Teaching Assistant Pathways

This certificate is your first step to becoming a teaching assistant. With your Level I certificate you will be able to assist in classrooms under the supervision of a licensed or certified teacher.

This certificate is valid for three years.

You may also renew a Level I certificate once if you do not complete your TA classroom experience or do not meet the coursework requirements for a Level II certificate. 

In order to be certified as a Level I teaching assistant you will need to meet the requirements below: 

Required Workshops

These are available to be taken through Mercy University. 

General Requirements

Exam Requirements

For certification candidates need to take the New York State Teacher Certification Exam – ATAS [The New York State Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills test. The consists of multiple-choice questions. Candidates for certification as a Level I, II, III or Pre-Professional teaching assistant must achieve a qualifying score on this test. The test assesses the knowledge and skills of teaching assistant candidates in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and instructional support. For more information or to register for the ATAS exam, click here.

If you were unable to complete one year of Teaching Assistant experience under your Level I certificate OR you do not meet the University coursework requirement for the Level II, you may be eligible for the Level I Renewal. You may only renew your Level I certificate once.

For a renewal, you need a school district recommendation:

For the Supplementary, Teaching Assistant Level 1 Renewal, Adult Education, and coaching certificates, this refers to a statement submitted by a New York State public school district, BOCES, nonpublic or charter school online through TEACH that describes the terms of the applicant's employment.

For the Transitional A, G, and J certificates, this refers to a statement submitted by a New York State public school district, or BOCES online through TEACH that describes the terms of the applicant's employment.

Prerequisite: You must currently hold or have held a Level I Certificate in order to apply for a LEVEL I renewal.

This is the second-level certificate, is designed for students with experience in the classroom and is your next step on the way to your Level III certificate. With your experience and additional college courses you will be able to provide additional support to your supervising licensed or certified teacher. 

The Level II certificate is valid for three years and is not renewable. 

Prerequisite: You must currently hold or have held a Level I Certificate in order to earn a Level II certificate.

Some additional requirements for earning this certificate include: 

• 9 semester hours of college course work – Email us at certifi@mercy.edu for more details

• One year of paid, full-time work experience in a New York State public school as a teaching assistant while holding a teaching assistant certificate or as a classroom teacher under a classroom teaching certificate.​

​If you do already satisfy the requirements for a Level III, you can skip this certificate level. 

The Level III certificate is for those students who have at least one year of experience teaching a classroom as well as college course credits. This third-level certificate continues to allow you to assist students in a classroom and is continuously valid. 

For this certificate to stay active CTLE hours are completed every 5 years.

Prerequisite: You must currently hold or have held a Level I Certificate in order to earn a Level III certificate.

Please see below for what is required to receive the Level III Certificate:

• Students must hold at least a Level I Teaching Assistant certificate

• 18 semester hours of college course work – Email us at certifi@mercy.edu for more details

• One year of paid, full-time work experience in a New York State public school as a teaching assistant while holding a teaching assistant certificate or as a classroom teacher under a classroom teaching certificate.

• Complete 100 hours of CTLE every five years.

Citizenship Status - INS Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship

INS Permanent Residence or US Citizenship: New York Education Law permits individuals with United States Citizenship, Permanent Resident status or a valid DACA or similar relief from deportation status, to qualify for a Permanent, Professional or Teaching Assistant Level III certificate.

To verify your Permanent Residence status, submit ONE of the following with your application:

The Pre-Professional Teaching Assistant certificate is designed for those who are currently in  a  teacher preparation program. This certificate will allow you to continue to gain hands on experience in a classroom while pursing your teaching degree.

The pre-professional is valid for five years and can be renewed with an additional 30 semester hours in a teacher preparation program.

Prerequisite: You must currently hold or have held a Level I Certificate in order to earn a Pre-Professional certificate.

Requirements for earning the certificate are included below: 

• You must currently hold or have held at least a Level I Teaching Assistant certificate

• Enrollment in a teacher preparation program.

  • Apply here for Mercy University’s School of Education. 

    • A letter must be submitted on your behalf, by the Registrar, head of the Education Department, or the Certification Officer of a NYS college/university. This letter can be mailed, or scanned into PDF format and emailed to tcert@nysed.gov. The letter must verify:

      • The applicant’s full name – as it appears in TEACH, and either their date of birth or the last four digits of their SSN.

      • The applicant’s current enrollment in an approved teacher preparation program at their institution.

      • The name of the degree program and the teacher certification to which it leads (e.g., - Childhood Education – Grades 1-6 – Initial certificate).

• 18 semester hours of college course work – Email us at certifi@mercy.edu for more details

• One year of paid, full-time work experience in a New York State public school as a teaching assistant while holding a teaching assistant certificate or as a classroom teacher under a classroom teaching certificate.