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School Counseling First Time Licensure

This page is for School Counseling graduates who are seeking a first-time license in any state.

Before you begin this process, please make sure you have completed all requirements and have graduated. Your degree date must be posted on your transcript in order to complete licensure.

Licensure Requirements

1) Praxis Exams

All applicants who are seeking a first-time teaching license in ANY state are required to complete the following Praxis exams. Be sure to have scores submitted for all Praxis exams to Arkansas State University (Code 6011) and to the Arkansas Department of Education (Code 7031).

  • Praxis School Counselor exam
  • One of the following Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exams:
    • Praxis PLT: Early Childhood - 5621
    • Praxis PLT: Grades K-6 - 5622
    • Praxis PLT: Grades 5-9 - 5623
    • Praxis PLT: Grades 7-12 - 5624
    • Praxis PLT: Grades PreK-12 - 5625

The Praxis PLT is an Arkansas State University School Counseling program requirement for those seeking first-time licensure and is used to assess pedagogical competence.

2) Completion of ArkansasIDEAS Professional Development

All of the following courses on ArkansasIDEAS must be completed and turned in to the Educator Licensure Specialist, Mrs. Woolard:

Course Topic Hours Course ID
Child Maltreatment Training 2 hours ERB25003
Mental Health Awareness 2 hours TLC22002
Family and Community Engagement 2 hours PIB22001
Teen Suicide Awareness and Prevention 2 hours HWB23001
Bullying Prevention 2 hours ERC20073
Dyslexia 1 hour HWG14003
Human Trafficking Awareness 1 hour ERB18062

Arkansas History (required for Arkansas licensure)

 2 hours AHB25002
Professional Licensure Standards Board (PLSB) – Arkansas Code of Ethics Training Video 1 hour ERC19048
Professional Licensure Standards Board (PLSB) - Code of Ethics for Arkansas Educators: Ethical Scenarios in Education (2020) 1 hour ERC20059
Professional Licensure Standards Board (PLSB) - Social Media Guidelines 3 hours TCC14435

Instructions: Log in to ArkansasIDEAS and click Record of Learning at the top of the page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and change the dropdown option to PDF Landscape. You will then click Export, and a list of all your completed courses will be downloaded.

For more information or assistance, see the LMS User Guide. Feel free to call the ArkansasIDEAS Help Desk at 1-800-488-6689 or email ideas@aetn.org if you have any questions, concerns, or need more information on receiving professional development.

First-Time Arkansas Licensure

1) Central Registry and Criminal Background Check

A central registry and criminal background check must be completed. Dates must not be older than one year at the time of licensing.

Instructions for Background Checks are available. Please read the instructions carefully to ensure backgrounds are processed quickly and efficiently.

Check the clearance of the central registry and criminal background checks >>

You can log in to your AELS account to view your background. Click "view current license information" and look under Non-Criminal Background Information (NCBC). You should have 3 approvals: FBI, ASP, and Central Registry. All three need to be within 1 year. FBI and State are fingerprints, Central Registry is the Child Maltreatment check.

2) Apply Online and Send Licensure Requirements to Mrs. Woolard

There is a $75 fee for obtaining a standard license in Arkansas.

Before beginning this application, you must be prepared to pay the $75.00 license fee. You will not be able to submit your license application without entering payment information. Have your credit/debit card ready.

All Licensure Requirements listed above (Praxis, PLT, and ArkansasIDEAS) must be completed and emailed to Mrs. Woolard when starting the online application. The requirements can also be uploaded to your online application.

  • Log in to the AELS website.
    • Select Apply for a Standard License
    • Select First-time Licensure (recent graduate from an Arkansas institution)
    • Select Arkansas State University
  • Complete the information requested on the pages that follow.

Once your application has been submitted, Mrs. Woolard will review for confirmation of recommendation from Dr. Mary Elizabeth Spence, the Professional Licensure Officer. This review process could take from 1 to 14 days, depending on the licensure workload. You will receive an email from Mrs. Woolard if anything is missing to approve your recommendation.

3) Send Official Transcripts to the Arkansas Department of Education

Transcripts can be requested through the National Student Clearinghouse via Banner9 Self-Service or A-State's website.

It is the student's responsibility to request official transcripts.

Sending transcripts before your degree has been conferred will cause a delay in licensure, and you will have to resend a copy. 

AELS Licensure Information

To check the status of your license, go to the Arkansas Department of Education's Licensure website. If your licensure status has not changed from pending to approved after 4 weeks, please reach out to Mrs. Woolard at swoolard@astate.edu.

When this process is complete, you will be able to print your license from your Arkansas Department of Education AELS account and begin your career as a teacher.

At A-State, your graduation checklist identifies the areas in which you are qualified to seek licensure. Please reach out to your advisor, department chair, or the licensure specialist if you have questions. Areas for licensure can be added later, but it requires completing another online application, etc. Please apply for and secure your license as soon as possible because licensure requirements change from time to time, and if you wait, you may be required to complete additional work.

First-Time Out-of-State Licensure

To verify that an applicant can be recommended for licensure in another state, they must be eligible for professional licensure in the state of Arkansas. Arkansas State University provides state-by-state educational determinations on the State Authorization & Licensure Disclosures page. Because licensure requirements vary and may include additional conditions, students should review that page and confirm requirements with their state’s licensing board before enrolling in an out-of-state program.

In one packet, you will send the following information:
  1. Out-of-State Verification/Recommendation Form
    1. This form will come from your respective state. Please complete any required applicant information and sign, if applicable.
    2. If you cannot find this form online, please call your state’s department of education.
    3. Please note: many states recommend/require that students get licensed in Arkansas first and then reciprocate to the state where they reside. If this is the case for you, please follow the First-Time Arkansas Licensure instructions.
  2. Contact Information
    1. Please include a note with the following information:
      • Full name
      • Student ID
      • Address
      • Phone Number
      • Personal Email
  3. Praxis School Counselor and PLT Score Reports
    1. To be recommended for licensure in any state, you must pass the exam required for Arkansas. If you are unsure which Praxis exam is required for your area, please click here to see the list on the Arkansas Department of Education website.
  4. Record of Learning from ArkansasIDEAS

All listed documents must be included in a packet and sent to Mrs. Woolard. Incomplete packets will delay licensure or potentially not get processed at all. The applicant will receive an email from Mrs. Woolard requesting any missing information.

Submit the licensure packet by mailing it to the following address:

Office of Professional Education Programs

Attn: Sara Woolard

P.O. Box 720

State University, AR  72467

Items can be emailed to Mrs. Woolard, as long as nothing contains your social security number. All the items listed must be sent in a single email.

It is your responsibility to request that your official transcript be sent to your state’s Department of Education. This process is completed through the National Student Clearinghouse, and can be accessed through your Banner9 Self-Service account or via A-State’s website. Do not send your transcript before your degrees are posted.

  • NOTE: Some states have their own route to sending official transcripts. You may need to contact your state’s department of education to find out this information.

Upon receipt of a completed application packet, Mrs. Sara Woolard, Educator Licensure Specialist, will review for confirmation of recommendation from Dr. Mary Elizabeth Spence, the Professional Licensure Officer at Arkansas State University. This process takes 3-6 weeks, depending on the Professional Licensure Officer's licensure workload.

Questions Regarding Licensure

A downloadable and printable version of these instructions is available for each area: 

Reach out to the Office of Professional Education for any questions regarding licensure!

Address:
Office of Professional Education
PO Box 720
State University, AR 72467

Sara Woolard
Educator Licensure Specialist
swoolard@AState.edu
870-972-2099

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Spence
Professional Licensure Officer
mspence@AState.edu
870-972-2099

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