About the Special Education Endorsement

An endorsement is required by the state of Oregon for those teaching special education students in pre-school through 12th grade. There are two special education endorsements available for inservice teachers in Oregon:

1. Special Education endorsement

   or

2. Basic and Standard Exceptional Learner I endorsement

Which endorsement you earn depends on what teaching license you hold.

If you hold an Initial or Continuing teaching license in Oregon...

...you will add the Special Education endorsement. The program for this endorsement consists of 18 semester hours of course work.

Authorization level
The "authorization level" for this endorsement is either early childhood/elementary or middle level/high school grades (meaning that you are "authorized" to teach at one of these levels). To obtain your authorization, you complete practicum work with students in the grades levels for which the endorsement will be granted. You can also choose to earn a "paired authorization" that will allow you teach at all grades, pre-kindergarten through 12. To add a paired authorization, you must complete an additional 90-hour practicum at the second authorization level.

Continuing Teaching License
The Special Education Endorsement Program is also designed to meet the requirements for earning the Oregon Continuing Teaching license. If you have a master's degree, your Initial teaching license, five years of licensed teaching experience in a k-12, and you complete the requirements for the endorsement, you will automatically earn the Continuing teaching license as well.

If you hold a Basic or Standard teaching license in Oregon...

...you will add the Basic and Standard Exceptional Learner I endorsements. The requirements for the Basic Exceptional Learner I endorsement are met by completing the 18 semester-hour program for the Special Education endorsement (described above). TSPC then requires the completion of an additional 10 semester hours of course work to earn the Standard Exceptional Learner I endorsement. All teachers with a Basic or Standard teaching license must complete both the Basic and Standard endorsements.

Authorization level
With the Basic or Standard endorsements, you are authorized to teach at all grade levels, pre-kindergarten through 12th.

Which endorsement is for you?