Regional Certification
BOCES regional certification office provides service only to individuals living or working for a district in Jefferson, Lewis, & St. Lawrence counties and portions of Franklin County.
For individuals living outside of this region, please click on the link below for contact information to your nearest boces regional certification office.
Your Path to Teaching Starts Here
Discover how BOCES supports aspiring educators through the certification process. This video outlines the steps and resources available to help you begin your teaching career with confidence.
Watch the video to learn more.
Supporting Your Path to NYS Certification
Regional Certification Support for NYS Educators
BOCES Certification Office serves as a regional office for the Office of Teaching Initiatives for New York State Department of Education. The Regional Office provides assistance, processes and approves* the online applications of candidates for NYS certification in the areas of teaching assistant, teaching, pupil personnel services and coaching.
Geographic Restrictions
The certification service is for those residing, working or attending school within the Jefferson-Lewis or St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES service area and portions of the Franklin-Essex BOCES service area.
The NYSED certification process must be completed online at TCERT.
Military Spouse Existing Certification
Are you a military spouse with a certification in another U.S. state? If so, please contact our office at 315-779-7000 prior to applying for a teaching certificate in New York State.
Certification Areas and Forwarding Support
Certification areas that cannot be evaluated through the Regional Certification Office include ESOL, Interstate Reciprocity, Bilingual, Occupational Education, Administration, certificates for persons with foreign credentials or those who are not citizens of the United States. However, you may ask this office to forward all materials to the State Education Department on your behalf.
Be advised that your certification to work in the public schools is your responsibility. Plan ahead and know when your present certification will expire and what is required to obtain the next level of your certification. New York State Education Department requires 14-18 weeks to evaluate your application once the application is in "Ready to Review" status.
To be fair to all, all applications are handled in the order they are submitted, paid for and all proper documentation is received. Once this material is evaluated and if the candidate meets the New York State certification requirements, the recommendation for certification is forwarded to NYSED. When an individual does not meet requirements, a formal evaluation of the applicant’s credentials showing specific deficiencies is provided by the regional office.
*Final approval for certification is at the discretion of the Office of Teaching Initiatives at NYSED.
Office Location
Hours
Monday-Friday
7:00 AM — 4:00 PM
Appointments
Call 315-779-7000 or email jlbcertification@boces.com
Transcripts and other pertinent materials should be mailed to:
BOCES Teacher Certification Office
20104 State Route 3
Watertown, NY 13601
Satellite Locations
Check with each BOCES Satellite HR office for site visit schedule.
Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES
North Franklin Education Center
23 Huskie Lane
Malone, NY 12953
Transcripts and other pertinent materials should be mailed to:
Teacher Certification Office
Jefferson Lewis BOCES
20104 State Route 3
Watertown, NY 13601
Preventing Delays in the Certification Process
Please update your information in your “Personal Profile” in TEACH regularly. It is important that current name, phone number, mailing address and email address for all app.
Make sure your transcripts are in your current name. Many colleges do not have Social Security numbers (SSN) on their transcripts and we have no way of linking a transcript to the proper certificate application without the correct name. If your transcript does not include your SSN or date of birth, we will need a letter from the Registrar with this information included.
Official college transcripts must be sent to the entity you choose to review your application. Without official transcripts, we cannot evaluate for coursework or for your degree status.
If your transcripts have transfer coursework on them, you must also request an official transcript from the college you took the coursework from.
All documentation submitted to this office must include the last four digits of your SSN and date of birth. If not provided, please hand write this information on the document. Documentation received without this information will be considered “unacceptable” and will not be used.
Please update your paid working experience in TEACH if you are applying for a Professional or Permanent Certificate.
If applying via Endorsement Pathway or completion of a program in another U.S. state or territory, 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.
Office of Teaching Initiatives Website
To view pertinent information on Fingerprinting, NYS mandated workshops, exams, professional development and links to important internet resources for certification, please log onto TCERT and refer to the Topics A to Z link.
Further Questions?
For additional guidance on certification, training requirements, and related procedures, visit the BOCES Regional Certification Resources page.
Contact
BOCES Regional Certification Office
20104 State Route 3
Watertown, N.Y. 13601
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