Hoping to avoid new and tougher standards for certification in the state of New York that took effect as of February 1, more than three times the usual number of teachers have applied for certification. Under the new standards teachers must, among a variety of other things, pass a test to prove strong content knowledge, document at least a 2.5 G.P.A, and take courses in special education, reading and literacy. The new standards also require teachers to earn a master's degree within three years of starting to teach. Teachers can earn their master's in education?rovided four courses are "content- specific," a requirement that sounds like methods courses will count.

Department spokesman Tom Dunn denied that the rush was the result of teachers trying to duck the new standards, asserting instead that "there has been a wave of people looking to complete their professional preparation under the rules that applied when they began."