Certified appointments are composed of three classes: temporary; probationary; and tenure.

Temporary appointments are given to certified employees who have an FTE of less than 1.0. In some cases, temporary appointments are also given to employees who have applied for adult certification and /or employees who are working under a federally funded grant program, regardless of FTE.

Probationary appointments are given to full-time, certified staff (teachers, administrators, and teacher assistants) who are employed by BOCES during a period of probation which usually lasts for three years. A two-year probationary appointment may be granted if a teacher has earned tenure elsewhere or in a different tenure area. The probationary appointment allows the district to evaluate the competency of the employee prior to making an appointment of tenure.

Tenure is an employment status a certified staff member may earn by successfully completing a period of probationary employment and then, upon the superintendent's recommendation, being granted this status by the school board. A tenured employee has the right to keep their job, to be free from discipline or dismissal, except for just cause to be proven by school officials in a due process hearing under section 3020-a of the Educational Law.

Non-certified  (Civil Service) fall into four jurisdictional classes; competitive, non competitive, exempt and labor. Most classified service positions are competitive class. 

Competitive class positions may be filled permanently, provisionally or temporarily. Permanent appointments are made from the eligible lists, preferred lists, or by transfer, reinstatement or training advance.

Noncompetitive class positions have minimum qualifications, but it is not practical to conduct examinations for these positions. There are no minimum qualifications for exempt positions; however, they are generally filled only with the approval of the Governor's Office. Labor class positions involve unskilled labor.

Provisional and temporary appointments are made when there are no viable eligible lists for the position, when the position belongs to someone else, or when the position is only funded for a specific length of time. Appointees must meet the minimum qualifications for the position and are subject to termination when lists are established or based upon availability of personnel.

All full-time employees serve a probationary term. Newly appointed Civil Service employees serve a twenty-six week probationary period, while certified teacher and administrative appointments are normally three-year period. The probationary period is the period of time commencing upon a permanent appointment during which an employee's performance on the job is assessed. It is the final and most critical step in the selection process. It is intended to provide an opportunity to evaluate an employee on the knowledge, skills and abilities not evaluated by other parts of the selection process. During the probationary period, employees are evaluated periodically in writing. This evaluation includes discussion between the supervisor and employee about performance, including work habits, quality of work, quantity of work, relationships and attitudes toward the job. Employees not meeting standards of performance may be terminated at any time prior to the end of the probationary period upon notice of one week.

The Human Resources Department notifies employees of the dates of probationary periods. Probationary periods may vary for promotions or employees who have held permanent positions.

When there are no viable Civil Service lists for a vacant position, the Human Resources Department generally issues a recruitment online posting. Qualified employees may apply to be considered for the position. Upon interview, a selection is made, however, appointees must take and pass the next scheduled Civil Service examination for the position and be among the top three on the Civil Service list before their appointment can become permanent.

Civil Service Announcements for examinations are available on the Ontario County Human Resources Website.