OAR 584-005-0005
Definitions

These definitions apply to divisions 001- 420 unless otherwise indicated by the context or specific rule provisions:

(1) “Administrators:” Superintendents, assistant, deputy, or associate superintendents, principals, vice principals, assistant principals, associate principals, and such other personnel, regardless of title, whose positions require them to: (a) evaluate other licensed personnel; (b) discipline other licensed personnel; and (c) authorize out-of-school suspension or expulsion of students.

(2) “All Grade Levels:” Grades prekindergarten through 12 (prek–12).

(3) “Application:” A request for an Oregon license authorizing service in public schools or a request for reinstatement or renewal of such license.

(4) “Appropriately Assigned:” Assignments for administrator, teacher, school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker or school nurse duties for which the person involved holds the proper license, endorsements and authorizations.

(5) “Approved Institution:” A U.S. accredited institution of higher education approved to prepare licensed personnel by an Institutional Accrediting Agency. See definition of “Institutional Accrediting Agency” below.

(6) “Approved Program:” An Oregon program of educator preparation approved by TSPC and offered by an accredited Oregon institution or other entity able to meet the Commission’s standards. As it applies to out-of-state programs, a program approved by the licensure body of any U.S. governmental jurisdiction authorized to approve educator preparation programs.

(7) “Athletic Coaches:” Licensed personnel employed full time or part time for purposes of participation in interscholastic athletics and whose duties include instruction of students, preprimary through grade twelve.

(8) “Authorization Level:” The grade levels in which a person may teach.

(9) “Charter School Registration:” The process by which an unlicensed teacher or administrator has cleared the fingerprints and criminal background check by TSPC and is authorized to work as an educator in an established Oregon charter school.

(10) “Commission:” Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).

(11) “Completion of Approved Program:” The applicant has met the institution’s academic requirements and any additional state or federal requirements and has obtained the institution’s recommendation for licensure, as provided in 584-400-0160 (Candidate Program Completion and Recommendation), Candidate Program Completion and Recommendations.

(12) “Conditional Assignment:” (Formerly “Mis-assignment”) Assignment of a licensed educator to a position for which he or she does not hold the subject or specialty area endorsement or authorization level required by the rules for licensure.

(13) “Consortium:” An advisory body to the institution in reviewing, evaluating, and making recommendations on the design, implementation, evaluation, and modification of the program.

(14) “Continuing Professional Development:” Professional development that meets the requirements of OAR 584, Division 255 and enables an educator to be eligible for licensure renewal.

(15) “Education Service District (ESD):” A district created under ORS 334.010 (Creation of education service districts) that provides regional educational services to component school districts.

(16) "Endorsement:" The subject matter or specialty education field in which the individual is licensed to teach.

(17) “Executive Director:” The Executive Director of the Commission.

(18) “Expired License:” A license for which an application for renewal was not received by TSPC prior to the date of expiration stated on the license.

(19) “Institutional Accrediting Agency:” An agency that assures the quality of higher education institutions and programs. Colleges and universities approved for educator education must be accredited by an appropriate institutional accrediting agency at the time the degree or program is completed. The institutional accrediting agencies are:

(a) Higher Learning Commission;

(b) Middle States Commission on Higher Education;

(c) New England Commission of Higher Education;

(d) Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities;

(e) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges; and

(f) WASC Senior College and University Commission.

(20) "Instructional Assistant or Educational Assistant or Teaching Assistant:" A non-licensed position of employment in a school district assigned to assist a licensed teacher in a supportive role in the classroom working directly with students.

(21) “Intern:” A student of an approved institution who serves as a teacher, personnel specialist, or administrator under the supervision of the institution and of the school district in order to acquire practical experience in lieu of student teaching or supervised practica. Interns may receive both academic credit from the institution and financial compensation from the school district. Interns may serve as assistant coaches.

(22) “Joint Application:” Submitted by the school district in cooperation with the applicant.

(23) “Liaison Officer:” The person designated by the unit to submit all program modifications for TSPC approval, issue all recommendations for licensure under the approved program, authorize all waivers of professional courses for students enrolled in the program, and handle all correspondence between TSPC and the unit.

(24) “Major Traffic Violation:” Includes driving while under the influence of intoxicants; reckless driving; fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer; driving while license is suspended or revoked or beyond license restrictions; or failure to perform the duties of a driver or witness at an accident.

(25) “National Board For Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS):” A professional board established to award a National Teaching Certificate to qualified educators.

(26) “Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments (ORELA):” Licensure tests adopted by the Commission in specified endorsement or licensure areas.

(27) “Out of State Licenses or Certificates:” A certificate or license valid for full-time employment, at least equivalent to the Oregon license being requested, issued by one of the United States, a U.S. jurisdiction (American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Marianas, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands), or the U.S. Department of Defense.

(28) “Personal Qualifications:” 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.

(29) “Personnel Service:” A type of license issued to counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers.

(30) “Practicum or Practica:” All supervised field experiences other than student teaching or internships. A practicum may be part of the field experience necessary to add an endorsement.

(31) “PRAXIS:” A series of licensure examinations for beginning educators produced and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) and adopted by TSPC as licensure examinations.

(32) “Principal:” The administrator of each school building or buildings as designated by the school district board or district superintendent.

(33) “Professional Development Units (PDU):” A unit of standard-related activity that equals one clock hour of professional development and contributes to completion of an educator’s continuing professional development requirements.

(34) “Program Administrator:” Managers of school programs and coordinators of district-wide programs that are accountable at the building level.

(35) “Program Review Committee or Site Visit Committee:” Committee appointed by the Commission to conduct an on-site review for purposes of approval of an educator preparation program.

(36) “Public Funds:” All monies expended by public school districts and for which the school board has responsibility, including funds from local, state, federal, and private sources.

(37) “Public Schools:” Public school districts, education service districts and public charter school created under ORS Ch. 338, which are supported by local, state and federal public funds and for which the school board has responsibility, for the program of instruction carried out in that school.

(38) “Reinstatement:” Restoration of the validity of a license, as provided:

(a) Any license that is suspended or revoked by a formal action of the Commission; or

(b) A non-provisional license that has been expired more than 120 days.

(39) “Renewal of License, Registration or Certificate:” Extension of validity of a renewable or re-issuable license, registration or certificate with the same authorization of duties. Renewals include, but are not limited to:

(a) Renewing the same type of license, registration or certificate with the same scope and authorizations;

(b) Moving directly to a new license type with the same scope and authorizations;

(c) Reissuing the same type of active license that has limited number of terms; or

(d) Upgrading from a restricted license to a non-provisional license with the same scope and authorizations.

(40) “School:” A single school building or combination of buildings which the school board or charter school designates as a school.

(41) “School Administrator:” The principal, vice principals and assistant principals or any other title performing those duties at each school.

(42) “School Board:” The board of directors of a local school district or an education service district, the governing board of a public charter school, a registered private school, or the directors of a state, federal, or special state-supported school.

(43) “School Counselor:” A licensed employee of the district assigned to assist students to: develop decision-making skills, obtain information about themselves, understand opportunities and alternatives available in educational programs, set tentative career and educational goals, accept increasing responsibilities for their own actions, develop skills in interpersonal relations, and utilize school and community resources.

(44) “School District:” Includes administrative school districts; common school districts; joint school districts; union high school districts; county units; education service districts; registered private schools; and state, federal, and special state-supported schools; may also include school districts from other states.

(45) “School Nurse:” A registered nurse who is certified by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission as qualified to conduct and coordinate the health service programs of a school.

(46) “School Psychologist:” A licensed employee of the district assigned to: assessment of students’ mental aptitude, emotional development, motor skills, or educational progress; designing educational programs for students and conferring with licensed personnel regarding such programs; and consulting with parents and students regarding interpretation of assessments and the design of educational programs.

(47) “Self-Contained Classroom:” An assignment for teaching in grades preprimary through eight in which the teacher has primary responsibility for the full curriculum.

(48) “Skills:” Ability to use knowledge effectively in the performance of specific tasks typical of those required in an educational position.

(49) “State Board:” The Oregon State Board of Education.

(50) “Student Teacher:” A student of an approved teacher education institution who is assigned to a public or approved private school for professional practica under the supervision of qualified personnel. Student teachers may provide instruction or may serve as assistant coaches.

(51) “Superintendent:” The district’s chief administrator who reports directly to the school board.

(52) “Supervisor of Licensed Personnel:” A person assigned to a position which includes the on-the-job supervision or evaluation of licensed personnel.

(53) “Teacher:” Includes all licensed or registered employees in the public schools, charter schools or employed by an education service district who have direct responsibility for instruction, coordination of educational programs or supervision or evaluation of teachers and who are compensated for their services from public funds. “Teacher” does not include a school nurse as defined in ORS 342.455 (Definition of “school nurse”).

(54) “Teacher Education Programs or Educator Preparation Programs:” Programs preparing teachers, personnel service specialists, or administrators. Oregon Revised Statutes use the term “teacher education” to refer to all programs preparing educational personnel for public elementary and secondary schools, not exclusive to those for classroom teachers.

(55) “Transcripts:” An official record of academic preparation which bears the signature of the registrar and the seal of the institution or is received directly by the Commission electronically.

(56) “TSPC:” Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.

(57) “Unit:” The institution, college, school, department, or other administrative body with the responsibility for managing or coordinating all programs offered for the initial and continuing preparation of teachers and other school personnel, regardless of where these programs are administratively housed.

(58) “Vice Principal:” A principal’s immediate subordinate assigned to coordination of instruction, discipline, student activities, or supervision or evaluation of staff.

(59) “Work Samples or Teacher Work Samples:” A designed and implemented unit of study that demonstrates capacity to foster student learning.

(60) “Year of Experience:” Unless otherwise required by Chapter 584, Division 10 through Division 420, a period of at least eight consecutive months of full-time work or two consecutive years of one-half time or more while holding a license valid for the assignment.