Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
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February 9-11, 2011 |
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ITEM: |
REVIEW OF SCHOOL COUNSELOR LICENSE |
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ACTION: |
ACTION
ITEM |
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RECOMMENDATION: |
The
Licensure Committee recommends adoption of the following resolution: RESOLVED,
that |
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INFORMATION: |
Shortly after adopting
changes to the Initial and Continuing Teaching Licenses, the Commission
reviewed the School Counselor Licenses. |
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In an
effort to provide “parity” with the teaching licenses, persons on School
Counselor Licenses were granted nine (9) years to complete nine (9) quarter or
six (6) semester hours of additional graduate work related to school
counseling.
What
the Commission did not consider at that time was the fact that the length of
nine years was granted to allow persons holding an undergraduate degree
sufficient time to complete the master’s degree program. Further, the design of the “show-progress”
requirements for renewal of the Initial I Teaching License actually requires
persons licensed after July 1, 2005, whose first license was issued on the
basis of a master’s degree or post-baccalaureate program, to have the
requirements completed within six years following issuance of the first
license.
All
persons receiving a School Counselor License must possess a Master’s degree
upon receipt of the Initial I School Counselor License. Accordingly, nine (9) years is not needed to
complete the additional 9 quarter hours or six (6) semester hours in graduate
work related to school counseling. [See,
§(4) of the attached rule.]
Staff
is recommending the Commission consider reducing the period within which the
requirements must be completed from nine to six years.
Other
changes or clarifications recommended by staff:
·
Two years of teaching experience is equivalent to 360 hours; §(3)(a)(A);
·
An accredited master’s degree validates an unaccredited bachelor’s
degree; §(3)(b);
·
Removes requirement that program must be part of a master’s degree
(education specialist or other option, for example); §(3)(c);
·
Out of state programs must be accompanied by a license from that state; §(3)(c);
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Removes basic skills requirements; §(3)(e);
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Mentions that Continuing School Counselor is an option in addition to the
Initial II School Counselor; §§(4) & (5);
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Removes provisions that no longer make sense; §§(4)(c) & (d);
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Extenuating circumstances language more clear; §(6);
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Recommends that license is changed to a K-12 license by July 1, 2011; §(10)