District of Columbia Initial School Counselor Certification

AKA: DC Initial SSP Credential

School Counselor Certification

by School Counselor Certification Staff

Updated: September 16th, 2024

Initial School Counselor Certification (Initial SSP Credential)

Unlocking the gateway to your professional growth, the Initial School Service Provider (SSP) certification is your key to making a lasting impact in a specific student service provider area. This exclusive certification, granted once and not subject to renewal, empowers you to offer your expertise for two years, paving the way for a fulfilling career in education. Achieving this certification requires the successful completion of all relevant prerequisites, starting with an Identity History Summary Check (IHSC) issued by the FBI or an accredited channeler agency.

You will need to furnish official transcripts validating the completion of your bachelor’s degree. Alternatively, you can provide a copy of an active full credential from another state or submit a duly completed D.C. LEA Request Form.

Education or Degree Requirements

To qualify for the Initial SSP Certification as a School Counselor, individuals must meet the following education requirements:

Specific coursework includes philosophy and principles of guidance, counseling theory and practice, educational measurement, career development theory, understanding the individual, group counseling, and research/evaluation.

Tips

  • Ensure that your master’s degree is in counseling or a related field.
  • Verify that your coursework aligns with the specified requirements to avoid deficiencies.

Experience Requirements

The experience requirements for an Initial SSP Certification as a School Counselor include:

  • Supervised Experience: Applicants must have completed at least 300 hours of supervised experience in counseling in a PreK-12 school setting. This requirement can be fulfilled through a CACREP or NBCC-approved program.
  • Teaching Experience: Alternatively, individuals can qualify with at least two years of full-time teaching experience.

Tips

  • Keep track of your supervised hours to ensure compliance with the specified requirements.

Testing Requirements

It is imperative that you successfully undertake the mandated school counselor content examination in the District of Columbia.

  • Specifically, the District of Columbia necessitates candidates to complete the Praxis 5422, achieving a passing score of 156.
  • For comprehensive information on the Professional School Counselor Praxis examination, please refer to the Praxis website.
  • All individuals seeking licensure are required to include original test-taker score report(s) as attachments to their application packet for D.C. licensure.

Neglecting to include your score results as an integral part of your licensure application packet will lead to a denial of your licensure application.

Background Checks

A background check is required to certify educator credentials issued by the District of Columbia’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). The purpose is to ensure the safety and suitability of individuals seeking certification to work in educational settings.

To meet the background check requirements, applicants must obtain an Identity History Summary Check (IHSC) report, which includes a personal FBI criminal background check. The IHSC report must be issued within the previous 12 months from the date of application submission.

There are two methods to obtain the IHSC report:

Through an FBI-Approved Channeler Agency

  • Choose an FBI-approved channeler agency from the provided list.
  • Complete the agency’s registration process.
  • Indicate that the request is for ‘PERSONAL REVIEW.’
  • Satisfy any additional requirements specified by the chosen agency.
  • Receive and upload all pages of the IHSC report when submitting the online application.

Associated fees: Fees may vary by agency, and applicants should check with the chosen channeler agency for specific costs.

Direct Request to the FBI

  • Complete the FBI’s Applicant Information Form.
  • Obtain personal fingerprints on the standard FD-1164 fingerprint form.
  • Submit payment of $18.00 via credit card, money order, or cashier’s check.
  • Provide all required information for proper processing.
  • Mail the request and documents to the FBI CJIS Division.

Associated fees: $18.00 for the IHSC report when submitting a request directly to the FBI.

Applicants who are current D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) employees and have been recently fingerprinted may not need to submit an IHSC report unless there is a reported criminal incident in their background. In such cases, an FBI IHSC and related court documents must be presented during the application submission.

For comprehensive details and additional information, consider exploring the FBI’s official website dedicated to Identity History Summary checks.

If you require assistance from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, their attentive team is readily available during regular office hours from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can conveniently connect with them at 1050 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20002. Feel free to reach out via phone at 202-727-6436, utilize the TTY service at 711, or drop them an email at osse@dc.gov.

Application Process

The application process for obtaining the credential involves several steps through the Educator Credentialing Information System (ECIS) V2.0. Here’s a summary:

Online Application Process

Preparation

  • Contact institutions and agencies for official copies of required documents.
  • Scan all required documents into complete PDF files.

Create an ECIS Account

  • Visit ECIS V2.0.
  • Click “Click Here to Register” if new, or “Click here to Sign In” if returning.
  • Complete registration information and wait for approval.
  • Receive an invitation email, create a password, and sign in.

Create an Application

  • Sign in and click “Click here to create a new application.”
  • Complete personal information already pre-populated.
  • Choose credential subject area(s).

Upload Documents

  • Scan and upload all required documents as PDFs.
  • Use the “Click here to upload required documents” button.
  • Choose the document type, enter a name, and upload the file.

Submitting Payment

  • Review the application for completeness.
  • Click “Proceed to Checkout.”
  • Confirm application details and agree to consent.
  • Click “Click here to Make Payment” and enter your card details.

Check Application Status

  • Application processing time is 8 to 10 weeks.
  • Log in to ECIS V2.0 to check the status.
  • For technical support, contact OSSE.ECIS@dc.gov.

To access support from the Educator Credentialing Information System (ECIS V2.0) for applying for an OSSE educator credential, individuals need to submit an ECIS Support Ticket. A support representative will provide step-by-step instructions or schedule virtual sessions. Additional user instructions can be found at this link.