The Review of Licensing for Class 5 and Class 6 School Psychologists

New requirements for Class 5 and Class 6 Licenses came into effect in May 2009.

MASP offers some helpful documents to support you if you are thinking of a career as a School Psychologist or if you are embarking toward licensure.

• Thinking of Becoming a School Psychologist
• PDF format [64k]
• MS Word format [27k]
• Guidance Notes for Licensing Procedure
• PDF format [48k]
• MS Word format [24k]

The Application for a Montana Class 5 or 6 School Psychologist License is available online at the Montana Office of Public Instruction website.

The members of the Montana Association of School Psychologists welcome you to our website and will be willing to support applicants seeking licensure by answering any inquiries or providing guidance.

Applicants seeking employment in Montana will need to advise any potential employer of their stage in the Licensure process. The MASP Applicant Liaison (see below) will advise applicants of the date of the next Review Board meeting.

If you believe you are eligible for either a Class 5 or Class 6 License, please apply appropriately. Using the information from both the OPI and MASP websites, the applicant will proceed as outlined below.

Outline of Class 5 and 6 Licensing Process

Outline of Class 5 and 6 Licensing Process

The Applicant…
Completes	Part A (General Information) and Part B (Character and Fitness Questionnaire) of the OPI Application.
Completes	A fingerprint background check.
Submits	Parts A and B of the application and appropriate fee to OPI, Educator License and Fingerprints to the Montana Department of Justice with the appropriate fee.
Receives	Notice from OPI that Parts A and B are complete.
Continues	To Part C Applicant submits relevant OPI documentation (Class 5 or 6 Licensure Application and Verification of Completion of OPI application, Parts A and B)  AND Using the MASP website, submits the appropriate MASP application form, appropriate documentation and fee to the MASP Applicant Liaison as outlined on the application form.
The Montana Association of School Psychologists…
Verifies	All required documents are received; and at their next meeting, the Review Board reviews the candidate’s application. At this stage the board will either meet the candidate in person or via a conference call.
Advises	The Director of the School Psychologist Program at the University of Montana of the applicant’s eligibility for licensure, OR Advises the applicant of recommended action prior to re-submission of the application.
The University of Montana…
Completes	The recommendation for Licensure to the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) and forwards all documentation, including official transcripts to OPI.
The Montana Office of Public Instruction…
Issues	The appropriate License.

If you believe you are eligible for either a Class 5 or Class 6 License, please apply appropriately. Checklists for Application to the MASP Competency Review Board and Verification of Requirements are available to assist you and guide you through the licensing process.

Class 5 Licensure for candidates who do not meet all of the requirements for the Class 6 licenses. Those eligible for a Class 5 License have 3 years to complete the requirements for full licensure. The Class 5 Licensure Checklist must be accompanied by the Class 5 Supervision Plan.

Class 6 Licensure for School Psychologists who have Master's Degree and who have completed an accredited professional educator preparation program in the endorsement area.

For more information please visit the Montana Office of Public Instruction Educator Licensure page.

MASP Applicant Liaisons

Assistance is available!

The following people are more than happy to assist you with your application or answer your questions.

Joelene Goodover, Applicant Liaison
(406) 761-1970 or jsong[at]centric[dot]net

Ann Verploegen, Board Chair
(406) 590-1532 or redmule2[at]juno[dot]com

MASP Competency Review Board

MASP Competency Review Board

Position	Person
Chair	Ann Verploegen
Secretary	Shawna Rader Kelly
Applicant Liaison	Joelene Goodover
Current MASP President	Juliana Robinson
Treasurer	Julie Parker
University of Montana Faculty	Greg Machek
Technical Support	Rhonda Remsen
MASP President Elect	Monica Martin
Membership	Juliana Robinson
OPI Educator Licensing	Elizabeth Keller

The task of the Competency Review Board is to support verification of qualifications and experience of psychologists applying for Licensure in the State of Montana. We are implementing a procedure which includes peer review and the requirement of a professionally supervised experience plan at the Class 5 level. Successful applicants will then be eligible to apply formally to the Office of Public Instruction for either a Class 5 or Class 6 License.

A training course for School Psychologist Supervisors involved in local supervision of Class 5 applicants was developed in the Fall of 2009.