Counselor Education Program

INITIAL EDUCATOR CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
To receive the initial educator certificate to serve as a school counselor, the applicant shall meet the following requirements in addition to meeting the general conditions:

  1. Holds a professional educator certificate, or holds or is eligible for an initial educator certificate and has had three years of successful teaching experience, or has completed a one-year, full-time supervised school internship. Students who do not have a teaching certificate, and therefore must complete a one year internship, will also be required to successfully pass Praxis I, the state's basic skills examination.
    Internship is defined as a full-time placement of a candidate in a school setting, including continued supplementary seminars or prescribed study under the supervision of the preparing institution. The internship shall include the counseling of students, consulting with
    parents and staff, observations and substantial participation in classroom instruction, involvement in curriculum development and other professional activities in which a school staff is involved. This internship is in addition to that required in a practicum, as described in subsection (e), below;
  2. Holds a master's degree;
  3. Has completed, as part of or in addition to the master's degree, at least the equivalent of one year of full-time graduate study, which shall include a minimum of thirty semester hours of credit in a planned program in school counseling services as attested to by an institution approved for the preparation of school counselors;
  4. Presents the recommendation of the preparing institution, which shall be based on evidence of knowledge, skills, and understanding gained from study or experience in the following areas:
    1. Principles and philosophy of pupil services;
    2. Psychological and sociological theory as related to children and youth;
    3. Career development theory and practice;
    4. Individual and group counseling procedures;
    5. Organizational patterns and relationships of pupil services to total school program and community;
    6. Pupil appraisal and evaluation techniques and
    7. School-based consultation, theory, and practice;
  5. Presents evidence from the preparing institution of a progression of supervised experiences in counseling and guidance through laboratory and practicum; and
  6. Completed course study in special education comprised of not fewer than 36 clock hours, which shall include study in understanding the growth and development of exceptional children, including handicapped and gifted and talented children and children who may
    require special education, and methods for identifying, planning for and working effectively with special-needs children in the regular classroom.

Provisional Educator Certificate Requirements
To receive a provisional educator certificate for school counselor, an applicant shall present evidence of meeting the general conditions and the preparation and eligibility requirements for an initial certificate, in addition to meeting the following requirements:

  1. Has successfully completed such beginning educator support and assessment programs as may have been made available by the Board and one school year of successful service under the initial certificate, interim initial certificate, or durational shortage area permit; or
  2. Has completed at least three years of successful service as a school counselor in a public, approved nonpublic school or nonpublic school approved by the appropriate governing body in another state, within ten years prior to application for such provisional educator certificate; or
  3. Has successfully served under a temporary emergency permit for the school year 1988-89 and has met the preparation and eligibility requirements for an initial educator certificate.

Professional Educator Certificate Requirements
To receive a professional educator certificate for school counselor, an applicant shall present evidence of having met the general conditions in addition to meeting the following requirements:

  1. Has completed three years of successful service under the provisional educator certificate, interim provisional educator certificate, or provisional teaching certificate; and
  2. Has completed 45 graduate semester hours of credit at an approved institution or institutions in the area of school counseling services, including those required for the provisional certificate. The candidate shall complete a program of additional semester hours designed to strengthen the skills and knowledge needed for the provisional certificate, and include work also in related disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and special education.

An Internship (EPY 612/613) is provided after successful completion of the practicum for students completing the School Counseling Program.


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