Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
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February 9-11, 2011 |
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ITEM: |
PROPOSED CHANGES TO ADMINISTRATOR LICENSES |
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ACTION: |
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM |
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INFORMATION: |
At the last commission
meeting, the commission voted to expand the definition of “administrator” set
forth in administrative rule. This
decision followed the recommendation of the Licensure Subcommittee, although
the commission decided not to include “managing instructional programs” and
“authorizing the expenditure of funds” as additional items requiring an
administrator license, as recommended by the subcommittee. Consistent with recent
administrative rules dealing with other licenses, staff have now prepared a
draft proposal outlining the general “scope” of this license. |
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For
several meetings, the commission discussed possible answers to the question,
“Specifically which duties should require an administrator license?” Both the commission and the Licensure
Subcommittee agreed that the administrator licensure requirement should depend
upon the functions being performed by a specific position. Rather than looking only at title for a
position, schools and districts across the state should instead consider the
functions to be performed by a position when deciding if a licensed
administrator should be hired.
Oregon Administrative Rule [
“Administrators:”
Superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, vice principals, and
such other personnel, regardless of title, whose positions require them to
evaluate other licensed personnel.
At
the November 2010 meeting, the commission decided that this current definition
of “administrator” is too narrow, given that the current definition focuses on
a single function, evaluating licensed staff.
The commission agreed to expand this definition to read:
“Administrators:”
Superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, vice principals, associate principals, and such other
personnel, regardless of title, whose positions require them to:
(a) Evaluate other licensed personnel;
(b) Supervise other licensed personnel;
(c)
Discipline other licensed personnel; and
(d)
Authorize out-of-school suspension or expulsion of students.
In addition, the commission
requested that staff draft a rule that outlines the general duties of an
administrator. Staff has drafted the
following language, after reviewing the minutes from previous commission discussions
as well as the rules and policies of other states. The intention is to provide general guidance
for determining when an administrator license is either required or most
appropriate.
Proposed language outlining the scope of administrator
licenses:
The Initial, Continuing or
Transitional Administrator License authorizes the holder to perform duties as
follows:
1) An administrator license is required to:
a. Evaluate licensed personnel;
b. Supervise licensed personnel;
c. Discipline licensed personnel; or
d. Authorize out-of-school suspension or expulsion of
students.
2) An administrator license is recommended to:
a. Manage or direct the content or financing of
instructional programs; or
b. Authorize a district or school-wide plan for
expenditure of funds.
3) An administrator license is not required to:
a. Prepare evaluation materials of licensed personnel, if
a licensed administrator has responsibility for completing the evaluations;
b. Evaluate coaching staff, if a licensed administrator
has final responsibility for the evaluations;
c. Recruit licensed or classified staff;
d. Supervise, evaluate, or discipline classified staff;
or
e. Authorize expenditure of funds, if expenditures are
made according to approved district and school-wide plans.