What Counts as CTLE? Acceptable Activities for New York Educators, Explained

Quick answer: An activity counts as CTLE when it is (1) delivered by an NYSED-approved CTLE sponsor (or your school district/BOCES), and (2) designed to improve your pedagogical or leadership skills in one of three areas: your certificate's content area, pedagogy, or language acquisition for English language learners. One CTLE hour requires at least 60 minutes of instruction. PD that doesn't come from an approved sponsor—however useful—generally does not count.

That's the rule in two sentences. The confusion starts with the edge cases: graduate courses, mentoring, PLCs, conferences, DASA training, National Board. Let's go through them one by one, based on NYSED's acceptable activities guidance.

Does university or graduate coursework count toward CTLE?

Yes—if the college or university is an approved CTLE sponsor. The conversion is generous: each semester hour of credit equals 15 CTLE hours, and each quarter hour equals 10 hours. A single 3-credit graduate course can therefore cover 45 of your 100 hours. Check that the institution appears on NYSED's approved sponsor list before counting it.

Does mentoring count as CTLE?

Yes, with caps. Mentoring a new classroom teacher can earn you up to 30 CTLE hours per five-year registration period; mentoring a teacher candidate (student teacher) earns up to 25 hours per period. Keep documentation from your school of the mentoring assignment and hours.

Do PLCs, team meetings, and peer observation count?

Sometimes. Classroom observations conducted by trained evaluators under Education Law §3012-d count toward CTLE. Other collaborative work—PLCs, curriculum teams, study groups—counts only when your school, district, or BOCES (acting as the CTLE sponsor) designates it as acceptable CTLE and documents it. Don't assume Monday PD counts: ask whether it's being recorded as CTLE and request verification.

Does the DASA workshop count toward CTLE?

The six-hour Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) training you completed for certification is a licensure prerequisite, not CTLE. Professional development on bullying prevention and school climate can count when it's offered by an approved CTLE sponsor as a CTLE activity—so the topic isn't the problem; the sponsor and purpose are what matter.

Does National Board certification count?

Yes—and it's the biggest shortcut there is. Achieving National Board certification fulfills the entire CTLE requirement for the registration period in which you earn it, provided you also meet the language acquisition requirement that applies to you.

Do micro-credentials and online courses count?

Yes, when completed through approved CTLE sponsors that award hours or college credit. Fully asynchronous, self-paced online courses are acceptable—what matters is the sponsor's approval, a minimum of 60 minutes of instruction per hour, and a proper certificate of completion. SOLVED Consulting is an NYSED-approved sponsor, and every course in our online CTLE library delivers 1 CTLE hour with an instant certificate—several courses are free.

What about the language acquisition requirement?

Whatever mix of activities you choose, most educators must dedicate 15% of their hours to language acquisition for ELLs (that's 15 of 100 hours). Holders of a Professional ESOL certificate or a Bilingual Education extension must dedicate 50%. Districts with very few ELLs (fewer than 30, or under 5% of enrollment) can hold an exemption—but the exemption only waives the language acquisition slice, never the 100-hour total. Details in our guide to the CTLE language acquisition requirement. SOLVED currently has 20 courses under language acquisition.

What does NOT count as CTLE?

• PD from providers that are not approved CTLE sponsors (a webinar from an edtech vendor without sponsor status, for example)
• Activities shorter than 60 minutes of actual instruction per claimed hour
• The DASA certification workshop and other one-time licensure prerequisites
• Self-directed reading, podcasts, or unverified independent study
• Activities you can't document with sponsor name, number, hours, date, and attendance verification

How to be sure before you count it

1. Ask the provider for their NYSED CTLE sponsor name and number—approved sponsors know it by heart.
2. Confirm the activity addresses content, pedagogy, or ELL language acquisition.
3. Get a certificate of completion listing the sponsor number, hours, category, date, and your name—and keep it for three years after your registration period ends. (Here's how the reporting and recordkeeping actually work.)

Frequently asked questions

Do conferences count as CTLE?

Only if the conference organizer is an approved CTLE sponsor (or your district sponsors your attendance as CTLE) and issues verification of the instructional hours you attended.

How many CTLE hours can I earn online?

There's no cap. All 100 hours can come from asynchronous online courses, as long as each comes from an approved sponsor. See our CTLE hours calculator to plan the mix.

Does teaching a PD session count?

Presenting for an approved sponsor can count—confirm with the sponsor how presenter hours are credited before assuming a number.

Do hours from another state transfer to CTLE?

Out-of-state PD counts only when the provider is an NYSED-approved CTLE sponsor. Many national providers are—check the sponsor list first.

Want hours that count, without the guesswork? Every course SOLVED offers takes one hour to complete, and issues an instant audit-ready certificate. Start with the free ones at solvedconsulting.com/ctle. If your school has a CTLE courses subscription with SOLVED you have access to all our Instructional courses.