NEW PALTZ — Teacher-education faculty at the State University of New York at New Paltz have a great deal to be pleased about. Every New Paltz graduate who took the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) required for permanent teacher certification earned passing scores.
Students seeking permanent teacher certification in New York State must earn passing scores on two of three examinations, the Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills – Written (ATS-W) examination, or the Content Specialty Test (CST) appropriate to a student’s major.
Tests are also required for provisional teacher certification, and are given each year to individuals with bachelor’s degrees who plan to teach in New York State. A total of 476 New Paltz graduates applied for either permanent or provisional certification and took the various examinations.
The number of New Paltz graduates passing various tests for provisional certification was also high and well above the state average. Every student who elected to take the CST passed. Statewide, the averages for students who passed the CST ranged from a low of 70 percent for the math exam to a high of 92 percent for the elementary education exam.
Of the elementary education candidates recommended for provisional certificates, 99 percent passed the ATS-W exam and 98 percent passed the LAST.
In secondary education, 99 percent of the candidates recommended for provisional certificates successfully completed the LAST and 98 percent passed the ATS-W.
Statewide results of students who took the NYSTCE and passed averaged at 80 percent for the LAST portion, 84 percent for the ATS-W in elementary education, and 87 percent for the ATS-W in secondary education.
For additional information about this release, contact Professor Philip Schmidt, Dean of the School of Education. 257-2800.
