DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Professional Standards Board

FINAL

REGULATORY IMPLEMENTING ORDER

1522 Elementary School Counselor

I. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION SUBMITTED

The Professional Standards Board, acting in cooperation and consultation with the Department of Education, seeks the approval of the State Board of Education to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1522 Elementary School Counselor. The proposed regulation adds a non­regulatory note concerning a content knowledge examination and a definition of an accreditation program. In addition, the proposed regulation amends the additional education requirement, including the recognized accreditation programs and the required coursework and professional development areas, and the clinical experience requirement.

Notice of the proposed regulation was published in the Register of Regulations on May 1, 2016 in the form attached hereto as Exhibit "A". Persons who wished to present their views regarding the proposed regulation were invited to do so in writing by May 31, 2016. The Professional Standards Board received twelve written comments, including comments from parents, current and retired school counselors, a former student in a school counseling program, a university administrator, a university professor, a teacher, and the American School Counselor Association. The majority of the comments received supported the proposed regulation. Two of the comments did not support the required number of hours of clinical experience. The Professional Standards Board considered the written comments and decided not to make any changes to the proposed regulation at this time. The Professional Standards Board believes that the proposed regulation serves to improve the quality of instruction for Delaware's children and that the amendments are designed to improve the quality of the Delaware educator workforce and to improve student performance.

On June 2, 2016, the Professional Standards Board signed an order, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit "B'', proposing to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1522 Elementary School Counselor subject to the approval of the State Board of Education.

II. FINDINGS OF FACT

The Professional Standards Board found that it is appropriate to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1522 Elementary School Counselor to add a non-regulatory note concerning a content knowledge examination and a definition of an accreditation program and to amend the additional education requirement, including the recognized accreditation programs and the required coursework and professional development areas, and the clinical experience requirement and to seek State Board of Education approval for the amended regulation.

III. DECISION TO AMEND THE REGULATION

For the foregoing reasons, the Professional Standards Board concluded that it is appropriate to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1522 Elementary School Counselor.

Pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1203, the amended regulation attached hereto as Exhibit "A" is hereby approved.

IV. TEXT AND CITATION

The text of 14 DE Admin. Code 1522 Elementary School Counselor amended hereby shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and said regulation shall be cited as 14 DE Admin. Code 1522 Elementary School Counselor in the Administrative Code.

V. EFFECTIVE DATE OF ORDER

The actions hereinabove referred to were taken by the Professional Standards Board pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1203 on June 2, 2016 and by the State Board of Education on June 16, 2016. The effective date of this Order shall be ten (10) days from the date this Order is published in its final form in the Register of Regulations.

IT IS SO ORDERED the 2nd day of June, 2016 by the Professional Standards Board.

IT IS SO ORDERED the 16th day of June, 2016.

Department of Education

Steven H. Godowsky, Secretary of Education

Approved this 16th day of June, 2016 by the State Board of Education.

1522 Elementary School Counselor

Non-regulatory note: Passage on an examination of content knowledge may also be required to obtain this certification. Pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220 and 14 DE Admin. Code 1505, an examination of content knowledge is required when applicable and available. An examination of content knowledge is applicable and available when approved by the Professional Standards Board with the concurrence of the State Board of Education. See the Department of Education website for additional information.

1.1 This regulation shall apply to the issuance of a Standard Certificate, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220(a), for Elementary School Counselor. This certification is required for grades K to five (5), and is valid in grades six (6) to eight (8) in a Middle Level school. A Middle Level School Counselor must hold either an Elementary School Counselor Standard Certificate or a Secondary School Counselor Standard Certificate.

1.2 Except as otherwise provided, the requirements set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1505 Standard Certificate, including any subsequent amendment or revision thereto, are incorporated herein by reference.

2.1 The definitions set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1505 Standard Certificate, including any subsequent amendment or revision thereto, are incorporated herein by reference.

2.2 The following word and term, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

“CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation)” – A nonprofit and nongovernmental agency that accredits educator preparation providers (EPPs), which was created when the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) merged in 2013.

3.1 In accordance with 14 Del.C. §1220(a), the Department shall issue a Standard Certificate as an Elementary School Counselor to an educator who has met the following:

3.1.1 Holds a valid Delaware Initial, Continuing, or Advanced License; or a Professional Status Certificate issued by the Department prior to August 31, 2003; and,

3.1.2 Has met the requirements as set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1505, Standard Certificate including any subsequent amendment or revision thereto: and

3.1.3 Has satisfied the additional requirements in this regulation.

An educator must also have met the following.

4.1 Has satisfied at least one of the following additional education requirements:

4.1.1 Graduated from an NCATE or specialty organization recognized CAEP educator preparation program unit or from a state approved educator preparation program, where the state approval body employed the appropriate NASDTEC or NCATE national specialty organization standards, offered by a regionally accredited college or university, with a Masters degree in Elementary School Counseling; or

4.1.2 Graduated from a regionally accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in any content area and satisfactorily completed thirty-nine (3039) credits of graduate course work or the equivalent in professional development as approved by the Department in the areas of:

4.1.2.1 Principles and Practices of the School Counseling Program Introduction to School Counseling & Theories (3 credits);

4.1.2.2 Individual Counseling Skills Human Behavior and Child Development (3 credits);

4.1.2.3 Group Counseling Skills Ethical Issues in School Counseling (3 credits);

4.1.2.4 Human Development College & Career Readiness K-12 (3 credits);

4.1.2.5 Developmental Group Guidance Testing, Measurements, and Research in School Counseling (3 credits);

4.1.2.6 Individual and Group Testing for Counselors The Counselor as Consultant (3 credits);

4.1.2.7 Supervised Practicum in Elementary Counseling Special Education Law & the School Counselor’s Role (3 credits);

4.1.2.8 Counseling Theory Group Counseling (3 credits); and

4.1.2.9 Consultation; and Individual Counseling Skills & Strategies (36 credits).

4.1.2.10 Ethical Issues in School Counseling Family Counseling (3 credits).

4.1.2.11 Principles and Practices of a School Counseling Program (6 Credits); and

4.2 Has met at least one of the following experience requirements completed one of the following:

4.2.1 A minimum of three years professional experience in an elementary school setting; or,

4.2.2 A minimum of three years of equivalent experience as approved by the Department of Education; or,

4.2.31 Educators not holding a Standard Certificate Secondary School Counselor must complete A a supervised school counseling internship clinical experience under the direct supervision of a State Department of Education certified Elementary School Counselor of one (1) full year 700 hours in an elementary school setting which is part of a graduate degree program in Elementary School Counseling or arranged by the Department of Education. The internship may be completed over a two (2) year period on a half-time basis.

4.2.2 Educators holding Standard Certificate Secondary School Counselor, who are seeking Elementary School Counselor certification, must complete 350 hours of additional clinical experience in an elementary school setting, under the direct supervision of a State Department of Education certified Elementary School Counselor; or

4.2.3 Educators seeking initial certification of both a Standard Certificate Elementary School Counselor and a Standard Certificate Secondary School Counselor simultaneously, must complete 350 hours of clinical experience in an elementary school setting under the direct supervision of a State Department of Education certified Elementary School Counselor and 350 hours of clinical experience in a secondary school setting under the direct supervision of a State Department of Education certified Secondary School Counselor.

Section 4.0 of this regulation shall be effective on January 1, 2017.