Overview

Special Services Endorsements

The following endorsements are classified as special services:

• Speech and Language Pathologist (#061)
• School Counselor (#068)
• School Psychologist (#070)
• School Social Worker (#071)
• School Nurse-Teacher (#072)
• School Dental Hygienist-Teacher (#073)

Special services endorsements are issued on separate certificates and are not obtained through cross endorsement.

Planned Program Requirement

Eligibility for speech and language pathologist, school counselor and school psychologist requires completion, at a regionally accredited college or university, of a state-approved planned program of preparation leading to a formal institutional recommendation for certification. The college must determine the specific courses required for program completion.

Speech and Language Pathologist

• Valid license from the Connecticut Department of Public Health;
• Institutional recommendation based on completion of a state-approved certification program specific to speech and language pathology at a regionally accredited college or university which includes:
  • Three semester hours of credit in curriculum and methods of providing clinical services to children with communication impairments in schools from;
  • Six semester hours of credit in professional education, including course work in such areas as:
    • Foundations of education
    • Psychology: child, educational, developmental, adolescent, or cognitive learning;
    • Classroom instruction and management, bilingual/bicultural education, reading, curriculum development or behavioral management;
  • A minimum of six semester hours of credit and no more than 12 semester hours of credit in supervised observation, participation and full-time student teaching. Must include at least 100 clock hours of supervised clinical practice for a board of education; and
• A course of study in special education comprised of not fewer than 36 clock hours, which shall include study in understanding the growth and development of exceptional children, including handicapped and gifted and talented children and children who may require special education, and methods for identifying, planning for and working effectively with special-needs children in the regular classroom.

School Social Worker

• Master's degree in social work from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; and
• A course of study in special education comprised of not fewer than 36 clock hours, which shall include study in understanding the growth and development of exceptional children, including handicapped and gifted and talented children and children who may require special education, and methods for identifying, planning for and working effectively with special-needs children in the regular classroom.

School Counselor

• Institutional recommendation based on completion of a state-approved certification program specific to school counseling at a regionally accredited college or university;
• Master's degree;
• 30 semester hours of graduate credit in a planned program in school counseling services, including course work in each of the following areas:
  • Principles and philosophy of developmental guidance and counseling;
  • Psychological and sociological theory as related to children;
  • Career development theory and practice;
  • Individual and group counseling procedures;
  • Pupil appraisal and evaluation techniques; and
  • School-based consultation theory and practice;
• A professional educator certificate; or (holds or is eligible for) an initial educator certificate and 30 school months of successful teaching experience; or a ten month full-time supervised school counseling internship;
• Evidence of a progression of supervised laboratory and practicum experiences in school counseling; and
• A course of study in special education comprised of not fewer than 36 clock hours, which shall include study in understanding the growth and development of exceptional children, including handicapped and gifted and talented children and children who may require special education, and methods for identifying, planning for and working effectively with special-needs children in the regular classroom.

Please note: In order to eventually advance a certificate endorsed for School Counselor to the professional level, candidates must complete at least 45 semester hours of graduate credit in counseling and related areas. This may include coursework required for the initial educator certificate.

School Psychologist

• Master's degree;
• Institutional recommendation based on completion of a state-approved certification program specific to school counseling at a regionally accredited college or university which includes:
• • 45 semester hours of graduate credit in a planned program for school psychologists, including coursework in the following areas:
    • Evaluation techniques;
    • Supervised practicum or field work experience with school-age children;
    • Characteristics of and programs for exceptional children;
    • Human growth and personality development;
    • Individual and group counseling skills; and
    • Learning theories;
  • In addition to the supervised practicum, completed a ten school month school psychology internship under the supervision of a certified school psychologist, the local school system, and the preparing institution; and
• A course of study in special education comprised of not fewer than 36 clock hours, which shall include study in understanding the growth and development of exceptional children, including handicapped and gifted and talented children and children who may require special education, and methods for identifying, planning for and working effectively with special-needs children in the regular classroom.

Please note: In order to eventually advance a certificate endorsed for School Psychology to the professional level, candidates must complete at least 60 semester hours of graduate credit in psychology and related areas. This may include coursework required for the initial educator certificate.

School Nurse Teacher

• Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum of 40 semester hours of credit in general education, including six credits in English and six credits in social sciences;
• Graduated from a school of professional nursing;
• Holds a valid Connecticut registered nurse license;
• Has 36 semester hours of credit in a planned program of study and experience, including study of each of the following:
  • Foundations of education;
  • Educational psychology;
  • Curriculum and methods of teaching;
  • Supervised field experience in a public health agency or a minimum of six semester hours of credit and no more than 12 semester hours of credit in student teaching of health education;
  • Health education; and
  • School health services
• A course of study in special education comprised of not fewer than 36 clock hours, which shall include study in understanding the growth and development of exceptional children, including handicapped and gifted and talented children and children who may require special education, and methods for identifying, planning for and working effectively with special-needs children in the regular classroom.

Please note: In order to eventually advance a certificate endorsed for School Nurse Teacher to the professional level, candidates must complete either a master’s degree or at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit. This may include coursework required for the initial educator certificate.

School Dental Hygienist-Teacher

• Valid dental hygienist license.
• Bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited college or university, including: six semester hours of credit in school health services, child growth and development, methods and materials of instruction, and school organization; and
• A course of study in special education comprised of not fewer than 36 clock hours, which shall include study in understanding the growth and development of exceptional children, including handicapped and gifted and talented children and children who may require special education, and methods for identifying, planning for and working effectively with special-needs children in the regular classroom.

Please note: In order to eventually advance a certificate endorsed for School Dental Hygienist-Teacher to the professional level, candidates must complete either a master’s degree or at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit. This may include coursework required for the initial educator certificate.

Please note: All coursework must lead to award of credit to the official transcript of a regionally accredited college or university.

The information contained on this fact sheet is subject to change without notice.