584-036-0080 Licensure Tests
Summary of Proposed Action:
Removes
reference to passage of basic skills test as an admission requirement.
Background: At the November 6, 2014 Commission
meeting, the Commission voted to change the basic skills test from an admission
requirement to a program completion requirement. The Commission implemented this change as a
temporary rule, and it will consider adopting the change as a permanent rule at
its January 29, 2015 meeting. The
licensure test rule needs to be amended to reflect the change in basic skill
tests requirements.
Copy of Proposed Rule
584-036-0080
Licensure Tests
(1) Licensure tests are required to demonstrate
subject-matter competency in most endorsement areas established by the
Commission. Passage of Commission-approved basic skills tests is required
for admission into Oregon educator preparation programs unless the candidate
holds a master’s degree from an accredited institution obtained prior to
admission into any Oregon education preparation program.
(2) Out-of-State Applicants: (a) Basic Skills: A
non-provisional teaching license issued by another state or NASDTEC
jurisdiction will be acceptable for waiver of the basic skills test
requirement.
(b) Subject-Matter Endorsement: Out-of-state applicants may present proof of passage of
another state’s subject-matter competency test for full subject-matter
endorsement on an Oregon license under the following conditions:
(a) (A) The area in which the test was passed
is comparable to the subject-matter endorsement area adopted by the Commission and
is not a basic skills test;
(b) (B) The test was
administered by either the former or current testing companies representing
Evaluation Systems group of Pearson (ESP) or Education Testing Service (ETS);
(c)(A) (C)(i) A passing score
on an out-of-state licensure test for subject-matter endorsement on the license
results in waiver of a comparable Oregon adopted beginning-teacher licensure
test if the subject-matter area covered by the out-of-state test is more similar
than not to the Oregon test;
(B) (ii) The burden is on
the applicant to provide alternate proof the test was taken and the score was a
passing score in another state if the applicant is unable to produce an
original score report. TSPC reserves the right to reject the alternate
verification if the source of the score verification is not a higher education
institution or another public educator licensure agency; and
(d) (D) Any subject-matter
test, except the basic skills tests, may be waived if the applicant
demonstrates special academic preparation satisfactory to the Commission
together with five years of half-time or more experience teaching the specific
subject matter on a license valid for the assignment in a public school or
regionally accredited private school in a U.S. jurisdiction before holding any
Oregon license. The five years of half-time or more experience must be acquired
entirely outside of the State of Oregon and must be obtained while holding an
unrestricted out-of-state license valid for the assignment. Teaching experience
without a valid license does not count toward test waiver.
(3) An electronic score report submitted by the testing
company administering the test at the applicant's request will be treated as an
"original" score report. In all other cases, only the original score
report, or an authentic facsimile will be accepted as validation of passing the
required test. TSPC reserves the right to require the applicant to produce
authentic evidence of passage of the test the applicant wishes to submit for
consideration for test waiver.
(4) Other evidence documenting passage of a required test
for licensure may be accepted at the executive director's discretion when
exigent circumstances prohibit the educator from presenting an original score
report. The executive director may submit the evidence and the decision to the
Commission at the next meeting at the director’s discretion in cases the
director believes may need Commission review.
(5) Basic Skills Tests:
(a) To satisfy the basic skills testing requirements, the
Commission will accept passing scores on the following tests:
(A) NES Essential Skills Tests — Evaluation Systems–Pearson
(ESP)
(B) Any basic skills test currently approved or accepted by
the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC);
(C) Any basic skills test current approved or accepted by
the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (WPESB);
(D) Any Education Testing Service (ETS) developed basic
skills tests approved by the Commission.
(b) Notwithstanding
subsection (2)(a) above, a A
regionally-accredited or foreign equivalent master’s degree or higher held at
the time of admission into an educator preparation program, waives the basic
skills tests.
(c) An out-of-state applicant may waive the basic skills
test with evidence of full out-of-state licensure or a master’s degree from an accredited institution or foreign
equivalent.
(d) Applicants submitting proof of a non-provisional
California Teaching License will be deemed to have fulfilled the basic skills
testing requirement.
(6) Applicants seeking endorsement in areas where the
Commission has not adopted an approved test must complete coursework as
required by the Commission. In the alternative, applicants may submit evidence
of a passing score from another state’s licensure test and evidence they held
the endorsement on an out-of-state license in lieu of satisfying the
Commission’s required coursework.
(7) For situations not covered by these rules, the
Commission grants the executive director the discretion to determine whether
test scores or licenses submitted pursuant to this section meet the
Commission’s intent with regard to preventing unnecessary redundancy in
completing licensure testing requirements.
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 2-2009, f. & cert. ef. 3-12-09;
TSPC 6-2010, f. & cert. ef. 8-31-10; TSPC 9-2012,
f. & cert. ef. 9-14-12; TSPC 6-2013, f. &
cert. ef. 11-14-13; TSPC 5-2014, f. & cert. ef. 8-5-14