Adding Endorsement Instructions

Applying to TSPC to Add an ESOL, Reading Intervention, or Special Education: Generalist Endorsement

Version 10/2022

STEP 1—Congratulations

Begin the licensing process as soon as you either receive the “Congratulations, you are now eligible to apply for your added endorsement…” email from Lewis & Clark licensure staff or you see the Program Completion Report (PCR) from Lewis & Clark in your TSPC eLicensing account under “Documents.”

If you apply to add the endorsement before you receive the email or can view the PCR, your license application may be denied by TSPC requiring you to reapply.

• If you are in a degree program, you will receive a separate email from the graduate registrar’s office when your degree posts. This email is NOT the same as the “Congratulations, you are now eligible to apply for your added endorsement…” email.

Requirements that must be completed before you will receive the “congratulations” email include:

1. Admission to the ESOL, Reading Intervention, or Special Education: Generalist program.
   • Contact the Graduate Admissions office about completing the admissions process.
2. Grades for all endorsement courses, including *waivers and transfers, must have been posted to your Lewis & Clark College transcript and show in WebAdvisor. (*Waiver and/or transfer options may be available to educators who already hold a teaching license.)
3. You must have passed the TSPC-required NES or Praxis Subject Assessment tests with the scores showing in WebAdvisor. (If you did not select Lewis & Clark as a score recipient when you registered for your test, contact the Graduate Admissions office for instructions on submitting your official score report.)

Steps 2-4: AFTER Receiving the “Congratulations” Email

STEP 2—Application to TSPC

Complete an eLicensing application with TSPC, including paying the required fees. Key points include:

• TSPC Dashboard:
  • After logging into your eLicensing account, select “Applications” and, in the upper right-hand corner, select “Submit New Application.”
• New License/Registration/Certificate:
  • The category of license you are applying for is “Teacher.”
• License History Questionnaire:
  • Select the “I have either: Held an Oregon Educational License (or) Completed an Oregon-approved Educator Preparation Program…” box.
• License History:
  • Enter all licenses issued by TSPC that do not already appear in the application.
  • If you have completed the TSPC clinical practice registration and background check within 3-years of the application, select “Add a License” and fill in the required information selecting “Clinical Practices” in the License Category. (This will help you avoid being re-charged the fingerprinting fee.)
    • The end date for your clinical practice registration is 3-years from the date it was issued (or from the start date).
• Work History:
  • Only add paid employment that required you to hold a TSPC-issued license.
  • Do not enter student teaching or volunteer experiences in school districts.
• Education History:
  • Add your Lewis & Clark added endorsement program.
• Education History:
  • Add all the degrees you’ve been awarded that are new since you last applied to TSPC. (If you have never applied to TSPC before, you will enter all degrees conferred.)
  • If you applied for your Preliminary Teaching License before earning a master’s degree, enter the MAT, MEd, or other advanced degrees that are new since you last applied.
• Pay Application Fees:
  • As of April 2022, the application fees should be $182 for the “Evaluation In State,” $10 for a “Portal Provider Fee,” and $5 for a “Licensure System Fee” for a total charge of $197. Follow the instructions in the red box if the fees appear otherwise.
  • TSPC’s Diversity License Expense Reimbursement Program
• Background Check:
  • As part of the application process to TSPC, TSPC staff will conduct a background check including: A Law Enforcement Data Systems (LEDS) check, a National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Clearinghouse for Educator Discipline check, and, in some circumstances, an internet or social media search.

STEP 3—Official Transcripts

After receiving the “congratulations, you are now eligible to apply” email from Lewis & Clark, request an official transcript from the Graduate Registrar’s office at Lewis & Clark to be sent to TSPC. You will also need to request that official transcripts be sent to TSPC from any other colleges or universities from which you transferred credit for your endorsement program. Your transcripts should show all courses required for the endorsement, including course grades.  

If you have added an additional advanced degrees earned in the “Education History” section such as an MAT or MEd degree, you will also need to request that an official transcript verifying the degree be sent to TSPC.

Instructions for Sending Official Transcripts to TSPC

STEP 4—Official Test Scores and Results for TSPC

When you registered for your NES and/or PRAXIS tests, your scores were automatically sent to TSPC. TSPC evaluators will contact you after you apply if they need additional test results.

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO APPLY TO TSPC TO ADD THE ENDORSEMENT?

TSPC’s rules allow candidates 3-years to apply for their license, endorsement, or specialization following completion of a program. If it has been more than 3-years since completion, candidates will need to meet with a Lewis & Clark Graduate School advisor to determine whether additional course work, testing, and/or field experiences are required, including admission into the current program.

WHOM DO I CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT MY PROGRAM?

The faculty program directors are:

• ESOL, all programs: Amber Tatge (atatge@lclark.edu)
• Reading Intervention: Leigh VonDerahe (lvonderahe@lclark.edu)
• Special Education: Generalist: Becky Miller (rebeccabmiller@lclark.edu)

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CANDIDATES IN THE MAT WITH ESOL (MESOL) PROGRAM  (program on hiatus starting 2023-’24)

The ESOL courses that you have taken are a required part of your MAT degree program. Because the courses are required for your degree, depending on their contracted bargaining agreement with teachers, your employing school district might not be able to count your ESOL courses toward the MAT+ step(s) on their salary schedule for teachers.

(This does not typically apply to candidates in the PESOL/Advanced Track program as some of the PESOL/Advanced Track courses are taken outside of the requirements for the MAT degree, so will often meet a district’s requirements to count toward the MAT+ step(s) on their salary schedule for teachers.)