What's happening
This bill removes the specific 3.0 minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for admission to graduate-level teacher and educational leader programs in New York.
Why it matters
Broadens access to graduate education programs. by allowing institutions to set their own minimum undergraduate GPA requirements, potentially opening doors for qualified applicants who may not have met the previous 3.0 threshold but demonstrate strong potential in other ways.
Shifts emphasis from GPA to holistic admissions. , encouraging schools to consider a wider variety of academic and personal qualities (such as test scores, experience, or other predictors of success) rather than relying on GPA as a strict cutoff.
Could help diversify the teaching workforce. , particularly benefiting candidates from underrepresented or nontraditional backgrounds whose undergraduate GPAs may not fully reflect their abilities or readiness for graduate study.
Maintains institutional accountability and rigor. by still requiring rigorous selection criteria and annual reporting on exemptions, ensuring programs remain selective and transparent even without the fixed GPA requirement.
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Who cares
Colleges offering graduate teacher and educational leader programs
The bill would remove the statutory 3.0 undergraduate GPA floor while retaining a requirement to set a minimum cumulative GPA for admission.
Prospective graduate teaching and educational leadership students
Applicants with undergraduate GPAs below 3.0 could qualify under a program’s minimum rather than need an exemption from the statutory GPA requirement.
New York State Education Department
The department would oversee programs under the revised GPA requirement while continuing to receive reports on admissions exemptions and the criteria used.
Headline styles
Change GPA Rule for Teachers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Vetoed memo.237
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.191
- Substituted for A4538
- Referred to higher education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 56–6
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.832
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to higher education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Change GPA Rule for Teachers
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Deborah Glick
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5410
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 30, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the cumulative grade point average admission requirement for graduate-level teacher and educational leader programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 210-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 454 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
§ 210-a. Admission requirements for graduate-level teacher and educational leader programs. Each institution registered by the department with graduate-level teacher and leader education programs shall adopt rigorous selection criteria geared to predicting a candidate's academic success in its program, including but not limited to, a minimum score on the graduate record examination or a substantially equivalent admission examination, as determined by the institution, and achievement of a minimum cumulative grade point average [of 3.0 or higher] in the candidate's undergraduate program; provided, however, such graduate record examination or substantially equivalent admission examination requirement shall in no case apply to certified teachers or school administrators who already hold a graduate degree. Each program may exempt no more than fifteen percent of any incoming class of students from such selection criteria set forth in this section based on a student's demonstration of potential to positively contribute to the teaching profession or other extenuating circumstances pursuant to the regulations of the commissioner. A program shall report to the department the number of students admitted pursuant to such exemption and the selection criteria used for such exemptions.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05033-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the cumulative grade point average admission requirement for graduate-level teacher and educational leader programs
Purpose or general idea of bill
To remove the requirement that applicants admitted into a graduate-level teacher and leader education programs have achieved a 3.0 minimum cumu- lative grade point average in the candidate's undergraduate program.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: Section 210-a of the education law is amended to remove the requirement that applicants admitted into a graduate-level teacher and leader education programs have achieved a 3.0 minimum cumulative grade point average in the candidate's undergraduate program.
Section 2: Effective date
Justification
Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2015 requires that all graduate level teacher and educational leader programs establish a minimum graduate record examination (GRE) score, or other similar assessment, and a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for admission. It also provided that no more than 15% of the incoming applicants may be exempt from the minimum scores based on certain criteria. In New York State, a Master's degree is required in order to obtain a professional certif- icate, so graduate school is often a necessary step for individuals who hope to become a teacher. While it is important to have rigorous and competitive standards, there may be extenuating circumstances in which GPA requirements should not count toward the credentials for certain student applicants. For individuals who pursue teaching later in life or for under-represented teachers who may not have had essential classroom guidance, a 3.0 GPA may not be an appropriate marker to indicate success in the classroom. By removing the minimum GPA standard and allowing each institution the discretion in choosing the academic selection criteria, it ensures that all individuals are given the opportunity to be come successful teachers.
Prior legislative history
2016: Passed Assembly 2017: Passed Assembly 2018: Passed Assembly
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become law
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.