Or. Admin. Code § 584-010-0006 - Definitions

(1) "Approved Institution:" A U.S. regionally accredited or internationally accredited institution of higher education approved to prepare licensed personnel by the governmental jurisdiction in which the institution is located.

(2) "Approved Program:" A program of educator preparation approved by the Commission and offered by a regionally accredited institution. As it applies to out-of-state or international programs, a program approved by the licensure body of the governmental jurisdiction authorized to approve educator preparation programs.

(3) "Area for Improvement (AFI):" A statement cited by the Commission or the on-site program or unit review team indicating that a unit or program has not met expected levels of achievement in one or more elements of a standard. The Commission and the unit or program review team may cite one or more areas for improvement and still recommend or find that the standard is "met."

(4) "At Risk Unit:" A unit that the Commission determines is "at risk" of becoming "low-performing." The "at risk" designation would follow an onsite review by the Commission and findings of multiple areas for improvement. Such a unit is required to respond to Commission-imposed conditions and stipulations and must provide evidence within the time indicated by the Commission that the Commission's concerns have been addressed. Units receiving an "at risk" designation will be subject to an on-site review team follow-up visit that focuses on the areas for improvement noted by the accreditation team during the original visit.

(5) "Candidate:" Candidate includes but is not limited to persons preparing to teach, teachers who are continuing their professional development enrolled in an approved program and persons preparing for other professional roles in schools such as administrators, school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers in a program approved by the Commission.

(6) "Commission:" Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).

(7) "Conceptual Framework:" An underlying structure in a professional education unit that gives conceptual meaning to the unit's operations through an articulated rationale and provides direction for programs, courses, teaching, candidate performance, faculty scholarship and service, and unit accountability.

(8) "Consortium:" An advisory body to the unit that reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations in accordance with OAR 584-017-1025 Consortium.

(9) "Director of Teacher Education:" The Commission staff member responsible for coordinating program approval within the agency.

(10) "Educator Preparation Programs:" Programs preparing licensed teachers, personnel service specialists, or administrators. Oregon Revised Statutes use the term "teacher education" to refer to all programs preparing licensed educational personnel for public elementary and secondary schools, and is not exclusive to programs for preparation of classroom teachers.

(11) "Executive Director:" The Executive Director of the Commission.

(12) "Field or Clinical Experiences:" All supervised clinical field experiences including student teaching, internships, observation experiences and experience necessary to complete an education preparation licensure program.

(13) "Institutional Report:" A report that provides the institutional and unit contexts, a description of the unit's conceptual framework, and evidence that the unit is meeting the Commission-adopted unit standards. The report serves as primary documentation for on-site review teams conducting on-site visits.

(14) "Liaison Officer:" The person designated by the unit to submit all program modifications for Commission 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 Commission staff and the unit.

(15) "Low Performing Unit:" A unit is determined to be "low performing" by the Commission if following on on-site review team visit, the imposition of conditions or stipulations and a subsequent follow-up on-site visit, the institution failed to meet the Commission's standards of quality and effectiveness. Units found to be "low performing" are denied TSPC approval and accreditation to offer educator licensure programs. A unit denied accreditation is prohibited from offering educator preparation programs in Oregon and denied from recommending educators for licensure for a minimum of two years. At the end of such time, the unit may apply for program approval (accreditation) and is required to submit a formal application and demonstrate that the problems identified in the original unit review have been addressed and that the program meets all current requirements for program approval and educator licensure in effect at the time of application for approval.

(16) "Major Modifications:" Changes of program philosophy, curricula, practica, resources, personnel, or performance standards

(17) "Off Campus Programs:" Include but are not limited to:

(a) Off-campus programs in the same state; or

(b) Off-campus programs offered at sites outside of the state or in another country.

(c) Branch campuses must be included in the unit's review if the:

(A) Programs are limited in number and size;

(B) Programs are located in close proximity to the parent campus; or

(C) Program completers are eligible for licensure in Oregon.

(18) "On-Site Review Team:" Team appointed by the Commission to conduct an on-site review for purposes of approval of educator licensure preparation programs.

(19) "Program:" Program includes but is not limited to an academic program designed for one of the following outcomes: Add an endorsement, grade level authorization or result in a new licensure area such as an Initial or Continuing, Professional License in teaching, administration or personnel service.

(20) "Regional Accrediting Associations:" Colleges and universities approved for teacher education must be accredited by the appropriate regional association at the time the degree or program is completed. The regional associations are: New England Association of Schools and Colleges; Commission on Institutions of Higher Education; North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; The Higher Learning Commission; Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; Commission on Higher Education; Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; Commission on Colleges; or Western Association of Schools and Colleges; Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities.

(21) "Specialized Professional Associations or SPAs:" The national organizations that represent teachers, professional education faculty, and other school professionals who teach a specific subject matter (e.g., mathematics or social studies), teach students at a specific developmental level (i.e., early childhood, elementary, middle level, or secondary), teach students with specific needs (e.g., bilingual education or special education), administer schools (e.g., principals or superintendents), or provide services to students (e.g., school counselors or school psychologists). Many of these associations are member organizations of NCATE and have standards for both students in schools and candidates preparing to work in schools.

(22) "Unit:" Also known as the "professional education unit." The college, school, or department or other administrative bodies in colleges, universities, or other organizations recognized by the Commission as having the responsibility for managing or coordinating all programs offered for the initial and advanced preparation of teachers and other school professionals regardless of where these programs are housed in an institution. The professional education unit must include in its accreditation review all programs offered by the institution for the purpose of preparing teachers and other school personnel to work in pre-k through twelfth grade settings.

Notes

Or. Admin. Code § 584-010-0006

TSPC 2-2008, f. & cert. ef. 4-15-08; TSPC 9-2012, f. & cert. ef. 9-14-12; TSPC 1-2015, f. & cert. ef. 2/10/2015

Stat. Auth.: ORS 342

Stats. Implemented: ORS 342.120 - 342.430; 342.455 - 342.495; 342.533