Progression for Initial Certification

Prior to full-time student teaching, it is required by New York State Education Department that the candidate spend 100 hours observing and participating in classroom experiences in a field setting. At least 20 of these hours must be spent in a "High-Needs" area. Candidates must register for the program specific section of Apprentice Field Experience Phase I and also submit the Application to Apprentice Experience Form to the Field Placement Office. Candidates may not begin field observations until contacted by their field advisor and scheduled for two seminars. A reflective format is required. Arrangements for the initial 40 hours of observation time are coordinated through the Director of Field Placements. Candidates may observe in an elementary, secondary or middle school of their choice or may be placed by the Molloy College School of Education. Successful completion of the Apprentice Field Experience is required for progression to the Pre-Student Teaching phase.

Candidates must register for the program specific section of Childhood or Adolescent Pre-Student Teaching Field Experience Phase II and also submit the Pre-Student Teaching Field Placement Application to the Field Placement Office. Sixty additional hours of observation/participation are necessary prior to student teaching. Candidates are periodically supervised by a Molloy College Professor during these hours of observation/participation in a field school experience. Successful completion of the observation/participation phase is required prior to admittance to student teaching. Requests for all phases of field experience must be submitted to the Field Placement Office according to the following schedule:

• March 1 for Fall Placement, October 1 for Spring Placement.
• Failure to observe this deadline may result in lack of placement until the following semester. Any candidate who does not demonstrate the required knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary for successful student teaching, may be required to withdraw from the Program or to repeat the Pre-Student Teaching Experience. This determination is made by the Graduate Program faculty with input from the field supervisors and co-operating teacher and approved by the Director of Field Placements and Clinical Experiences and the Director of the Graduate Education Program. If field experience needs to be extended because the candidate has failed to successfully demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions required, this will negatively affect the candidate's final grade.

Student Teaching is the culmination of the Programs leading to Initial Certification. Candidates are required to student teach for one college semester; half of the semester is spent in grades 1–3 or 7–9 and the other half in grades 4–6 or 10–12. Candidates pursuing Early Childhood and Childhood Dual Certification are required to have experience in birth–grade 2 and in grades 3–6. Candidates in the TESOL or Special Education Programs are required to engage in field experiences and student teach in these areas. Application for student teaching must be submitted to the Field Placement Office. In addition to submitting the proper form to the Field Placement Office, candidates are required to register for the proper section of Phase III at the time of advisement. Molloy College School of Education places candidates for the student teaching experience and appoints a college professor as the candidate’s field supervisor. Candidates engaged in student teaching are required to participate in weekly seminars. Candidates pursuing Early Childhood and Childhood Dual certification are required to have three experiences in Birth to Grade 2, Grades 1-3 and Grades 4-6.

Pedagogical and content knowledge is a prerequisite for student teaching. It is expected, therefore, that candidates will have successfully completed the Educating All Students (EAS), and Content Specialty Tests (CST) prior to student teaching. Candidates preparing for Dual Certification need to successfully complete the Content Specialty Test (CST) in both areas. During student teaching, students will be required to submit a video and appropriate commentaries based on teaching performance to meet the edTPA certification requirement.

When taking NYSED examinations, candidates are required to list Molloy College as a recipient of their scores. Candidates also are required to provide their advisor with printed evidence of their scores immediately upon accessing them via the internet.

Candidates for initial teaching certification are required by mandate of New York State Education Department to have placement experience in a high needs district.

Teacher candidates who are already teaching without NYSED Certification are required to register for all field experiences including student teaching. These candidates will fulfill their field experiences and student teaching and will be observed in the classroom in which they are teaching. These experiences must be in the area and grade(s) of the certification to be attained. In the event that only one of these required levels (1-3, 7-9) and (4-6, 10-12) can be observed in the candidate's position, the candidate and Molloy College Field Placement Office will arrange for the additional experience in order to fulfill NYSED requirements for Teacher Certification.

Additional information: Graduate Education