EXHIBIT 6.4c.4. Sample of Candidate Licensure Manual for School Counselor Education

Transcription

1 EXHIBIT 6.4c.4 Sample of Candidate Licensure Manual for School Counselor Education

2 Candidate Licensure Manual School Guidance Educator Licensure Office 130 Furcolo Hall College of Education University of Massachusetts Amherst Phone: Fax:

3 Table of Contents Overview... 1 Advising... 2 Tk MTELs... 4 Practicum... 5 L2 Form... 6 L3b Form... 7 L4 Form... 8 Transcripts... 9 Course Waiver/Substitution Form Supervising Practitioner Waiver Candidate Complaints: Policies, Practices, and Procedures for Resolution APPENDIX Timeline Program of Study Contact Information... 17

4 Overview The Educator Licensure Office (ELO) is responsible for ensuring that all licensure candidates and programs meet the licensure standards and requirements of the institution, state, and national accrediting bodies. Licensure candidates advised by the ELO include those in preparation programs to become teachers, administrators, school counselors, school psychologists, or speech and language pathologists. Throughout your time in the School Counseling program, you will work with the ELO to track and document your progress toward licensure. Once you have completed all licensure requirements, our Licensure Officer will recommend you for licensure to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This manual is intended to provide you with specific information regarding your program s licensure requirements, including a general timeline for completing requirements as well as copies of important licensure forms. 1

5 Advising Upon admission to the School Counseling program, you should have been assigned a temporary advisor. You are free to keep this advisor or change advisors without penalty. Throughout your time in the program, you will work with your advisor to construct a program of study, select courses, and determine an appropriate site for practicum. Your advisor will also inform you of College of Education forms which will document your progress through the program. Contact information for the current faculty members in the School Counseling program can be found in the appendix of this manual. If you are unsure of who your advisor is, please visit Spire at and navigate to Main Menu Academics Advisors. 2

6 Tk20 About Tk20 Tk20 is the online course management and portfolio system used by the College of Education. The Educator Licensure Office uses Tk20 to track each candidate s progress toward licensure, and Tk20 also allows you to upload assignments and documents specific to your program. All licensure candidates are required to purchase a Tk20 account and complete the L1 Form. This includes candidates in teacher licensure programs as well as those in specialist and administrative programs (e.g., school counseling, school psychology, communication disorders, special education administrator). Using Tk20 Since you have already purchased a Tk20 account and completed your L1 Form, you should be somewhat familiar with how to log into and navigate some parts of Tk20. There are many facets to Tk20, but we will briefly review a few important features below. Transition Points. When you log into Tk20, you are, by default, on the home screen or tab of Tk20. The home screen shows you recent messages, pending tasks, and more. If you scroll down to the bottom of this home screen, you will see a section called Program Transition Points. Transition Points are used by the ELO to track your progress toward licensure. As you complete each licensure requirement, the ELO will record this on Tk20, and a green check mark will appear beside the requirement that you have completed. Please note that there are also transition points associated with your program listed along with the licensure transition points on Tk20. Some programs utilize these transitions points and some do not. If you have questions about a transition point that you feel should be checked and it does not relate to licensure, please contact your advisor or program coordinator. Applications. If you need to upload a licensure document to Tk20 (e.g., an MTEL score report), click on the Applications tab. On the left, click create and then select the document you would like to upload from the pull-down menu. Once you upload the document and submit it to Tk20, the licensure office will review and approve the document. Detailed instructions explaining how to upload your MTEL score reports to Tk20 can be found in the Other folder on your College of Education flash drive. Artifacts. If you need to upload a non-licensure document to Tk20, click on the Artifacts tab, click create and then select the document you would like to upload from the pull-down menu. 3

7 MTELs About the MTEL The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) are a series of pass/fail tests designed to measure readiness for educator licensure. Each licensure candidate in the College of Education must take and a pass a certain sequence of MTEL exams before beginning practicum. General information about the MTEL, test objectives, and practice tests can be found at: MTEL Requirements for School Counseling All School Counseling students are required to pass both the Reading and Writing subtests of the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL before beginning practicum. It is strongly recommended that students register for and pass this MTEL during their first semester in the program. Preparing for the MTEL There are many ways to prepare for the MTEL. First and foremost, we suggest that you review and even take the practice tests that are available on the MTEL website ( This will give you a good idea of the purpose, format, and content of the tests. Taking the practice tests will also highlight areas of strength and weakness so that you can better structure your studying. For additional preparation, consider purchasing review book(s) from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. Each semester, the College of Education also offers preparation workshops for the Communication and Literacy Skills Test ( The overview workshops are currently free for current UMass students. Registering for the MTEL You must register for the Communication and Literacy Skills Test online at Because the Communication and Literacy Skills Test is a computer-based test, it is essentially offered by appointment and is available to take several times per week. When you go to register for the test, you will have the option of choosing a testing site closest to you. We suggest taking the MTEL sooner rather than later. That way, if you do not pass the first time, you will have enough time to retake the test without delaying your entry into practicum. Uploading MTEL Score Report(s) to Tk20 Approximately one month after you take an MTEL exam, an electronic copy of your official MTEL score report will be available on your MTEL account. Download and save a copy of the score report to your computer, and then upload your score report to Tk20. Directions on how to upload your score report to Tk20 are located in the Other folder on your College of Education flash drive. Please note that the electronic version of your score report is only available for 45 days. After 45 days, Pearson will charge you $10 for copy of your score report. To avoid any additional fees, we suggest that you download and save the score report to your computer as soon as possible. 4

8 Practicum About Practicum During your final year in the School Counseling program, you will complete a 600-hour practicum in a local public school. You will work with your advisor to determine an appropriate practicum site. The practicum experience will provide you with the opportunity to work alongside a licensed and practicing school counselor in order to gradually assume the role and responsibilities of the position. At the end of your practicum year, you should be well prepared, both professionally and personally, to begin employment as a school guidance counselor. 5

9 L2 Form About the L2 Form The L2 Form is the Practicum Placement Contract. It essentially serves as a contract between yourself, the University, and your practicum site. You must fill out this detailed form before beginning your practicum in the schools. Individuals who have more than one practicum placement must fill out additional L2 forms. Completing the L2 Form The entire L2 Form must be filled out before the ELO will accept it. You are responsible for completing all sections of the form, including the box on the right, and obtaining the appropriate signatures. This includes signatures from yourself, your supervising practitioner, the principal of your school, and your program s practicum director. Note that all signatures on the form must be original signatures. The ELO will not accept forms with photocopied signatures. When completing the L2 Form, pay special attention to the paragraph in the middle of the form that says I will begin my practicum Be sure to circle the word Practicum. You must fill in exact start and end dates of your practicum, in addition to writing the exact days and times you agree to be in the building (e.g., Monday through Friday, 8:00-4:00). The ELO will not accept the form if something general like Monday and Wednesday mornings is written. Once the form is complete, turn it in to the ELO in 130 Furcolo Hall. Once the Licensure Officer reviews and approves the form, the ELO will register you for Educ 701. For your convenience, PDFs of sample and blank L2 Forms can be found in the Forms folder on your College of Education flash drive. 6

10 L3b Form About the L3b Form The L3b Form is the Preservice Performance Assessment Form for School Counseling. This form is used to track your progress through your practicum. During your practicum, you, your program supervisor, and your supervising practitioner will meet three times to ensure you are successfully meeting your practicum requirements. Sometimes, candidates wonder about the difference between the program supervisor and the supervising practitioner. The program supervisor is the person assigned by your program to visit you at your practicum site. This person is often a faculty member within the school counseling program. The supervising practitioner is your mentor counselor at your practicum site; this individual must have at least three years of experience under the appropriate initial or professional license. Completing the L3 Form At the beginning of your practicum year, your program supervisor will provide you with an L3b Form and he or she will guide you in filling out as much of the form as you can. Your program supervisor will then set up meetings with you and your supervising practitioner throughout the year. At these meetings, you will initial and complete the items in Part 4. At the end of your practicum year, your program supervisor and supervising practitioner will meet to complete Part 5, which denotes your successful completion of practicum. When the L3b Form is complete, turn it in to the ELO in 130 Furcolo Hall. Once the Licensure Officer reviews and approves the form, the ELO will check off the appropriate transition points on Tk20. Similar to the L2 Form, please note that all signatures and initials on the L3b form must be original signatures and initials. The ELO will not accept forms with photocopied signatures and initials. For your convenience, PDFs of sample and blank L3b Forms can be found in the Forms folder on your College of Education flash drive. 7

11 L4 Form About the L4 Form The L4 Form is the Program Completion Form. It will be completed by your program coordinator on Tk20 when you have successfully finished your coursework, practicum, and degree requirements. Once the L4 Form is complete, the Licensure Officer will review your licensure materials and recommend you for initial licensure. 8

12 Transcripts Undergraduate Transcript If you did not receive your undergraduate degree from UMass Amherst, you must request that an official undergraduate transcript be sent to the ELO. This should be done as soon as possible; preferably during your first semester in your graduate program. Your undergraduate transcript will be housed in the ELO until you have completed your licensure requirements. Once all requirements are complete, the transcript will be sent to the state along with other materials that the Massachusetts DESE needs to review in order to grant you licensure. Candidates often ask why they must send an additional undergraduate transcript to the ELO, especially when they already sent an undergraduate transcript to the University when they applied for graduate study. Transcripts that are sent along with your graduate school application remain with the Graduate School. The ELO is never given access to these transcripts. Thus, the ELO needs its own official copy of your undergraduate transcript so it can eventually be forwarded to the Massachusetts DESE for review. Graduate Transcript In addition to your undergraduate transcript, the ELO also needs an official copy of your graduate transcript to send to the Massachusetts DESE for review. You should fill out the graduate transcript request form during your final semester in the graduate program. Directions for completing the form are as follows: Fill out the following PDF: You must fill out this form on the computer; the graduate school will not accept handwritten forms. Under Mailing address for Transcripts, write: Kim Drake 130 Furcolo Hall 813 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, MA Request one transcript. It does not have to be issued in a signed and sealed envelope. On the form, under Please Hold Transcripts For, check the Certification statement box. This will hold your transcript until the licensure statement has been added to your transcript. Once the statement is added, the transcript will be sent to the ELO. Sign and date the request form. Mail, drop off, or fax the form to the Graduate Records Office, 534 Goodell, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA Fax number is

13 Course Waiver/Substitution Form The course waiver/substitution form is used when candidatess have (1) transferred in relevant coursework from another institution and/or (2) would like to substitute one of the course requirements on their program of study with a different course. To describe the first scenario, say, for example, you completed a graduate Child and Adolescent Development course at another institution. Now that you re in the School Counseling program, you notice that Educ 594M: Advanced Child and Adolescent Development is one of the course requirements listed on your program of study. After meeting with your advisor, your advisor approves the development course you took at the other institution and agrees to waive the course requirement so you do not have to retake the development course at UMass Amherst. In order to account for the waiving of Educ 594M, you will have to complete a Course Waiver/Substitution Form which includes both your signature and your academic advisor s signature. The form is then returned to the ELO. To describe the second scenario, say your advisor suggests you take a brand new course at UMass, Educ 9876: Development and Psychology of Children and Adolescents. He or she explains that this course can take the place of Educ 594M on your program of study. In order to account for this substitution, you will have to complete a Course Waiver/Substitution Form, with your signature and your academic advisor s signature, and return it to the ELO. For your convenience, PDFs of sample and blank Course Waiver/Substitution Forms can be found in the Forms folder on your College of Education flash drive. Supervising Practitioner Waiver If your practicum supervisor (i.e., your supervising practitioner) holds a license through the Massachusetts DESE other than School Guidance in the appropriate grade level, you must complete a Supervising Practitioner Waiver. You and your program supervisor must fill out this form and submit it to the ELO along with the supervising practitioner s resume and a letter of support from the school s principal. A blank Supervising Practitioner Waiver form can be found in the Forms folder on your College of Education flash drive. 10

14 Candidate Complaints: Policies, Practices, and Procedures for Resolution 1. Informal Resolution of Candidate Complaints Candidates are encouraged to attempt informal resolution of complaints related to the program or department level prior to initiating formal or campus-level complaints. If a candidate complaint is related to a particular program or faculty member, the complaint is addressed by the candidate s academic advisor, faculty member, program coordinator, and/or department chair. The complaint is discussed and attempts are made to resolve the situation by seeking a solution or strategy that best serves the candidate s needs. Resolution process for complaints related to the candidate s program or department level Candidate meets with: academic advisor, faculty member(s), and/or professor(s) Candidate proceeds to the next meeting if he/she is not satisfied with the initial attempt at resolution Candidate meets with the program coordinator Candidate proceeds to the next meeting if he/she is not satisfied with the previous attempt at resolution Candidate meets with the department chair 11

15 2. Resolution of Candidate Complaints within the College of Education If the informal resolution process is unsuccessful or not attempted, candidates have the option of initiating a complaint to the College of Education if the complaint is associated with academics, program issues, or educator licensure. The College of Education organizes candidates complaints into two categories for resolution in either the Academic Affairs Office or the Educator Licensure Office. The chart below represents the College of Education s resolution practices and procedures for managing candidate complaints. Organization of Candidate Complaints Academic and Program-Related Complaints Progress through Education Program and Licensure Complaints Academic Affairs Office Educator Licensure Office The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs responds to student complaints involving: a. grades b. letters of appeals or concerns c. candidate s peers or colleagues d. programs and faculty e. academic honesty issues The Educator Licensure responds to student complaints involving: a. MTEL waivers b. entrance requirements c. GPA requirement d. appeal of decision of progress in education program e. educator licensure Depending on the nature of the complaint, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs works closely with the Office of Disability Services, Dean of Students, Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, and the Graduate School Dean. Meetings are held with the appropriate respondents and support personnel to discuss the complaint and seek a solution or strategy that best serves the candidate s needs. The Educator Licensure Officer meets with the candidate and any associated respondents (i.e., faculty member,.) to discuss the complaint and attempts to resolve the situation focus on solutions and/or strategies that best serve the candidate s needs. The Educator Licensure Officer collaborates with Academic Affairs, Ombuds, and the Dean of Students, based on the complaint, throughout the resolution process. The letters of complaint, documentation of the unit administrator s responses and attempts to resolve grade and academic complaints are kept on file in the Academic Affairs Office. The letters of complaint, documentation of the unit administrator s responses and 12 attempts to resolve education program decision appeals are kept on file in the ELO.

16 3. Formal Resolution of Candidate Complaints at the University-Level Candidates have the right to initiate formal complaints at the University-level through the Ombuds Office, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office, and/or the Graduate Employee Organization according to the context and nature of the complaint. The official academic grievance procedure is included in Academic Regulations, the annual publication of the Office of the Provost and distributed by the Dean of Students Office. The academic grievance procedure can be found online, at Candidates who choose to file a formal complaint to the university prior to attempting resolution at the program level should be aware that all formal complaints regarding matters of academic judgment or issues related to an academic program (i.e., faculty, staff, peers, grades) will be forwarded to the appropriate respondents for resolution. Additional Resources for Candidates: Academic Regulations Ombud s Office: FAQ s Dean of Students Office The Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity 13

17 APPENDIX

18 Timeline School Counseling students should follow the below timeline and checklist to ensure all licensure requirements are met. The Transition Points section of Tk20 offers a similar way to keep track of your progress. Please note that the following are licensure requirements only. You may have additional program or degree requirements that are not listed below. Please check with your advisor or program coordinator for information on additional program or degree requirements. Welcome to Licensure Purchase an account on Tk20 Complete and submit L1 Form (Program Admission and Enrollment Form) on Tk20 Attend mandatory licensure session where you will create an account on ELAR and apply for your license; pay $100 application fee If you did not attend UMass Amherst as an undergraduate, request official undergraduate transcript be sent to ELO Take and pass all necessary MTELs; upload score report to Tk20 Entry to Practicum Complete L2 Form (Practicum Placement Contract) and submit to ELO Exit from Practicum Complete L3 Form (Preservice Performance Assessment Form) and submit to ELO Completion of and Exit from Program Pay the $100 application fee on your ELAR account if you have not done so already Fill out Completer Survey on Tk20 Request official graduate transcript be sent to the ELO. On the request form, be sure to check the box titled hold for certification statement. Ongoing If your advisor has approved a transfer course, or if you have deviated from your program of study, you must complete and submit course waiver form(s) to the ELO 15

19 Program of Study The following is the program of study for the School Counseling program as of Spring If the courses you take differ from those listed below, please submit the appropriate course waiver/substitution forms to the ELO. Please note that there is additional coursework if you are seeking the CAGS in addition to the M.Ed. See you advisor for more information on CAGS coursework. Course Dept./Number Course Title No. of Credits Educ 570 Professional Orientation to School Counseling 3 Educ 605 Theories & Procedures, Counseling Psychology I 3 Educ 606 Theories & Procedures, Counseling Psychology II 3 Educ 607 Occupational Psychology & Placement 3 Educ 631 Laboratory in Developmental Counseling/Therapy 3 Educ 685 Developmental Psychopathology 3 Educ 688 Multicultural Counseling in Schools 3 Educ 886 Group Counseling in the Schools 3 Educ 594M Advanced Child & Adolescent Development 3 Educ 560 or Educ 668 Instructional Issues in Special Education or Children and Youth with Learning Disabilities 3 Educ 632 Principles of Educational and Psychological Testing 3 Educ 698 Pre-Practicum School Counseling 3 Educ 701 Practicum in School Guidance (PreK-8) Educ 701 Practicum in School Guidance (5-12) 9-12 (over 2 semesters) 9-12 (over 2 semesters) 16

20 Contact Information Educator Licensure Office For questions about licensure requirements, L Forms, practicum, etc., please visit or contact the Educator Licensure Office at: Educator Licensure Office 130 Furcolo Hall University of Massachusetts Amherst 813 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, MA Phone: Fax: ELO Staff: Deb Comeau, Administrative Assistant Kimberly Drake, Licensure Officer dcomeau@umass.edu kdrake@educ.umass.edu Tk20 Support Team For technical questions about Tk20, uploading documents, etc., please visit the Tk20 Resource Blog ( or contact the UMass Tk20 Team at tk20@educ.umass.edu. School Counseling Faculty For questions about program requirements, your specific program of study, graduate assistantships, degree requirements, etc., please contact one of the School Counseling faculty members: Carey Dimmitt (current program coordinator) John Carey Rich Lapan (current practicum director and program supervisor) cdimmitt@educ.umass.edu careyandassoc@educ.umass.edu lapan@educ.umass.edu 17