TIP SHEET FOR OBTAINING CERTIFICATION IN
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES EDUCATION
 

The following suggestions should ease your way in obtaining certification for teaching Family and Consumer Sciences without enrolling in a program from one of the colleges listed above:

• Locate the BOCES regional center closest to you and call to request an application for a transcript review – the list of BOCES Regional Certification Offices is printed on the reverse of this sheet.
• Study the New York State learning standards for Family and Consumer Sciences and identify courses you have taken to prepare you to deliver those standards to students. Evaluators will be looking for courses in your transcript that conform to the subject matter areas listed at the bottom of this page.
• Complete the application and send it to the office for evaluation – there is no fee for this service.
• Along with your application enclose copies of the catalog/course descriptions of the relevant course work on your transcript, with the course titles highlighted – evaluators will have a sheet prepared for them by the Association to help identify possible variations in course titles for the various content areas in our profession – this will assist them in identifying which courses apply in your case.
• Request a one week response but do not be discouraged if it takes considerably longer.

BOCES will evaluate your transcript and inform you if you are missing any of the educational requirements for provisional certification. If so, you will need to remedy the deficiencies with additional course work before applying to the State Education Department Office of Teaching for your certification. When you file for provisional certification with the SED they will be looking for the following requirements:

·        Application and Fee ($100)

·        Baccalaureate Degree – from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or an institution authorized by the Board of Regents to confer degrees whose programs are registered by SED.

·        Professional Education Courses – 12 semester hours taken as part of a teacher education program at an institution of higher education. Student teaching credits are not applicable as part of this requirement.

·        Student Teaching or Field Experience in the amount determined by the degree granting institution or accepted by SED through Form OT-11.

·        Subject Matter Specialization – 36 hours – see below. Family and Consumer Sciences methods courses, while highly recommended, will not count as part of the 36 required hours

·        Successful Completion of the New York State Certification Examinations:

* Liberal Arts and Sciences Test

* Assessment of Teaching Skills – written

·        Child Abuse Identification Workshop

·        School Violence Prevention Workshop

·        Fingerprint Clearance

SUBJECT MATTER COURSES IN FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES INCLUDE:

Balancing Work and Family, Career Development, Child Development, Clothing and Textiles, Consumer Finances, Entrepreneurship, Family Studies, Food and Nutrition, Gerontology, Housing and Environment, Interpersonal Relationships, Human Development Across the Lifespan, Textile Production and Fabrication, and Parenting. It is highly recommended that prospective candidates prepare for the classroom experience by taking a variety of these courses.