NY S07118

Amends Education Law Section 210-a to allow graduate teacher and educational leader programs to admit candidates who meet alternative criteria beyond the standard 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA requirement.

Alternative qualification pathways include: 3.0 GPA in major, last two years of college, or graduate coursework; strong letters of recommendation; multilingualism; strong personal interview performance; or quality writing sample.

Exempts certified teachers and school administrators who already hold a graduate degree from graduate record examination or equivalent admission exam requirements.

Limits programs to exempting no more than 15% of any incoming class from standard selection criteria based on demonstrated potential to contribute to teaching or extenuating circumstances.

Requires programs to report to the department the number of students admitted under exemptions and the selection criteria used.