How to Get a Teaching Endorsement in Oregon
For early career and experienced teachers alike, teaching endorsements are evidence of expertise in working with specific student populations or in certain subject areas.
Whether they are establishing their proficiency in a particular area of instruction, expanding their knowledge, or shifting the focus of their teaching, educators need to understand the process for acquiring the endorsement that can help them achieve their goals.
In Oregon, the steps to take to obtain a teaching endorsement vary based on the type of credential an educator seeks and the kind of license they hold or plan to hold. Obtaining an endorsement may require completing a higher education program in a specific subject area, or completing a course or practicum, and passing a test.
What Is a Teaching Endorsement?
A teaching endorsement signifies the grade level, special student population, or academic subject that an educator specializes in and is authorized to teach.
Aspiring educators must obtain one or more endorsements to qualify to become a teacher in Oregon.
Oregon Teaching License Requirements
The process of gaining a teaching license in Oregon includes completing the appropriate education and applying for the credential. Teacher licensing in Oregon requires:
- Earning a bachelor’s degree
- Completing a teacher preparation program approved by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC)
- Passing an endorsement exam
- Applying for a teaching license with a specific endorsement through the TSPC
Teaching licenses note the endorsement or endorsements educators hold, signifying the coursework or degrees that qualify them to teach certain types of classes.
In Oregon, elementary school teachers typically hold elementary-multiple subjects endorsements. High school teachers generally have endorsements in specific subjects such as advanced math.
Teachers also may add to their initial endorsements as they progress in their careers. They might choose to pursue an additional endorsement to expand their teaching options or to change their area of focus.
5 Benefits of Teaching Endorsements
A teaching endorsement is required to be licensed as a teacher in Oregon, but they also provide important benefits for educators’ careers. Following are five key benefits of teaching endorsements:
- Developing authority: Learning more about teaching a specific subject or working with certain types of students helps teachers become experts in their endorsement areas.
- Focusing studies: Selecting a subject or student population to specialize in teaching helps teachers and aspiring teachers ensure they’re pursuing the right type of education and training for their chosen field.
- Finding a career fit: Holding an endorsement that aligns with their interests and strengths can lead teachers to roles that bring them greater career satisfaction.
- Showing commitment: Expanding their expertise demonstrates to current and potential employers the teachers’ dedication to career growth.
- Seeking new opportunities: Adding an endorsement to a teaching license can open doors to new types of roles or prepare educators to work with a more diverse set of students.
Types of Teaching Endorsements in Oregon
The options for teaching endorsements in Oregon focus on students’ age, types of learners, and academic subjects. Some endorsements require educators to complete teacher preparation through a higher education program in a specific subject area and then pass a subject matter endorsement exam. For others, educators must take a subject mastery test and, if they have a preliminary teaching license, also complete a pedagogy course or practicum in that subject.
Another type of teaching endorsement, a career and technical education (CTE) endorsement, also is available for some teaching license holders through a separate process coordinated through the educator’s local school district, the Oregon Department of Education, and the TSPC.
The CTE endorsement focuses on knowledge and skills tailored to business and industry needs. The instruction covers both academic content and the technical and workplace skills needed in various highly skilled career areas.
Endorsements Requiring a Postsecondary Teaching Program
Some endorsements require aspiring and current educators to complete a TSPC-approved teacher preparation program that offers a bachelor’s or master’s degree focused on their desired field, and then pass a corresponding subject matter exam. These endorsements are for the following areas:
- Art
- Drama (no subject test)
- Elementary level, multiple subjects
- English to speakers of other languages (ESOL)
- Library media
- Music
- Physical education (PE)
- Reading intervention
- Special education: deaf and hard of hearing
- Special education: early intervention
- Special education: generalist
- Special education: visually impaired
- World language: Japanese (no subject test)
- World language: Russian (no subject test)
Endorsements Requiring a Test and a Course or Practicum
Other Oregon teaching endorsements call for educators to take a TSPC-approved subject matter test to add the endorsement to their license. Additionally, those with a preliminary teaching license must complete a pedagogy course or practicum in the subject area. These endorsements are for the following areas:
- Advanced math
- Agricultural Science
- Biology
- Business: generalist
- Business: marketing
- Career trades: generalist
- Chemistry
- English language arts
- Family and consumer science
- Foundational English language arts
- Foundational mathematics
- Foundational science
- Foundational social studies
- Health
- Integrated science
- Physics
- Social studies
- Speech (forensics)
- World language: Chinese
- World language: French
- World language: German
- World language: Latin
- World language: Russian
- World language: Spanish
Obtaining an Oregon Teaching Endorsement
The steps to take to acquire a teaching endorsement in Oregon depend on the educator’s experience and the type of endorsement they are seeking.
Once educators gain their initial endorsement required for licensing, only those who hold certain types of Oregon teaching licenses may add to those endorsements. In Oregon, the two most common types of teaching licenses — preliminary and professional — are among those that permit the educator to add another endorsement.
In general, the following types of licenses allow teachers to pursue an additional endorsement:
- Preliminary: For first-time teachers who have completed their required education program and passed the applicable exams, but who have limited teaching experience
- Professional: For teachers with a minimum of four years of full-time classroom experience or six years of part-time experience
- Teacher leader: For teachers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership
- Legacy: For teachers who held a basic teaching license in Oregon prior to 1999 but have not met the experience requirements for a professional license
Some types of Oregon teaching licenses do not permit additional endorsements.
Teachers with reciprocal licenses, or those who have completed a teacher preparation program and hold a nonprovisional license from another state, for example, may hold an initial endorsement but may not add any endorsements. An Oregon substitute teaching license, as another example, doesn’t qualify for adding an endorsement because educators with that credential already can teach any subject.
Steps for Obtaining a Teaching Endorsement
Aspiring and current teachers must follow a specific process to acquire one of the two main types of teaching endorsements available in Oregon. The two main types of endorsements are those that require completion of a higher education teacher preparation program and passing the subject matter exam for the endorsement, and those that require passing a subject matter test and, in some cases, completing a pedagogy course or practicum.
The critical steps to take to obtain one of these teaching endorsements focus on education and testing.
Completing a Specialized Higher Education Teacher Preparation Program
For those types of teaching endorsements that require completion of a higher education teacher preparation program in the desired field and passing a subject matter exam, the program must be a TSPC-approved teacher preparation program, which generally is either a bachelor’s or master’s degree program.
Bachelor’s degree programs typically prepare students for endorsement exams in general education fields or specific areas, such as elementary-multiple subjects and special education.
Graduate-level programs such as Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or a Master of Education (MEd) programs also can help students prepare for endorsement exams. An MAT degree program meets education requirements for an endorsement in an area such as elementary-multiple subjects or middle/high school English language arts, advanced math, biology, social studies, health, or physical education.
An MEd degree program is a good fit for those who already hold a teaching license but want to meet the endorsement requirements in an area such as special education, ESOL, or reading intervention.
Taking an Endorsement Exam
For those types of endorsements that require a subject matter test and a course or practicum, professional, teacher leader, and legacy teaching license holders must pass an endorsement test in their selected subject areas. Those with preliminary teaching licenses must pass the endorsement test and also complete one of the following options:
- Pedagogy course in that subject area
- Sixty-hour practicum in that subject area in a public school setting
Resources: Oregon Teaching Endorsements and Their Requirements
The state of Oregon offers a variety of materials for educators seeking more information about teaching endorsements and their requirements. Consider these resources:
- Oregon Secretary of State, TSPC, Endorsements: Explains the purpose of teaching endorsements, lists the endorsements available, and notes the teaching licenses that qualify for adding them
- TSPC, Adding Endorsements: Lists the state’s teaching endorsements, indicates whether they require completing an education program or testing and a practicum, and provides information about how to add endorsements
- TSPC, Career and Technical Educator (CTE) Teaching Licensure: Explains the various types of Oregon CTE teaching licenses as well as CTE endorsements
- TSPC, Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming an Oregon Educator: Answers a variety of questions about teacher preparation, including how to add endorsements to a license.
- TSPC, Licensing: Endorsements/Specializations: Notes the benefits of endorsements and the general instructions for adding them
- TSPC, Oregon Teaching Licenses: Describes the kinds of teaching licenses available in Oregon and their requirements, including teaching endorsements
- TSPC, Teachers: How to Add Endorsements: Provides a graphic summary of the endorsements available in Oregon and how to add them to preliminary and professional teaching licenses
Pursuing Expanded Knowledge and Opportunity
Teaching endorsements in Oregon help educators highlight their expertise, provide them with greater opportunities, and serve as evidence of their commitment to career growth. By building their knowledge in preparation for the required subject matter exams, current and future teachers can ensure they secure the endorsements that can lead to a fulfilling career in education.