Text Box: Administrative Rule Summary

584-070-0012 – Initial School Counselor License

• New Rule þ Amend Existing Rule • Repeal Rule

Public Comment Date: April 1, 2014 to July 30, 2014

Prompted by:
þ Staff Review • State Law Changes þ Other
Action Requested: (File as Temporary Rule and Refer to Public Comment)
• First Reading þAdoption • Consent Agenda

Summary of Proposed Action: To allow for programs outside of higher education institutions.

Background: Currently, the licensure rule only allowed higher education institutions to offer initial licensure programs. These amendments will allow a school district, who meets the program standards, to seek approval before the Commission. At the March 2014 Commission meeting, this rule was adopted as a temporary rule.

Issues/Concerns that Surfaced (if any):

Changed Since Last Commission Meeting?

¨ N/A; First reading – Hasn’t been before the Commission

þ No; same as last meeting considered

¨ Yes – As follows:

Fiscal Impact: None

Staff Recommendation:

þ Adopt rule as presented

¨ Adopt rule in the future

¨ No recommendation

¨ File as temporary rule and refer to Public Comment

Permanent Rule for Adoption

584-070-0012 (Final Version)

Initial I School Counselor License

(1) Upon filing a correct and complete application in form and manner prescribed by the Commission, a qualified applicant may be granted an Initial I School Counselor License for three years plus time to the applicant’s birthday.

(2) The Initial I School Counselor License is valid as designated for regular counseling at early childhood and elementary grade levels; at elementary and middle-level grade levels; or at middle and high school grade levels, or at all four levels.

(a) The license is also valid for substitute counseling at any level; and

(b) The license is also valid for substitute teaching at any level in any subject-matter area.

(3) To be eligible for an Initial I School Counselor License, an applicant must satisfy all of the following general preparation requirements:

(a) A master's or higher degree in counseling, education, or related behavioral sciences from a regionally accredited institution in the United States, or the foreign equivalent of such degree approved by the Commission and a bachelor’s degree. A master's degree or a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States validates a non-regionally accredited bachelor's degree;

(b) Completion in Oregon or another U.S. jurisdiction, as part of the master's degree or separately, of a Commission-approved initial program in school counseling;

(d) Obtain a passing score on a Commission-adopted test of knowledge of U.S. and Oregon civil rights laws and professional ethics; and

(e) Furnish fingerprints in the manner prescribed by the Commission and provide satisfactory responses to the character questions contained in the Commission’s licensure application. (See also, OAR 584-036-0062 for Criminal Records Check Requirement.)

(4) The Initial I School Counselor License may be renewed two times for three years upon showing progress toward completion of the renewal requirements as described in OAR 584-070-0014 during the life of the Initial I School Counselor License under the following conditions:

(a) The progress must meet or exceed the equivalent of 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours of graduate coursework germane to the license or directly germane to public school employment; and

(b) The educator must qualify for an Initial II School Counselor License upon expiration of nine years following the date the first Initial School Counselor License was issued; and

(c) If the Initial I School Counselor license was issued on the basis of an out-of-state nonprovisional license rather than completion of an Oregon-approved program; the educator must have completed any incomplete requirements in subsection (3) above.

(5) School counselor licenses are authorized for grade levels as follows: early childhood and elementary (ECE/ELE); or middle-level and high school (ML/HS).

(a) Early childhood and elementary authorization is valid up through grade eight in any school.

(b) Middle level and high school authorization is valid in grades five through twelve in any school.

(c) The Initial I School Counselor License is authorized for either two or four grade authorization levels on the basis of professional education, experience, previous licensure, and specialized academic course work verified by one of the following:

(A) Evidence verified by an Oregon-approved School Counseling Program; or

(B) An out-of-state non-provisional School Counselor License valid for all grade levels;

(6) On an Initial I School Counselor License authorized for only two levels, the remaining pair of levels can be added prior to attainment of the Initial II School Counselor or the Continuing School Counselor License. The remaining levels will be added upon acquisition of practical experience in one of two ways:

(a) A school counseling practicum of four (4) semester hours or six (6) quarter hours at either or both of the paired new grade authorization levels, entailing a minimum of 200 clock hours, in an institution approved to prepare for those grade authorization levels; or

(b) One academic year at either or both of the paired new grade authorization levels as permitted in subsection (7) below.

(7) A counselor authorized for only one of the paired grade authorization levels may counsel in the remaining unauthorized grade levels for a period of not more than three years while pursuing authorization at the other paired authorization grade levels upon request for a License for Conditional Assignment pursuant to OAR 584-060-0250.

Stat. Auth.: ORS 342
Stats. Implemented: ORS 342.120 – 342.430; 342.455-342.495; 342.553
Hist.: TSPC 2-2007, f. & cert. ef. 4-23-07; TSPC 5-2008, f. & cert. ef. 6-13-08; TSPC 3-2009(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 5-15-09 thru 11-11-09; Administrative correction 11-19-09; TSPC 8-2009, f. & cert. ef. 12-15-09; TSPC 5-2013, f. & cert. ef. 11-14-13

584-070-0012

Initial I School Counselor License

(a) The license is also valid for substitute counseling at any level; and

(b) The license is also valid for substitute teaching at any level in any subject-matter area.

(3) To be eligible for an Initial I School Counselor License, an applicant must satisfy all of the following general preparation requirements:

(b) Completion in Oregon or another U.S. jurisdiction, as part of the master's degree or separately, of [an] a Commission-approved initial [~~graduate~~] program in school counseling; [~~at an institution any approved for counselor education by the Commission;~~]

(d) Obtain a passing score on a Commission-adopted test of knowledge of U.S. and Oregon civil rights laws and professional ethics; and

(a) The progress must meet or exceed the equivalent of 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours of graduate coursework germane to the license or directly germane to public school employment; and

(b) The educator must qualify for an Initial II School Counselor License upon expiration of nine years following the date the first Initial School Counselor License was issued; and

[(6)]( 5) School counselor licenses are authorized for grade levels as follows: early childhood and elementary (ECE/ELE); or middle-level and high school (ML/HS).

(a) Early childhood and elementary authorization is valid up through grade eight in any school.

(b) Middle level and high school authorization is valid in grades five through twelve in any school.

(A) Evidence verified by an Oregon-approved School Counseling Program; or

(B) An out-of-state non-provisional School Counselor License valid for all grade levels;

[(7)] (6) On an Initial I School Counselor License authorized for only two levels, the remaining pair of levels can be added prior to attainment of the Initial II School Counselor or the Continuing School Counselor License. The remaining levels will be added upon acquisition of practical experience in one of two ways:

(b) One academic year at either or both of the paired new grade authorization levels as permitted in subsection (8) (7) below.

[(8)](7) A counselor authorized for only one of the paired grade authorization levels may counsel in the remaining unauthorized grade levels for a period of not more than three years while pursuing authorization at the other paired authorization grade levels upon request for a License for Conditional Assignment pursuant to OAR 584-060-0250.