EAS) | ||
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) | Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST) | |
| Content Specialty Tests (CST) | Revised Content Specialty Tests (CST) | |
| School Building Leader | School Building Leader Assessment (SBL) | Revised School Building Leader Assessment (SBL) |
| Educating All Students Test (EAS) |
Which Tests Will Candidates Be Required to Take?
This non-regulatory guidance is based on the Board of Regents' direction and is subject to change when regulations are adopted.
Anticipated testing requirements for qualified candidates depend on certification type and date of application, as follows:
| Certificate | Applying for certification and will have completed all requirements on or before 4/30/2014 | Applying for certification on or after 5/1/2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Teaching | Assessment of Teaching Skills—Written (ATS–W) Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) Content Specialty Test (CST) |
edTPA Educating All Students Test (EAS) Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST) Content Specialty Test (CST) |
| Initial School Building Leader | Current School Building Leader Assessment (SBL) | Revised School Building Leader Assessment (SBL) Educating All Students Test (EAS) |
Information for Transitional B candidates can be found at the NYSED Web site, www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certexamsl2012.html.
Questions? If after reading this guidance you have any questions about the new certification tests, please submit them to edcertpolicy@mail.nysed.gov. Policy questions submitted to this mailbox will be reviewed and answered in future guidance.
Test Development Schedule
The following non-regulatory guidance is based on the Board of Regents' direction and is subject to change when regulations are adopted.
| Test Field | Frameworks Posted | Test Operational | Date New Test Is Anticipated to Be Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| edTPA | Information available at the edTPA Web site | For formative use in 2012–2013; For certification in Fall 2013 |
For candidates applying on or after May 1, 2014* |
| Educating All Students Test (EAS) Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST) School Building Leader Assessment (SBL) |
Spring 2012 (draft) Summer 2012 (revised draft) Winter 2012/2013 (final) |
September 2013 | For candidates applying on or after May 1, 2014* |
|
CST Group 1: English Language Arts Health Education Library Media Specialist Literacy Mathematics Multi-Subject Physical Education Students with Disabilities |
Spring 2012 (draft) Summer 2012 (revised draft) Winter 2012/2013 (final) |
Spring 2014 | As they are available in Spring 2014 Candidates who don't take and pass the current CST for their field before the new test is implemented will be required to take and pass the new test. |
|
CST Group 2: Agriculture Business and Marketing Deaf and Hard of Hearing Educational Technology Specialist Family and Consumer Sciences Gifted Education Technology Education |
Fall 2012 (draft) Final TBD |
Fall 2014 | As they are available in Fall 2014 Candidates who don't take and pass the current CST for their field before the new test is implemented will be required to take and pass the new test. |
|
CST Group 3: American Sign Language Biology Blind and Visually Impaired Cantonese Chemistry Dance Earth Science English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) French German Greek Hebrew Italian Japanese Latin Mandarin Music Physics Social Studies Russian Spanish Theater Visual Arts |
Fall 2013 (draft) Final TBD |
Fall 2015 | As they are available in Fall 2015 Candidates who don't take and pass the current CST for their field before the new test is implemented will be required to take and pass the new test. |
| * For more detailed information on certification requirements, please refer to Which tests will candidates be required to take? above. | |||
Draft Frameworks and Test Designs
Updated 12/6/2012
The materials posted here are revised drafts. The information in these documents is expected to change, and any changes will fully supersede the information contained in this draft. Subsequent revised versions will be posted here as they become available.
Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST)
Educating All Students (EAS)
Content Specialty Tests (CST)
- Agriculture
- Business and Marketing
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Educational Technology Specialist
- English Language Arts Test Design and Framework
- Family and Consumer Sciences
- Gifted Education
- Health Education Test Design and Framework
- Library Media Specialist Test Design and Framework
- Literacy Test Design and Framework
- Mathematics Test Design and Framework
- Physical Education Test Design and Framework
- Students With Disabilities Test Design and Framework
- Technology Education
Note about the Multi-Subject tests—The current Multi-Subject CST is required for certificates at various grade levels. Each of the four new Multi-Subject CSTs is specific to a certificate: Early Childhood (Birth–Grade 2), Childhood (Grades 1–6), Middle Childhood Generalist (Grades 5–9), and Students with Disabilities Generalist (Grades 7–12). - Multi-Subject: Teachers of Early Childhood (Birth–Grade 2) Assessment Design and Framework
- Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood (Grade 1–Grade 6) Assessment Design and Framework
- Multi-Subject: Teachers of Middle Childhood (Grade 5–Grade 9) Assessment Design and Framework
- Multi-Subject: Teachers of Students with Disabilities (Grade 7–Grade 12) Assessment Design and Framework
School Building Leader (SBL)
Sample Test Questions
Sample test questions for the new examinations will be posted here as they become available.
Sample test questions are presented for the purpose of providing information about the nature and formats of the questions that will appear on the new assessments. Sample test questions are not intended to be test samplers and are not meant to mirror full-length tests. The sample questions present some of the types of questions that will appear on a test; however, the set of sample questions provided does not define the content or difficulty of an entire actual test. For additional information regarding the composition and content of the full-length tests, please refer to the test designs and test frameworks.
Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST)
About edTPA
One of the new requirements is edTPA. Authored and developed by a team of Stanford University researchers, with substantive advice from teachers and teacher educators, edTPA is designed to be used as a portfolio-based assessment for pre-service teacher candidates. Supported by an initiative involving more than 25 states and more than 180 participating institutions as well as the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), edTPA will be available nationally for states, institutions of higher education, and teacher candidates.
Learn more:
- March 23, 2012, Letter from Commissioner John B. King, Jr.
- March 12, 2012, Policy memo from John L. D'Agati to the Regents Committee on Higher Education
- edTPA Web site
edTPA Information for Faculty
For more information, see "edTPA for New York State" on this site.
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