Complete guide to Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) requirements and language acquisition training for New York educators.
New York CTLE tracking is one part of the educator experience. EX in Education connects that record to coaching, goals, evaluations, and retention, so districts can support every educator from hired to thriving.
A printable 2-page reference: 100 CTLE hours, the 15-hour ELL rule, proration, and how to renew without a scramble.
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New York requires educators holding Professional certificates in classroom teaching or educational leadership, as well as Level III Teaching Assistant certificate holders, to complete 100 hours of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) during each five-year registration period.
CTLE must be completed through an NYSED-approved CTLE sponsor. Hours completed before your registration period or during a prior period cannot be carried over.
NYSED requires that a minimum of 15% of CTLE hours (15 hours) address language acquisition for English Language Learners (ELLs), including best practices for co-teaching and integration strategies.
15% of 100 hours = minimum 15 hours in language acquisition addressing ELL needs.
Holders of Professional English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) certificates or Bilingual Extension Annotations must complete 50% of CTLE in language acquisition.
| Practice Status | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| Full 5-year period in applicable school | 100 hours |
| 4 years in applicable school | 80 hours |
| 3 years in applicable school | 60 hours |
| 2 years in applicable school | 40 hours |
| 1 year in applicable school | 20 hours |
* "Practicing" = employed 90+ days during a school year by a single applicable school
New York does not mandate a single teacher practice rubric. Districts select one from NYSED's list of approved teacher and principal practice rubrics as part of their APPR plan, and may apply for a variance to use another. The Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching is the most widely used choice, and is the basis of New York City's rubric, and its 22 components across four domains are summarised below. Confirm which rubric your own district has adopted before aligning professional learning to it.
Tip: Align your CTLE activities with your district's chosen rubric to strengthen your practice and prepare for observations. Many NYC DOE courses are specifically mapped to framework domains.
CTLE must be completed through an NYSED-approved sponsor. Hours accrue based on clock hours spent in the activity.
Maintain records of all CTLE activities throughout your 5-year registration period. Ensure at least 15% (15 hours) are in language acquisition.
Finish all 100 CTLE hours (or prorated amount based on years practicing) before your registration period ends.
Submit your registration application through TEACH Online at the NYSED website before your current registration expires.
Attest that you have completed the required CTLE hours. You may be audited, so keep documentation readily available.
CTLE hours cannot be carried over from one registration period to another. Hours completed before your registration begins or during a prior period do not count toward your current requirements.
In EX in Education, what you track for New York renewal sits beside new-hire onboarding, walkthroughs, coaching cycles, goals, evaluations, staff surveys and recognition. Leaders see how every educator is doing from their first week onward, not only whether they are current, and the renewal record builds out of the growth work already happening.
Start a conversation about New YorkPermanent certificates were issued before February 2004 and do not require CTLE for registration renewal (though registration is still required every 5 years). Professional certificates issued after this date require 100 CTLE hours per cycle.
No. NYSED lists the certificates subject to CTLE and the Initial certificate is not among them: the requirement attaches to the Professional certificate in the classroom teaching service, the Professional certificate in the educational leadership service, and the Level III and Professional Teaching Assistant certificates. Initial holders working toward a Professional certificate do not complete CTLE until they hold it.
CTLE must be completed through NYSED-approved sponsors. If you complete PD out of state, check if the provider is an approved CTLE sponsor in New York. Otherwise, those hours may not count.
Your required hours are prorated to 20 hours per year of practice. If you practice for only 3 years during your 5-year period, you need 60 hours total. The year is not prorated. Even partial years count as a full year for calculation.
NYSED maintains a searchable database of approved CTLE sponsors. Your district, BOCES, and many professional organizations are typically approved. Always verify approval status before completing activities.
EX in Education helps New York educators track CTLE hours, ensure language acquisition requirements are met, and maintain compliance with NYSED regulations, connected to the same system that handles coaching, goals, and evaluations.
Start a conversationJoin New York educators using EX in Education to track CTLE hours, meet language acquisition requirements, and maintain certification, connected to coaching, goals, and retention across every school.
Evaluated in New York? See how New York teacher evaluation works, and how the evidence connects to the record you keep for renewal.
Not in New York? Find requirements for your state.
Part of EX in Education
New York CTLE tracking is one part of how districts support educators. In EX in Education, they connect to the bigger picture: walkthroughs, coaching, evaluations, goals, PD, recognition, surveys, and retention. Bring your own process, or start from a template, then run it across every school so every educator moves from hired to thriving.