What is the civil service exam schedule for education officers, education analysts and other administrative titles under the New York City Department of Education?

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) has published a tentative exam schedule through June 30, 2015. Please check the DCAS website frequently for any changes to the exam schedule. Currently, the schedule is as follows:

*The only three UFT titles for which exams are scheduled are associate education analyst, education analyst and education officer. The education officer exam will be for both education officer, level 1 (for which the former title was education officer) and education officer, level 2 (for which the former title was associate education officer).

How do I sign up to take a civil service exam in my job title?

When a given exam is open for filing, the city's Division of Human Resources will directly email employees who are actively serving provisionally in the title, informing you of the filing dates. Once the filing period opens for an exam in your title, you must file for the exam. Only by taking and passing this exam can you get onto the civil service list that will be used for hiring people to permanent positions as education officer (education officer, level 1), associate education officer (education officer, level 2), education analyst and associate education analyst.

How can I find out if I'm in a provisional, permanent or noncompetitive title currently?

Speak with your supervisor, manager or contact the DOE’s Division of Human Resources (DHR).

If I am currently provisional, what do I have to do to attain permanent status?

Keep close track of the city’s examination schedule. For the upcoming round of tests, the DHR will contact provisional employees in civil service titles that will be affected.

What does it mean to be serving as provisional in a competitive class title?

Provisional appointments are nonpermanent assignments to competitive class positions. Generally, a provisional appointment is made when there is no civil service list for a particular title. A provisional hire should be an interim method of filling a position pending permanent appointment from a subsequent civil service list. Someone can serve provisionally in a competitive class title until a list is established. For that reason, if you have provisional status in your title it is very important to file to take the test when the examination is announced by DCAS through what is commonly known as a Notice of Examination.

What is a civil service list and how are appointments made from it to permanent positions?

Every candidate who meets the education and experience requirements in the Notice of Examination and attains a passing mark on the test is eligible for consideration for appointment from the resulting civil service list for the title. This is commonly referred to as a rank order list. Consideration for appointments from lists must be made in list number order.

Will there be a probationary period once I am appointed as a permanent employee?

Yes. In general, every appointment or promotion from a civil service list within a competitive class has a probationary term of not more than one year. Employee performance is monitored during this time period, and upon satisfactory completion of the probationary period, the employee becomes permanent. Conversely, the services of the probationary employee may be terminated during this time period based on unsatisfactory performance.

Why is the city acting at this time to offer civil service exams?

New York City, like other municipalities throughout the state, is responding to a recent decision by the New York State Court of Appeals in a case filed by the Civil Service Employees Association on behalf of a group of municipal employees in Long Beach on Long Island. A key provision of the decision requires Long Beach and other municipalities to comply with applicable civil service law that limits the amount of time an individual may serve in what is known as a provisional capacity in a competitive class title.

What has the state done to comply with the court decision in the Long Beach case?

The state Legislature enacted a law requiring each local municipality to submit a compliance plan for adoption by the state Civil Service Commission. This includes the New York City Department of Education as well as all other city agencies.

How is the city complying with the Long Beach decision?

The city has put in place what is now commonly referred to as a five-year plan to significantly reduce the number of provisional employees serving in competitive class titles by creating a civil service list from which it will place people in permanent positions in these titles. This a rolling plan that will remain in effect beyond five years and may continue indefinitely until the number of provisional employees serving at any particular time is significantly reduced. The plan — which is being administered by DCAS, the city’s civil service oversight agency — includes:

• A requirement for all city agencies to remove provisional employees from competitive class titles on an immediate basis once a civil service list is established.
• A nearly 17 percent increase in the number of open competitive and promotional examinations administered annually, going up from 120 to 140 examinations, with an emphasis on titles with the greatest number of provisional employees.
• New competitive examination formats that will enable the frequent administration of examinations on a large scale.
• Expansion of walk-in examination centers at locations throughout the city to provide greater convenience for candidates and enable examinations to be offered on a continuous basis for select titles.
• Plans to implement a number of classification and reclassification strategies, including consolidating titles within the same title series and creating a broad band of titles in different title series.
• A requirement that all city agencies submit progress updates to ensure compliance in reducing provisional staff.

I'm a permanent employee serving provisionally as an education officer (education officer, level 1) or associate education officer (education officer, level 2). Does the Long Beach Decision affect me?

Yes, the court decision does affect you. Serving in an alternate title is generally referred to as a step-up provisional and is frequently associated with a higher rate of pay. While you will continue to have permanent status in the title you are on leave from, it is in your best interest to take the exam in the title you are serving in provisionally. Taking the exam for your provisional title can protect your higher title status. If you choose not to, you may be bumped back to your permanent title, with a potential loss of pay.

What does all of this really mean for me and why is it so important that I take the civil service examination?

As a provisional employee, you can serve in a competitive class title for a period of time. But DCAS will eventually offer an examination and create a civil service list. Hiring for permanent positions will be done from this list. Therefore, it is extremely important to file for civil service examinations if you are serving provisionally as an education officer (education officer, level 1), associate education officer (education officer, level 2), education analyst or associate education analyst. Otherwise, you risk being replaced by someone who is on the civil service list. Or, if you have another underlying permanent title, you could be returned to that title with a potential reduction in salary.