WELCOME to the Regional Certification Office!

The TST BOCES Certification Office serves as a regional office for the Office of Teaching in the State Education Department. The Regional Office provides assistance, processes and approves* the online applications of eligible candidates for NYS certification on the areas of teaching assistant, teaching, and pupil personnel services.  This service is for those residing, working or attending school within the TST BOCES Service area.

*The final approval for certification is at the discretion of the Office of Teaching Initiatives at NYSED.

BOCES RCO's are not permitted to review/evaluate for the following certificates: Time Extensions, Adult Ed, SBA/SDA/SBL/SAS/Technology Education/Education Technology Specialist/Career & Technical Titles/ESOL/Bilingual Extensions and Supplementary Certificates.

Be advised that your certification to work in the Public Schools is your responsibility. Be sure to know when your present certification will expire, and what is required to achieve the next level of your certification. 

All applications are handled in the order they are submitted, paid for and the proper/required documentation is received to be fair to all. Lack of planning only creates stress for you. You will still have to wait for the application to appear in the work queue, and for the evaluator to then review and process the application.

FIVE WAYS TO PREVENT DELAYS in the Certification process

  ^{*You MUST send official copies of all college transcripts to the entity you choose to review your application. Without transcripts we cannot evaluate for coursework or for your degree status. If your transcripts have transfer coursework on them with no grade listed, you must also request a transcript from the college you took the coursework from.}

^{*Make sure your transcripts are in your current name. Many colleges do not have SS#'s on their transcripts, and we have no way of linking a transcript to the proper certificate application without the right name.}

*Please update your information in your Personal Profile in TEACH regularly. It is very important that we have a current name, phone#, mailing address and e-mail address.

*Please update your paid working experience in TEACH if you are applying for a Professional or Permanent certificate. 

*If applying via Interstate Reciprocity, you must send official transcripts as well as a copy of your current teaching license (front and back). If the back is blank, please write "this side blank" so it is known that you looked. If this is not done, it will be assumed that important information is missing from the certificate.

To view pertinent information on NYS-mandated WORKSHOPS, EXAMS and FINGERPRINTING, click on the link. To access FORMS, APPLICATIONS and LINKS to important internet RESOURCES...keep reading and use the page option to the right. Additional information/clarification on the PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS requirement, COACHING CERTIFICATION, TEACH Online Services and other FAQ's are also found on the page options on the right of this screen.

Need more help? SEND ME AN E-MAIL

-Mary Kay LaLonde