description

The Foundations of Licensure Certificate is designed to support students pursuing a career in a K-12 educational setting.  It provides students with foundational knowledge and professional skills to successfully go to work as an Educational Assistant.  It is also stackable and leads directly to the completion of an AAOT for students wishing to transfer to a university and pursue a K-12 teaching license.

program learning outcomes

1. Identify personal skills, strengths and values to determine "goodness of fit" with a career in Education.\\n
2. Create a working study guide from general education courses that can be used to study for licensure.\\n
3. Develop the foundation of a developmentally appropriate teaching philosophy.
4. Apply critical thinking to analyze social issues necessary to support the function of public education.\\n
5. Describe culturally-responsive pedagogy and integration of social justice into a teaching philosophy.\\n
6. Identify the ethics and responsibilities necessary to obtain a professional license in the teaching field and clarify career confirmation.

entrance requirements

While this program has no formal entrance requirements, individual courses may have prerequisites which must be met before enrollment.

course requirements

advising notes

The Foundations of Licensure Certificate has been designed for students who are confident that they want to work in the Educational field, but they are exploring their options and reflecting on their personal interests, values, skill sets and ultimate career goal.  This certificate gives students foundational skills that they can use when working as an Educational Assistant in a school setting at any grade level.  Public schools do not currently require this certificate for someone to be hired as an EA, but successful completion of these courses will give a student knowledge, hands-on experience and the confidence to thrive in an EA position. 

Many students choose to work as an Educational Assistant as a first step and then consider whether to go further and pursue the next step of K-12 licensure.  At COCC you can complete the AAOT Elementary ED degree or the AAOT with a focus area of Secondary ED.  This Foundations Licensure Certificate is stackable with either of these degrees and guides students to take a strategic set of both Education courses and General Education courses that provide essential knowledge and training for future educators.

As students complete these courses they should be working closely with an advisor and actively reflecting on next steps. Some students may complete this certificate and work long-term as an EA or in another position in a K-12 school setting.  Other students may continue on and efficiently work toward the next step of an AAOT degree with the goal of transferring to a university and pursuing a K-12 teaching license. 

Students should consult with an education advisor as early as possible to discuss program options and to determine which courses fulfill transfer requirements to different institutions and different levels of licensure.

For more information on teacher preparation programs in Oregon, see the Oregon Teacher Standard and Practices Commission website. Students may also wish to review the College's advising guide for teacher education.

performance standards

• Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA to earn a COCC certificate or degree.
• All courses with the program prefix must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Additional Requirements:

• Students must pass a state background check in order to participate in ED 269 Overview of Special Education and ED 210 Practicum in Teaching or ED 101 Introduction to Education Practicum and Seminar which are requirements for completing this certificate.

sample plan