OAR 584-210-0100: Restricted Teaching License

(1) Purpose of the License: The Restricted Teaching License qualifies its holder to teach in a prekindergarten through grade 12 Oregon public school district, education service districts, and charter school assignments. The Restricted Teaching License is issued to qualified individuals who have at least a bachelor’s degree and have substantial preparation in the subject matter endorsements on the license, but have not completed a teacher preparation program. The purpose of the Restricted Teaching License is to provide a school district with a licensed educator, on a restricted basis, if the school district demonstrates extenuating circumstances that merit the issuance of the restricted license in order to protect the district's programs or students. (2) District Sponsorship: The Restricted Teaching License requires district sponsorship. The sponsoring district must submit a statement: (a) Describing the extenuating circumstances preventing the district from hiring a teacher holding a non-provisional teaching license appropriate for the assignment in an endorsement approved by the Commission and how the issuance of the restricted license will protect the district's programs or students; (b) Explaining how the qualifications of the applicant will resolve the extenuating circumstances; (c) Assuring the Commission that the district will obtain the license for the educator prior to assignment in an endorsement approved by the Commission within the district or prior to the 91st day after the date of application for licensure; (d) Describing the district’s plan to provide a mentor for the teacher. The plan must specifically identify the mentor; and (e) Describing the plan for how the teacher will make progress toward qualifying for non-provisional state licensure within the first term of the Restricted Teaching License. (3) Renewal of District Sponsorship: Upon application for a reissue of the Restricted Teaching License, the sponsoring district must provide a new statement confirming that: (a) The extenuating circumstances necessitating the Restricted Teaching License still exists; (b) The applicant is still qualified and needed to remedy the situation; (c) The plan for mentoring remains in place. The statement must update the name of the mentor, if appropriate; and (d) The teacher is on track to meet the qualifications for the Preliminary Teaching License or Reciprocal Teaching License by the end of the final term (after second reissue) of the Restricted Teaching License. (4) Transfer of District Sponsorship: To transfer sponsorship of the Restricted Teaching License to another district, the new sponsoring district must: (a) Submit a statement as provided in subsection (2); (b) Submit a statement that the original sponsoring district has been informed of the transfer; and (c) Require the applicant to submit a complete and correct application in the form and manner required by the Commission, including payment of all required fees as provided in OAR 584-200-0050. (5) The new sponsoring district and applicant will only be issued a license for any time remaining in the original terms, starting from the issue date of the first Restricted Teaching License. (6) Terms of Licensure: The Restricted Teaching License may be issued in one or two terms, at the request of the district, for a total of four full years. (a) The first issuance of license shall be valid according to the term requested by district in the district sponsorship letter, not to exceed August 31 of the second full school year following the application. (b) Subsequent issuances of the license will only be valid for the term requested by the district in the district sponsorship letter, not to exceed August 31 of the second full school year following the application. (c) Upon expiration of the final term of the Restricted Teaching License, the educator must qualify for the Next License. (7) Assignment and Endorsement Authorization: The Restricted Teaching License qualifies the teacher to accept within the sponsoring district: (a) Any instructional assignment from prekindergarten through grade 12 within the scope of the subject-matter endorsement(s) on the Restricted Teaching License. The scope of the endorsement shall be determined by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) course codes associated with the endorsement as provided by the TSPC course catalogue; and (b) Substitute teaching assignments within the subject-matter endorsement areas authorized by the license. (8) Applying for first license: To be eligible to apply for a Restricted Teaching License, the applicant must: (a) Provide a statement from the sponsoring district in accordance with section (2) of this rule; (b) Have never held a Restricted Teaching License or NCLB/ESEA Teaching License; NOTE: The applicant may have previously held an emergency, limited, or restricted substitute license, as well as a charter school registration. (c) Possess the personal qualifications for licensure including attainment of at least eighteen years of age and possessing good moral character and mental and physical health necessary for employment as an educator; (d) Hold a bachelor's degree or higher from an Approved Institution or approved foreign equivalent. A master's degree or a doctoral degree from an Approved Institution in the United States validates a non-regionally accredited bachelor's degree for licensure; (e) Obtain a passing score on a Commission-approved test of knowledge of U.S. and Oregon civil rights and professional ethics; (f) Provide evidence of substantial preparation in the subject-matter area in which licensure is requested by submitting official sealed transcripts, and any other evidence required by the Commission, as proof of substantial completion of academic preparation or substantial work experience in the area in which the co-applicant educator is seeking licensure; (g) Complete a background clearance that includes: (A) Furnishing fingerprints, if required; (B) Providing satisfactory responses to character questions in the form and manner prescribed by the Commission; and (h) Submit a complete and correct application in the form and manner required by the Commission, including payment of all required fees as provided in OAR 584-200-0050. (9) Applicants who have failed to complete an Oregon program teacher preparation program are not eligible for the Restricted Teaching License under any circumstance. (10) Reissue: To be eligible to apply for the reissue of a Restricted Teaching License, an applicant must submit: (a) A statement from the sponsoring district in accordance with section (3) of this rule; (b) Evidence of admission and enrollment, or pending enrollment, into a Commission-approved educator preparation program for licensure in the area in which the applicant is teaching; (c) A complete and correct application in the form and manner required by the Commission, including payment of all required fees as provided in OAR 584-200-0050. (11) Workforce Shortage Emergency Exception : (a) Notwithstanding section (6) of this rule, an applicant may apply for an additional reissue of the Restricted Teaching License, if: (A) The applicant was teaching in an Oregon public school district during school years 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, or 2023-24; (B) The teaching experience occurred under an Oregon-issued Restricted Teaching License; (C) The applicant has otherwise completed an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or masters-level teacher preparation program, except for clinical practice; and (D) The applicant submits the following, as deemed acceptable by the Commission: (i) Evidence of completion of all teacher preparation program requirements for appropriate licensure, endorsement, and specialization area, except for clinical practices; (ii) Evidence that the teaching experience was during the period of 7/1/2020 through 6/30/2024; (iii) Evidence that the teaching experience was a minimum of two years of full-time, full school year (135 days); (iv) A statement from the sponsoring district in accordance with section (3) of this rule; and (v) A complete and correct application on or before August 31, 2024 in the form and manner required by the Commission, including payment of all required fees as provided in OAR 584-200-0050. (b) Those who are issued a Workforce Emergency reissue of their restricted license must meet all the requirements of the Preliminary Teaching License or Reciprocal Teaching License by August 31, 2025. The clinical practice requirements for Preliminary licensure may be met by: (A) District-Supported Evaluation (i) The applicant provides their most current evaluation of the teaching from the school district where the teaching took place. The overall rating from that evaluation must indicate that the applicant is performing at a level that indicates competency and effectiveness as an educator, and (ii) A designated administrator or mentor provides training, guidance, and supervision of the educator to support the educator’s service in the assigned schools during at least one term of license; or (B) Oregon Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) Evaluation: The Oregon EPP provides an official document evidencing the completion of clinical practices requirement. (12) Denial of Reissue: The Executive Director may deny the application for reissue of the license upon failure to show progress in the licensure program needed for the next stage license.