Credentialing Help Desk Knowledge Base

Statement of Eligibility (SOE) Requirements

Owned by Christine Zinkand
Mar 18, 2024

 

An issued Statement of Eligibility informs a New Hampshire employer that you have met the minimum requirements to be hired in the role of the endorsement sought and begin the Site-Based Licensing Plan process.

General Information

First-Time Applicants

Criminal History Record Check Clearance now required for First-Time Applicants

Criminal History Record Check Clearance Instructions

Employment

  • A New Hampshire Senior Educational Official may hire a candidate who holds a Statement of Eligibility (SOE) to fill a position in the endorsement area for which they hold the SOE and continues employment while pursuing full licensure under an Intern Authorization.

 

  • An SOE is NOT an authorization for continued employment or a full license. A Beginning of Plan must be submitted/approved and an Intern Authorization issued for continued employment.

 

  • SOE’s are often not appropriate for long-term subs (more than 20 consecutive days/less than 1 year) or 1 year positions as the process is time/effort intensive and a plan will likely not be able to be completed during a long-term sub/1 year position.

Completing a Plan

  • An SOE is only valid for 3 years. If full licensure is not completed under an Intern Authorization for the endorsement of the SOE during this time, a new SOE must be applied for/issued.

 

  • While an applicant may apply for as many SOE endorsements as eligible to increase employment opportunities, once hired a candidate may only participate in one endorsement SBLP at a time.

 

 

  • Additional subject testing may be required while under an Intern Authorization for full licensure.

 

  • The Site-Based Licensing Plan (SBLP) process leads to the same license as completion of an approved educator preparation program and should be as rigorous.

Requirements for all SOE’s

Candidates applying for an SOE must:

  • hold at least a conferred Bachelor’s degree (some endorsements require advanced degrees), AND

  • have successfully met the Basic Academic Skills Assessment (if required)

  • Career and Technical Education Specialty Area endorsement requirements differ. Please see below for further information.

  • Meet specific endorsement requirements (see below)

To submit:

  • Application Instructions

  • Transcript(s) with registrar’s signature

  • Documentation of meeting Basic Academic Skills Assessment (if required)

  • Specific endorsement requirements (documentation required if applicable)

    • Experience: employer verified letter

      • Educator experience used to qualify to utilize this pathway must have been in a jurisdiction that is subject to US education and special education laws and regulations. Such jurisdictions include any US state, US territories, and DoDEA schools.

    • Coursework and degrees: transcript with registrar’s signature

    • Test Scores: test score report with applicant’s identifying information

From your ETS-Praxis account, use the EPP Test Requirements link to display all tests available through ETS. For tests being used only to obtain an SOE that are not required for full licensure, do not choose NHDOE as a recipient of scores otherwise the test will not show up on the list. Instead, obtain a PDF of your test score report once available from ETS and upload the PDF to your myNHDOE/EIS account.

Specific Endorsement Requirements for an SOE

Endorsements Available and Requirements use as reference to review competency requirements for coursework required below as applicable

 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Specialty Areas (SOE/CTESA)

CTE Specialty Area Site-Based Licensing Plans are only authorized with employment at a NH CTE Center.
Ed 505.05 (c) SOE credential holders shall be employed in a New Hampshire school in the role of the endorsement that allows them to learn and demonstrate the professional education standards enumerated in Ed 505.03, if applicable, and the endorsement requirements enumerated in Ed 506 through Ed 508.

Complete list of CTE Specialty endorsements available

Basic Academic Skills Assessment requirement:
If the Basic Academic Skills Assessment requirement has not yet been met:

Submit an experience letter documenting 3 years of full time experience in the area for which licensure is sought AND a copy of a current industry-recognized credential appropriate to the CTE specialty area in which licensure is sought and approved by the DOE.

NH Industry Recognized Credential List

Degree/Experience requirement:
Documentation of Bachelor’s degree or higher in the career and technical education-related area of the endorsement, OR
Documentation of 1 year of employer verified, full time work experience in the career and technical education-related area of the endorsement AND completion of at least a 2-year career and technical program in the area of endorsement, OR
Documentation of 2 years’ employer verified, full time work experience in the career and technical education-related area of the endorsement AND a high school diploma or equivalent, OR
Completion of at least a 2-year career and technical program in the area of endorsement AND copy of corresponding industry credential approved by the DOE, if applicable.

Critical Shortage (SOE/SHORT)

Student Loan deferment and cancellation:
Endorsements eligible for deferment and cancellation of some student loans can be found here: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.html

 

Career and Technical Education Principal

  • Passed at least 2 college-level courses meeting the competency requirements of Ed 506.08, OR

  • Passed Praxis 5412 Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (score 146) or comparable test

  • Must have at least 5 years of experience as a teacher, educational specialist, instructional specialist, or administrator

Master’s degree in Education, Educational Leadership or related area required by plan completion.

School Counselor

  • Passed at least 2 college-level courses in counseling, OR

  • Passed Praxis 5421 Professional School Counselor (score 156) or comparable test

Master’s degree in School Counseling, Counseling, Mental Health, Psychology or Social Work by plan completion.

School Psychologist

  • Valid current professional license as a Psychologist, Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCHMC), OR

  • Enrolled in a graduate program leading to PhD, CAGS, Educational Specialist or Master’s in School Psychology with documentation of passing graduate level college coursework in advanced human development, psychopathology, counseling theory and practice and at least 9 credits in assessing Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and Specific Learning Disabilities

School Social Worker

  • Passed at least 2 college-level courses in social work

Master’s degree in School Social Work or Social Work by plan completion.

School Speech-Language Specialist

  • As of 4/14/23 this endorsement has been repealed by the NH State Board of Education and is no longer available.

 

Elementary Mathematics Specialist (K-6)

  • Hold a valid experienced educator endorsement (EEL), AND

  • Must have completed at least 3 years of successful classroom teaching of mathematics within grades PK-6, AND

  • Master’s degree in Mathematics, Education or a related field by plan completion, AND

  • One of the following:

    • Passed at least 2 college-level courses in mathematics, OR

    • Passed Praxis 5164 Middle School Mathematics (score 157) or comparable test

Library Media Specialist

  • Passed at least 2 college-level courses in Library and Information Science, OR

  • Passed Praxis 5312 School Librarian (score 154) or comparable test

Reading and Writing Specialist

  • Passed at least 2 college-level courses in reading instruction/diagnostic assessment, OR

  • Passing scores on Pearson Foundations of Reading (score 240) or comparable test, AND

  • Must have at least 3 years of classroom teaching experience

Master’s degree in Literacy or related area by plan completion. Review full licensure requirements summary.

 

Elementary Education (K-6) and Early Childhood Education (N-3) (SOE/EEECE)

Elementary Education (K-8) (SOE/EEK8)

New Endorsements (5 years from effective date of a new endorsement rule) (SOE/NEWEND)

Currently there are no NH endorsements that meet this criteria.

Teacher, Specialist, Administrator Endorsements (SOE/CLGCRS)

 

Complete list of endorsements

SOE/CLGCRS is not available for:

  • Assistant Principal

  • Principal

  • District Administrator

  • Assistant Superintendent

  • Superintendent

Requirement for all endorsements:

  • Passed 15 college-level credits in the endorsement area

No Other Available Pathway (SOE/NOPATH)

Currently there are no NH endorsements that meet this criteria.

 



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