DAR File No. 28737

Education, Administration

R277-506

School Counselors, School Psychologists, and School Social Workers Certificates and Programs

NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE

DAR File No.: 28737
Filed: 05/15/2006, 03:58
Received by: NL

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

This rule is amended to provide terminology changes to make it consistent with other licensing rules, and to remove the school counselor section of the rule. School counselor levels of licensure language is now incorporated into Rule R277-502, Educator Licensing and Data Retention.

Summary of the rule or change:

The amendments include adding and changing definitions and terminology throughout the rule, and removing Section R277-506-3.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

Subsection 53A-1-402(1)(a)

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to state budget. The amendments only change definitions and terminology and move a section within the rule to a more appropriate rule.

local governments:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to local government. The amendments only change definitions and terminology and move a section within the rule to a more appropriate rule.

other persons:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to other persons. The amendments only change definitions and terminology and move a section within the rule to a more appropriate rule.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no compliance costs for affected persons. The amendments only change definitions and terminology and move a section within the rule to a more appropriate rule.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

I have reviewed this rule and I see no fiscal impact on businesses. Patti Harrington, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

Carol Lear at the above address, by phone at 801-538-7835, by FAX at 801-538-7768, or by Internet E-mail at carol.lear@schools.utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

07/03/2006

This rule may become effective on:

07/11/2006

Authorized by:

Carol Lear, Director, School Law and Legislation

RULE TEXT

R277. Education, Administration.

R277-506. [School Counselors, ]School Psychologists[,] and School Social Workers [Certificates]Licenses and Programs.

R277-506-1. Definitions.

[S]A. "Board" means the Utah State Board of Education.

[ B. "Basic Certificate" means the initial certificate issued by the Board which permits the holder to be employed as an educator in the public schools.

C. "Standard Certificate" means a certificate issued by the Board after a holder has demonstrated competence under the Basic Certificate.

] [G]B. "Career information delivery systems" means the state approved computer software program which provides specific occupation and career planning information, scholarship information, and information about postsecondary institutions.

[N]C. "Consultation" means consulting with parents, teachers, other educators, and community agencies regarding strategies to help students.

[ E. "SEOP" means student educational occupational plan.

] [F]D. "Guidance curriculum planning" means structured, developmental experiences presented systematically through classroom and group activities which are organized in areas of self-knowledge, education and occupational exploration, and career planning directed toward meeting the Board approved student competencies.

E. "Level 1 license" means a Utah professional educator license issued upon completion of an approved preparation program or an alternative preparation program, or pursuant to an agreement under the NASDTEC Interstate Contract, to candidates who have also met all ancillary requirements established by law or rule.

F. "Level 2 license" means a Utah professional educator license issued after satisfaction of all requirements for a Level 1 license as well as any additional requirements established by law or rule relating to professional preparation or experience.

[ H. "Structured groups" means groups conducted by counselors outside the classroom to respond to students' identified interests or needs.

I. "Classroom presentations" means team teaching or assisting in teaching guidance curriculum learning-activities or units by counselors in classrooms, the guidance center, or other school facilities.

J. "Advisement" means counseling with students using personal-social, education, career and labor market information to plan personal, educational and occupational goals.

K. "Assessment" means analysis and evaluation of students' abilities, interests, skills and achievement by counselors; counselors may use this test information and other data as the basis for assisting students to develop immediate and long-range plans.

L. "Placement" means assisting students in making the transition from school to school, school to work or school to additional education and training.

M. "Personal counseling" means counseling on a small-group or individual basis for students expressing difficulties dealing with relationships, personal concerns, or normal developmental tasks; this includes assisting students in identifying problems, causes, alternatives, and possible consequences to initiate appropriate action.

] [D]G. "Practicum" means a practical, usually simulated, application of previously studied theory, monitored by a professional in the field. The experience shall include at least the following subject matter: [test administration]student assessment and interpretation, guidance curriculum planning, individual and group counseling, individual education and occupational planning, and use of career information delivery systems.

[ O. "Referral" means recommending/contacting referral sources, agencies, or programs to deal with crises such as suicide, violence, abuse and terminal illness.

P. "Program management" means following and understanding guidance program evaluation, data analysis, follow-up studies, and the continued development and updating of guidance learning activities and resources.

Q. "Community outreach" means becoming knowledgeable about community resources and referral agencies, field trip sites, employment opportunities, and local labor market information.

R. "Public relations" means orienting staff and the school community to the comprehensive guidance program through such means as newsletters, local media, and school-community presentations.

] [A]H. "[Provisional Certificate]Temporary license" means a designation that an applicant has met all requirements of Section 3A(1), below.

[T]I. "USOE" means the Utah State Office of Education.

[ U. "State Advisory Committee on Teacher Education (SACTE)" means a committee charged with promoting and providing liaison among preparing institutions, public schools, professional organizations, and the USOE for the improvement of teacher certification and teacher education. SACTE is comprised of 30 members: six deans of universities/colleges, four superintendents, three elementary teachers, three secondary teachers, two elementary principals, two secondary principals, and ten others representing counselors, applied technology education, Utah Association of Teacher Educators, Board of Regents, Utah Education Association, USOE, School Boards Association, and a lay person.

]

R277-506-2. Authority and Purpose.

A. This rule is authorized under Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3 which vests general control and supervision of public education in the Board, Sections 53A-1-402(1)(a) [and 53A-6-103 ]which [permit]requires the Board to make rules regarding the qualification and certification of educators and ancillary personnel who provide direct student services, and Section 53A-1-401(3) which allows the Board to adopt rules in accordance with its responsibilities.

B. The purpose of this rule is to specify:

(1) the standards for obtaining [certificates]licenses issued by the Board for employment in the public schools as [school counselors, ]school psychologists, and school social workers; and

(2) the standards which shall be met by a post-secondary institution in order to receive Board approval of its program for [school counselors, ]school psychologists[,] and school social workers.

[R277-506-3. School Counselor.

A. There are three levels of certification for a K-12 school counselor.

(1) Provisional certificate--an applicant for the Level I (Provisional) Certificate shall:

(a) be formally admitted into a Board approved counselor education program;

(b) have completed all of the requirements of a Board approved counselor education program except the field experience at a Board approved institution of higher education;

(c) have completed a practicum experience which includes:

(i) individual education and career planning to include student education plan (SEP) at the elementary level and student education/occupation plan (SEOP) at the secondary level,

(ii) guidance curriculum planning,

(iii) individual and group counseling,

(iv) test administration and interpretation, and

(v) use of career information delivery systems;

(d) have been recommended for Level I Certification by an institution of higher education with a Board approved counselor education program.

(2) Basic Certificate - an applicant for the Level II (Basic) Certificate shall:

(a) have completed the requirements for a Level I Provisional Certificate identified in Section 3A(1), above;

(b) under the supervision of a school counselor with a Level III School Counselor Certificate, have completed a Board approved 600 hour field experience in a counselor education program in a school setting and demonstrated competence during field experience in the following:

(i) structured groups,

(ii) classroom presentations,

(iii) advisement,

(iv) assessment,

(v) placement and follow-up,

(vi) personal counseling,

(vii) consultation,

(viii) referral,

(ix) program management,

(x) community outreach, and

(xi) public relations;

(c) have a master's degree in school counseling or in a related field, as approved by the Board; and

(d) have been recommended for a Level II Certificate by an institution that has a program for the preparation of school counselors approved by the Board;

(3) Standard Certificate - an applicant for the Level III (Standard) Certificate shall:

(a) have completed the requirements for a Level II Basic Certificate identified in Section 3A(2), above;

(b) have completed at least two years of successful experience as a school counselor under a Basic School Counselor Certificate or its equivalent.

(c) have been recommended for the Standard Certificate by the superintendent of the employing school district.

(4) An individual with a Level I Certificate may be allowed to function as a counselor for not more than three years, after which the counselor shall move to the Level II to be allowed to continue as a school counselor;

(5) Only 400 hours of field experience are required for the Basic Certificate if the applicant has two or more years of successful teaching or counseling experience, as approved by the Board; and

(6) Field experience shall be supervised on site by qualified district employees unless the Board approves alternate supervision.

]R277-506-[4]3. School Psychologist.

A. An applicant for the [Basic]Level 1 School Psychologist [Certificate]License area of concentration shall have:

(1) completed at least an approved masters degree or equivalent certification program consisting of a minimum of 60 semester (90 quarter) hours in school psychology at an accredited institution;

(2) demonstrated competence in the following:

(a) understanding the organization, administration, and operation of schools, the major roles of personnel employed in schools, and curriculum development;

(b) directing psychological and psycho-educational assessments and intervention including all areas of exceptionality;

(c) individual and group intervention and remediation techniques, including consulting, behavioral methods, counseling, and primary prevention;

(d) understanding the ethical and professional practice and legal issues related to the work of school psychologists;

(e) social psychology, including interpersonal relations, communications and consultation with students, parents, and professional personnel;

(f) coordinating and working with community-school relations and multicultural education programs and assessment; and

(g) using and evaluating tests and measurements, developmental psychology, affective and cognitive processes, social and biological bases of behavior, personality, and psychopathology;

(3) completed a one school year internship or its equivalent with a minimum of 1200 clock hours in school psychology. At least 600 of the 1200 clock hours shall be in a school setting or a setting with an educational component; and

(4) been recommended by an institution whose program of preparation for school psychologists has been approved by the Board.

B. Current certification as a nationally certified school psychologist by the National School Psychology Certification Board shall be accepted in lieu of requirements for the [Basic Certificate]Level 1 License.

C. An applicant for the [Standard]Level 2 School Psychologist [Certificate]License area of concentration shall:

(1) satisfy requirements for the [basic]Level 1 school psychologist [certificate]License;

(2) have completed at least two years of successful experience as a school psychologist under a [Basic]Level 1 School Psychologist [Certificate]License area of concentration or its equivalent; and

(3) have been recommended by the employing school district with [input]consultation from a teacher education institution.

D. The school psychologist preparation program of an institution may be approved by the Board if it meets the standards prescribed in the Standards for State Approval of Teacher Education for school psychologists. These standards were developed by school psychologists in Utah schools and recommended to the Board by SACTE and are available from the USOE[ Certification Office].

R277-506-[5]4. School Social Workers.

A. An applicant for the [Basic]Level 1 School Social Worker [Certificate]License area of concentration shall have:

(1) completed a Board approved program for the preparation of school social workers including a Master of Social Work degree from an accredited institution;

(2) demonstrated competence in the following:

(a) articulating the role and function of the school social worker including relationships with other professional school and community personnel, organizations, and agencies;

(b) understanding the organization, administration, and evaluation of a school social work program;

(c) social work practice with individuals, families, and groups;

(d) developing and interpreting a social history and psycho-social assessment of the individual and the family system;

(e) analyzing family dynamics and experience in counseling and conflict management and resolution;

(f) communication and consulting skills in working with the client, the family, the school staff, and community and social agencies;

(g) understanding the teaching/learning environment;

(h) analyzing school law and child welfare issues;

(i) using social work methods to facilitate the affective domain of education and the learning process; and

(j) understanding knowledge pertaining to the cause and effects of social forces, cultural changes, stress, disability, disease, deprivation, neglect, and abuse on learning and on human behavior and development, and the effect of these forces on minorities of race, ethnicity, and class.

(3) completed an approved school social work internship in a school setting or in an agency which includes a substantial amount of experience with children and contact with schools; and

(4) been recommended by an institution whose program of preparation for social workers has been approved by the Board.

B. An applicant for the Level 2-Standard School Social Worker [Certificate]License area of concentration shall have:

(1) completed at least [two]three years of successful experience as a school social worker under a [Basic]Level 1 School Social Worker [Certificate]License area of concentration or its equivalent; and

(2) been recommended by the employing school district with [input]consultation from a teacher education institution.

C. The social worker program of an institution may be approved by the Board if it meets the standards prescribed in the Standards for State Approval of Teacher Education for school social workers, developed and available as provided in [Subsection ]R277-506-[4]3D.

KEY: educational program evaluations, professional competency, [teacher certification]educator licensing

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [December 3, 1996]2006

Notice of Continuation: September 12, 2002

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: Art X Sec 3; 53A-1-402(1)(a); 53A-6-103; 53A-1-401(3)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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For questions regarding the content or application of this rule, please contact Carol Lear at the above address, by phone at 801-538-7835, by FAX at 801-538-7768, or by Internet E-mail at carol.lear@schools.utah.gov

For questions about the rulemaking process, please contact the Division of Administrative Rules (801-538-3764). Please Note: The Division of Administrative Rules is NOT able to answer questions about the content or application of these administrative rules.