Teacher Standards and Practices Commission



Teacher Standards and Practices Commission465 Commercial Street NESalem OR 97301July 20-22, 2011ITEM:LICENSE AUTHORIZATIONS (ISSUES)ACTION:DISCUSSION/INFORMATION ITEMINFORMATION:Understanding licensure “authorization” codes and “authorizations” generally is so difficult, that it has confounded educators, school districts, human resource officers, commissioners, preparation programs, TSPC staff and many others for decades. Unfortunately, in order to “straighten” out or clarify the state of “authorizations,” one must wade through the miasma of “codes” and “definitions” that have been the holy grail of licensure assignment for at least the past three decades.One former employee astutely observed that only people with the “magic decoder ring” are able to fully understand the numbers indicating an educator’s “authorization” on a license from TSPC. (See agenda items, 4.8a-c.)Regrettably, when the “new” licenses were adopted in 1997 (effective in 1999); an effort to clear these codes up was not undertaken. So, tackling this issue is long overdue. Commissioners and others will need a keen understanding of authorization development in order to engage in a quality discussion about how to navigate and simplify this system more easily.DEFINITIONS:Generally, these definitions will be helpful, but you will see shortly how there are not any hard and fast definitions to explain all of the authorization codes.General Definition of Endorsement: The subject-matter areas on a license. For example: Teaching license endorsements include: Advanced math, basic math, language arts, art, ESOL, reading, social studies, special education, physical education, etc.Currently, (today), OAR 584-005-0005(24) defines “Endorsement” as:(24) "Endorsement:" The subject matter or specialty education field or grade authorization in which the individual is licensed to teach. Note the lack of clarity…there are three subsets of “endorsement” here: “subject-matter” v. “specialty education field” v. “grade authorization.” General Definition of Authorization: The grade levels on a license in which an educator is “authorized” to practice.Currently, (today), OAR 584-005-0005(11) defines "Authorization Level:" The grade levels in which a person may teach, i.e., early childhood, elementary, middle level and high school as defined in OAR 584-060-0051. [See, agenda item 4.8d.]Note the implication that an “authorization level” only applies to grades. However, based on the definition of Endorsement (above); an “endorsement” may also be an “authorization.” It does not appear, however, that an “authorization level” may also be an “endorsement.”Hopefully, you are beginning to get the idea of the complications and challenges presented to sort out the meaning and application of authorizations and provide clarity to all – licensees, programs and school districts.For the sake of this discussion the following definitions will be used:Endorsement: Subject matter areas on a license.Authorizations: Grade Levels the licensee is authorized to practice.HistoryWe do not have a definitive date when the “codes” were developed to describe “authorization” on a license. It would be helpful if we could clearly distinguish between “endorsement” on a license and “authorization” on a license.Up to 1965Prior to 1965, there were only 18 “regular” licenses (certificates). Special Subjects:*Homemaking (018)*Vocational Homemaking (018)*Exceptional Children (018)*Mentally Retarded (018)*Special Education (018)*Hard of Hearing (018)*Deaf (018)*Remedial Reading (018)*Physically Handicapped (018)*Health and Physical Education (018)*Industrial Arts (018)*Music (018)*Agriculture (018)*Vocational Agriculture (018)*Art (018)*Speech Correction (018)**Elementary (010)**Secondary (022, 034)[*16 special regular certificates; **2 general education regular certificates]See, attached agenda item 4.8a of a list of “Authorization Code Explanations” for codes on licenses previous to 1999. Agenda item 4.8b shows how those “Authorization Codes” were assigned to certain licenses and endorsements.Codes Translations for pre-1965:(018): To teach {endorsement} in grades pre-kindergarten through 12. e.g., To teach Homemaking in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.(010) – To teach in pre-primary through grade nine, self-contained or departmental in an elementary school and in grades seven through nine in a middle, junior high, or six-year high school. Also valid to serve as a vice-principal or counselor in an elementary, middle or junior high school. This code (010) holds everything except the exact subject-matter that the holder can “do” on this license. It describes the:Grades: (k-9 in an elementary school) (7-9 in a middle, junior high, or six-year high school);Classrooms/schedule designs: (self-contained or departmental);Buildings: (elementary, middle school, junior high, six-year high school);What: (teach, administer, counsel – but not in a six-year high school)In the absence of any further description, it is clear that the Elementary License issued prior to 1965 could teach any subject at those grade levels.(022) To teach all subjects in grades 7 through 12. Also valid to serve as a vice-principal or counselor in grades 7 through 12.(034) To serve as a substitute teacher in departmental assignments in grades 7 through 12. (Not valid in the self-contained classroom.)In summary, teacher certification prior to 1965 was extremely simple: Elementary certificate holders could teach everything up through grade 9 in any environment and any school except a four or five-year high school.Secondary certificate holders could teach all subjects in grades 7 through 12; could serve as a vice-principal or counselor (without further administrative license) in grades 7 through 12 (no building limitations); and could teach in “departmental” assignments in grades 7 through 12 (so long as it was not a “self-contained” classroom.) Special certificate holders could only teach the individual subject in which they had been licensed (homemaking, agriculture, art, etc.) in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.1965 to 1999Starting in 1965 (when the Commission was formed, but still within the ODE) and through its subsequent formation as an independent agency (1973) until 1999, there was a significant proliferation of new authorization codes. [See agenda item 4.8c]For example: Starting with the Commission’s first set of administrative rules (1976) independent from the Department of Education, it was determined that “Elementary” endorsements (or authorizations) could not teach “everything” in grades K-8. Hence, the authorization code “014” was created. (See description on agenda item 4.8b)Authorizations were created for: Elementary (K-9) {focused on grade levels and did not distinguish between types of “schools” such as “elementary school” “six-year high school,” etc.Departmental Elementary (or Intermediary or Middle Level) (5-9) {no building references; only references to teaching “subject-matter” in a departmentalized setting}Secondary (5-9) {focused on discrete subject matter (as opposed to multiple subjects) and advanced preparation (Standard Teaching License)1976It was in 1976 that the Commission (now fully independent) began to focus on advanced preparation for single subject areas in grades 5 through 12. For instance, persons holding a Basic Teaching License with a Basic Elementary endorsement who were teaching in a “departmentalized school” in grades 5 through 9 for any amount of time were required to obtain their Standard Teaching License. Also, if a teacher held a Basic Teaching License in a subject-matter area (e.g., Basic Language Arts) and taught in grades 5 through 9; the teacher was required to obtain the Standard Teaching License in Standard Language Arts in order to teach Language Arts more than 50% of the time in grades 5 through 9. If the teacher was satisfied teaching Language Arts less than 50% of the time, the teacher did not have to obtain the Standard Teaching License or the Standard Endorsement (in Language Arts). 1982In 1982, the Commission introduced the concept of identifying assignments for licenses based on the type of building in which the educator was teaching.Hence, starting in 1982, a Basic Teaching License with a Basic Elementary endorsement was “ok” to teach “everything” in self-contained or departmentalized K-9 except: Not in a high school, and not more than 50% for: art, educational media; foreign language; health; home economics; industrial arts; music; physical education and reading.Gone were the mandatory requirements to obtain a Standard Teaching License for subject-matter in departmentalized subjects in grade 5-9; for both elementary and subject-matter endorsements (the 1976 requirements.)So, persons with a Basic Teaching License, with a Basic Elementary endorsement could teach in self contained and departmentalized classrooms in grades K-9 (except courses as identified above in italics) forever without having to obtain a Standard Teaching License {These folks were identified by the authorization code 014}. AND, persons with a Basic Teaching License in Basic Social Studies could teach Social Studies in a departmentalized setting in grades 5-9 forever without obtaining the Standard Teaching License (and Standard Social Studies endorsement). {These folks were identified by the authorization code 027.} [See agenda item 4.8a for explanation of these codes.]So, for example: A Basic Teaching License with a Basic Social Studies endorsement could teach in grades 5 through 12 the first two licenses (1 renewal, three year license, 6 years total)(Authorization code: 020); but if they did not complete a Standard Teaching License program in Standard Social Studies, they then could only teach Social Studies in grades 5-9 in a departmentalized setting, in an elementary, middle school, or junior high school (Authorization code: 027). Interestingly, they could not teach grades 7 and 8 in a six-year high school.Finally, changes in the “rules of assignment” were captured through a change of code. So, in 1986, when the Commission decided that persons holding a Basic Teaching License with Basic Elementary could no longer teach departmentalized mathematics more than 50% of the work day, a new code was invented (016). So, Basic Teaching Licenses with Basic Elementary (014) were allowed to teach mathematics all day if so assigned; but Basic Teaching Licenses with Basic Elementary (016) issued after 1986, and with identical preparation as the 014’s, could only teach mathematics less than 50% of the day. It is no wonder that folks have been confused by these nuances, and why we often hear the complaint that the Commission is “Always changing its rules.”Post 1999 – Initial and Continuing LicensesIt is important to understand “pre-1999” (above) in order to understand the post 1999 movement toward “Authorization Levels” and “Endorsements.”For several decades prior to 1999, Oregon identified teaching (instruction) and licensure on the basis of “Elementary” (K-9); “Secondary” (5-12); and All Grades (K-12).Then, under 21st Century Licensure, the commission identified the following grade authorization levels:Early Childhood Education (ECE): Pre-K through 4in a pre-primary, primary or elementary schoolElementary (ELE): 3-8 in an elementary school or in a 5-6 grade self-contained classroom in a middle school except cannot teach: art, ESOL, ESOL/bilingual, music, physical education, adopted physical education, reading, and special education.Middle Level (ML): 5-9 in an elementary, middle or junior high school (except-- same as immediately above)High School (HS): 7-12 in a high schoolECE/ELE (dual authorization): Pre-K through 8 valid ONLY for art, ESOL, ESOL/bilingual, music, physical education, adapted PE, reading and special education in a preprimary, primary or elementary school.ELE/ML: 3-9 (dual authorization): 3 through 9 valid ONLY for art, ESOL, ESOL/bilingual, music, physical education, adapted PE, reading and special education.ML/HS: 5-12 (dual authorization): 5 through 12 valid ONLY for art, ESOL, ESOL/bilingual, music, physical education, adapted PE, reading and special education.K-12: (ALL LVL) Valid at grades pre-kindergarten through 12.Why New Authorizations: The idea of the new authorizations was to obtain “more focused” preparation at the early childhood and middle levels in particular. Some argued that nuances and important developmental concepts related to these two age groups were “lost” when licenses were defined primarily as “elementary” and “secondary.”Middle Level Complications: A second feature of the new authorizations was the following:All middle-level general education licensees (not art, music, PE, ESOL, Special Education, etc.) are required to also pass the multiple subjects examination. The idea was that the greater breadth of subject-matter preparation would assist middle level grade students to achieve better. (This was in response that many middle level students performed better academically in a multiple-subjects environment as opposed to a single subject-departmentalized environment.) Accordingly, any educator who studies only Science, but who wants to teach in grades 7 and 8 also, is required to pass the Multiple Subjects Examination in order to teach grades 7 and 8. If they were prepared in Oregon they must also complete a ML program. If they were completed out of state, they have already been recommended for grades 7-12 by the other state. However, they may not teach multiple subjects in grades 7 and 8 unless they can also pass another specific content area test or they will not meet the federal definition for High Qualified Teacher in core academic subjects outside of their major content area.Issues: a. Not all middle-level authorized candidates receive specific multiple-subject pedagogy;b. Out of state applicants with secondary authorizations are required to take multiple subjects examination and never receive multiple subject pedagogy;c. Adding the a middle level subject that requires multiple subjects (such as health); requires that the candidate take six hours in developmental middle-level psychology (including a practicum); and passage of the multiple subjects test. Whether multiple subjects pedagogy is included in the middle-level authorization preparation has never been closely followed by the Commission.d. Multiple-levels (ML/HS) for example requires placements at “both” levels…there is uneven emphasis in these placements depending on institution. (Some require observation only at the “other” level; some require reports; some require work samples, etc.)Multiple Authorizations: At the same time licenses that were generally considered to be K-12 licenses, were “split up” as follows: ECE/ELE or ELE/ML or ML/HS. But the licensure rules for School Counselors, contained a “no harm, no foul” provision if the Counselor needed to work at another authorization level than that one specified on the license. One needs to ask oneself what salient additional knowledge is required in order to be a school counselor in the other grades. These multiple authorizations apply to: Art, music, ESOL, ESOL/bilingual, physical education, adaptive physical education, special education (all); library media specialist; and reading. Adding Authorizations: Persons seeking to add an authorization level to their license are required to “add the level” through an approved university program only. For example, an educator with an “Elementary (ELE) authorization only” would require a program in either “Early Childhood” (ECE) to add grade levels to the license. [A few years ago, the commission approved the Elementary Authorization to go through 8th grade.]Following implementation of Initial and Continuing licensure, several significant state and national policy changes took place. 1. In January, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act requires subject-matter specific documentation for all core academic subjects in grades 7-12 (secondary). Elementary under NCLB is defined as K-6.2. IDEA regulations requiring evidence of more in-depth content preparation for special education teachers necessitated that the Commission look at “how far” the Elementary Authorization and the content contained in the ORELA Multiple Subjects Examination should reach. (The Commission concluded the 8th grade.)Conclusion It is time for the Commission to examine the wisdom of having 4 separate (not including combined and K-12) authorizations for teaching licenses. These multiple authorization distinctions did not affect the administrator licenses, and by rule now do not affect the School Social Worker License. All of these licenses are issued: K-12.4.8aExplanation of Authorization Codes4.8bAuthorization Codes – Types of Licenses4.8cAuthorization Codes4.8dRules Related to Authorization Levels ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download