OAR 584-245-0120: Professional School Counselor License

(1) Purpose: The Professional School Counselor License qualifies its holder to provide counseling support services in in prekindergarten through grade 12 Oregon public school districts, education service districts, and charter schools. The Professional School Counselor License signifies that the educator is an experienced professional who has successfully demonstrated an advanced level of student support knowledge, skills, and dispositions. (2) Term of Licensure: The Professional School Counselor License is issued for five years and is renewable repeatedly as provided in section (6) of this rule. The date of the first expiration of the license is five years from the date of issue plus time until the applicant’s birthday. (3) Assignments: The Professional School Counselor License is valid for counseling at all age or grade levels in any school building and for substitute teaching at any level in any specialty. (4) Advanced Professional Education Programs: Pursuant to ORS 342.138, the Commission has approved the following advanced professional education programs to develop advanced level competencies required for promotion to the Professional School Counselor License: (a) Advanced Degree Programs: Admission to and completion of an educational specialist or doctoral degree program that is reasonably related to improving the counseling skills of the educator. The program must be from an Approved Institution or foreign equivalent. (b) National Board Certification: certification as a school counselor by either the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) or the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). (c) Other advanced degrees, coursework, or assessments which demonstrate competency in the standards and responsibilities of the Professional School Counselor License approved by the Executive Director or the Director of Licensure as provided in OAR 584-200-0100, Waiver of Licensure Requirements by the Commission. (5) Licensed Experience: To qualify for the Professional School Counselor License, an applicant must have sufficient qualifying licensed experience. (a) Sufficient Experience: Sufficient experience consists of: (A) Three (3) full years of qualifying licensed experience in a 1.0 FTE assignment; or (B) Six (6) full years of qualifying licensed experience in a .50 FTE or more assignment. (C) The years of licensed school experience do not have to be earned consecutively. (b) Qualifying Licensed Experience: To qualify as a year of licensed experience, the experience must: (A) Include working directly with preK-12 students while holding a non-provisional school counselor license; (B) Equal a minimum of 135 days within an academic year (July 1 to June 30); and (C) Be completed in one or more of the following employment settings: (i) A public prekindergarten through grade 12 school, including public charter schools; (ii) A regionally accredited private school in any state or other U.S. jurisdiction; (iii) An education service district school; (iv) A state-operated or state-supported school; (v) A federal school; (vi) A private elementary or secondary school registered by the state Department of Education; (vii) A private proprietary career school licensed by the superintendent of public instruction; or (viii) Alternative education, post-secondary or other similar settings closely related to prekindergarten through grade 12 education, as approved by the Director of Licensure. (6) Applying for License: To be eligible to apply for a Professional School Counselor License, an applicant must: (a) Meet or complete all requirements of the School Counselor license issued previously by the Commission or issued by another National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) jurisdiction; (b) Complete an advanced professional educational program or demonstrate advanced competencies as provided in section (4) of this rule; (c) Complete the licensed experience requirements as provided in section (5) of this rule; (d) Complete a background clearance that includes: (A) Furnishing fingerprints, as required by ORS 342.223; (B) Providing satisfactory responses to character questions in the form and manner prescribed by the Commission; and (e) 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. (7) Renewing: To be eligible to apply for renewal of the Professional School Counselor License, the applicant must: (a) Complete professional development requirements in accordance with OAR 584-255-0010; (b) Report on completion of any continuing education regarding suicide risk assessment, treatment and management; and (c) Submit a complete and correct renewal application in the form and manner required by the Commission and the payment of all required fees, as provided in OAR 584-200-0050. (8) School Counselor to Professional School Counselor : An applicant moving from a School Counselor to a Professional School Counselor License must report on completion of any continuing education regarding suicide risk assessment, treatment and management as provided in section (5)(b).