OAR 584-018-0305
Preliminary School Counselor License: Program Standards

(1) Candidates who are preparing to work as initial school counselors will demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills, cultural competencies and professional dispositions necessary to promote the academic, career, and personal and social development of all K–12 students.
(2) The Commission may provide state approval to an Initial School Counselor preparation program that prepares candidates for an initial school counselor license only if it includes:
(a) Content that will enable candidates to meet the competency standards for school counselors set forth in subsection (3) to (11) or the 2016 Counsel for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) school counselor standards.
(A) The educator preparation provider (EPP) must provide notice of the selected option to the Commission prior to the state recognition process. The notice must be provided in the manner and form, as provided in the Program Review and Standards Handbook.
(B) If the EPP selects the 2016 Counsel for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) school counselor standards, the EPP must complete the Specialized Professional Associations process for program review, as provided in 584-400-0070 (State Recognition: Continuing Programs (Program Review Process)) State Recognition: Continuing Programs (Program Review Process).
(b) Field experience as set forth in section (12) of this rule; and
(c) Integration of principles of cultural competency and equitable practice in each competency standard through the entire Initial School Counselor licensure program.
(3) Initial School Counselor programs must provide evidence that student learning has occurred in the following domains of school counselor competency standards:
(4) Domain 1: Foundations:
(a) Knowledge:
(A) Know the history, philosophy, and current trends in school counseling and educational systems;
(B) Understands ethical and legal considerations specifically related to the practice of school counseling;
(C) Knows roles, functions, settings, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel in the school;
(D) Knows professional organizations, preparation standards, and credentials that are relevant to the practice of school counseling;
(E) Understands current models of school counseling programs and their integral relationship to the total educational program;
(F) Understands the effects of: Atypical growth and development, health and wellness, language; ability level, multicultural issues, and factors of resiliency on student learning and development; and
(G) Understands the operation of the school emergency management plan and the roles and responsibilities of the school counselor during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events.
(b) Skills and Practices:
(A) Demonstrates the ability to apply and adhere to ethical and legal standards in school counseling; and
(B) Demonstrates the ability to articulate, model, and advocate for an appropriate school counselor identity and program.
(5) Domain 2: Counseling, Prevention and Intervention:
(a) Knowledge:
(A) Knows the theories and processes of effective counseling and wellness programs for individual students and groups of students;
(B) Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate programs to enhance the academic, career, and personal/social development of students;
(C) Knows strategies for helping students identify strengths and cope with environmental and developmental problems;
(D) Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate transition programs, including school-to-work, postsecondary planning, and college admissions counseling;
(E) Understands group dynamics — including counseling, psycho-educational, task, and peer helping groups — and the facilitation of teams to enable students to overcome barriers and impediments to learning; and
(F) Understands the potential impact of crises, emergencies, and disasters on students, educators, and schools, and knows the skills needed for crisis intervention.
(b) Skills and Practices:
(A) Demonstrates self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and the skills needed to relate to each diverse individual, group, and classroom;
(B) Provides individual and group counseling and classroom guidance to promote the academic, career, and personal and social development of students;
(C) Designs and implements prevention and intervention plans related to the effects of: Atypical growth and development, health and wellness, language, ability level, multicultural issues, and factors of resiliency on student learning and development;
(D) Demonstrates the ability to use procedures for assessing and managing suicide risk; and
(E) Demonstrates the ability to recognize his or her limitations as a school counselor and to seek supervision or refer clients when appropriate.
(6) Domain 3: Diversity and Advocacy:
(a) Knowledge:
(A) Understands the cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and political issues surrounding diversity, equity, and multicultural excellence in terms of student learning;
(B) Identifies community, environmental, and institutional opportunities that enhance, as well as barriers that impede, the academic, career, and personal and social development of students;
(C) Understands the ways in which educational policies, programs, and practices can be developed, adapted, and modified to be culturally congruent with the needs of students and their families; and
(D) Understands multicultural counseling issues, as well as the impact of ability levels, stereotyping, family, socioeconomic status, gender, and sexual identity, and their effects on student achievement.
(b) Skills and Practices:
(A) Demonstrates multicultural competencies in relation to diversity, equity, and opportunity in student learning and development;
(B) Advocates for the learning and academic experiences necessary to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students;
(C) Advocates for school policies, programs, and services that enhance a positive school climate and are equitable and responsive to multicultural student populations; and
(D) Engages parents, guardians, and families to promote the academic, career, and personal and social development of students.
(7) Domain 4: Assessment:
(a) Knowledge:
(A) Understands the influence of multiple factors such as: Abuse, violence, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and childhood depression; that may affect the personal, social, and academic functioning of students;
(B) Knows the signs and symptoms of substance abuse in children and adolescents, as well as the signs and symptoms of living in a home where substance abuse occurs; and
(C) Identifies various forms of needs assessments for academic, career, and personal and social development.
(b) Skills and Practices:
(A) Assesses and interprets students’ strengths and needs, recognizing uniqueness in cultures, languages, values, backgrounds, and abilities;
(B) Selects appropriate assessment strategies that can be used to evaluate a student’s academic, career, and personal/social development;
(C) Analyzes assessment information in a manner that produces valid inferences when evaluating the needs of individual students and assessing the effectiveness of educational programs;
(D) Makes appropriate referrals to school and/or community resources; and
(E) Assesses barriers that impede students’ academic, career, and personal and social development.
(8) Domain 5: Research and Evaluation:
(a) Knowledge:
(A) Understands how to critically evaluate research relevant to the practice of school counseling;
(B) Knows models of program evaluation for school counseling programs;
(C) Knows basic strategies for evaluating counseling outcomes in school counseling such as: behavioral observation and program evaluation;
(D) Knows current methods of using data to inform decision making and accountability such as: school improvement plan and school report card; and
(E) Understands the outcome research data and best practices identified in the school counseling research literature.
(b) Skills and Practices:
(A) Applies relevant research findings to inform the practice of school counseling;
(B) Develops measurable outcomes for school counseling programs, activities, interventions, and experiences; and
(C) Analyzes and uses data to enhance school counseling programs.
(9) Domain 6: Academic Development:
(a) Knowledge:
(A) Understands the relationship of the school counseling program to the academic mission of the school;
(B) Understands the concepts, principles, strategies, programs, and practices designed to close the achievement gap, promote student academic success, and prevent students from dropping out of school; and
(C) Understands curriculum design, lesson plan development, classroom management strategies, and differentiated instructional strategies for teaching counseling- and guidance-related material.
(b) Skills and Practices:
(A) Conducts programs designed to enhance student academic development;
(B) Implements strategies and activities to prepare students for a full range of postsecondary options and opportunities; and
(C) Implements differentiated instructional strategies that draw on subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge and skills to promote student achievement.
(10) Domain 7: Collaboration and Consultation:
(a) Knowledge:
(A) Understands the ways in which student development, well-being, and learning are enhanced by family-school-community collaboration;
(B) Knows strategies to promote, develop, and enhance effective teamwork within the school and the larger community;
(C) Knows how to build effective working teams of school staff, parents, and community members to promote the academic, career, and personal and social development of students;
(D) Understands systems theories, models, and processes of consultation in school system settings;
(E) Knows strategies and methods for working with parents, guardians, families, and communities to empower them to act on behalf of their children;
(F) Understands the various peer programming interventions such as: peer meditation, peer mentoring, and peer tutoring; and how to coordinate them; and
(G) Knows school and community collaboration models for crisis or disaster preparedness and response.
(b) Skills and Practices:
(A) Works with parents, guardians, and families to act on behalf of their children to address problems that affect student success in school;
(B) Locates resources in the community that can be used in the school to improve student achievement and success;
(C) Consults with teachers, staff, and community-based organizations to promote student academic, career, and personal/social development;
(D) Uses peer helping strategies in the school counseling program; and
(E) Uses referral procedures with helping agents in the community such as: mental health centers, businesses, and service groups; to secure assistance for students and their families.
(11) Domain 8: Leadership:
(a) Knowledge:
(A) Knows the qualities, principles, skills, and styles of effective leadership;
(B) Knows strategies of leadership designed to enhance the learning environment of schools;
(C) Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program;
(D) Understands the important role of the school counselor as a system change agent; and
(E) Understands the school counselor’s role in student assistance programs, school leadership, curriculum, and advisory meetings.
(b) Skills and Practices:
(A) Participates in the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program; and
(B) Plans and presents school-counseling-related educational programs for use with parents and teachers such as: parent education programs, materials used in classroom guidance, and advisor and advisee programs for teachers.
(12) Field Experience: The Initial School Counselor Preparation Program shall provide practica in public and/or private school settings for purposes of instruction, assessment of competency, and integration of field work with academic study.
(a) Prospective school counselor candidates who have two years of teaching experience in Oregon schools or out-of-state public or regionally accredited private schools upon completion of an initial school counselor preparation program must:
(A) Complete a practicum consisting of 200 clock hours of supervised counseling in a public school setting; and
(B) Assemble a portfolio or work sample to demonstrate the candidate’s ability to meet the expectations of the public school’s counseling program.
(b) Prospective school counselor candidates who do not have two years of teaching experience in any public or regionally accredited private schools upon completion of an initial school counselor preparation program:
(A) Complete a supervised practicum consisting of a minimum of 200 clock hours in a regular classroom in a public school, to include a minimum of 75 clock hours of full responsibility for directing learning;
(B) Complete a minimum of 600 clock hours of supervised counseling experience in a public school;
(C) Assemble and analyze one work sample to illustrate his/her ability to foster student learning; and
(D) Assemble a portfolio or work sample to demonstrate the candidate’s ability to meet the expectations of the public school’s counseling program. The Initial School Counselor Preparation Program shall:
(i) Determine jointly with the practicum site supervising counselor that the candidate has demonstrated the skills and competencies required for licensure in the practicum.
(ii) Establish and implement policies on supervision of practicum candidates that state the responsibilities of unit supervisors and practicum site supervisors and administrators, including the frequency of observations and conferences with the candidates.
(iii) Make a minimum of four supportive/evaluative visits during the practicum. At least twice during the practicum, the unit’s supervisors meets with the candidate and the practicum site supervisor in joint conferences to discuss performance and evaluation.

Source: Rule 584-018-0305 — Preliminary School Counselor License: Program Standards, https://secure.­sos.­state.­or.­us/oard/view.­action?ruleNumber=584-018-0305.

Last Updated

Jun. 8, 2021

Rule 584-018-0305’s source at or​.us