Washington Administrative Code

(1) findings. The professional educator standards board endorses the following:(a) Teaching first peoples' languages can be a critical factor in successful educational experiences and promoting cultural sensitivity for all students. The effect is particularly strong for native Am…

The authority for this chapter is RCW 28A.410.010 which authorizes the professional educator standards board to establish, publish, and enforce rules and regulations determining eligibility for the certification of personnel employed in the common schools of this state. This auth…

The purposes of this chapter are:(1) To establish a performance-based certification system to be fully implemented for all teacher candidates applying for the residency certificate after August 31, 2000, and for all teacher candidates applying for the professional certificate aft…

The policy purposes of professional educator standards board performance-based certification system are:(1) To provide qualified educators for the emerging performance-based P-12 education system.(2) To assure that practitioners are more directly involved in decisions related to …

The following definitions shall apply to terms used in this chapter:(1) The terms, "program approval," "endorsement," and "interstate compact," as defined in WAC 181-78A-010 shall apply to the provisions of this chapter.(2) "Certificate" means the license issued by the superinten…

Reasonable flexibility in interpretation of the requirements for certification may be applied consistent with the intent and spirit of the requirements of the appropriate chapter. An annual report of the use of this rule shall be submitted to the professional educator standards b…

Any person whose application for certification or for an endorsement is denied by a professional educator standards board approved educator preparation program provider, after exhausting any appeal procedures established by the provider, may apply directly to the superintendent o…

(1) All certificates issued for one or more stated years shall expire on June 30th of the stated year and shall be calculated as follows:(a) Certificates issued prior to June 30th of a calendar year, other than limited certificates issued under WAC 181-79A-231, shall have the exp…

The superintendent of public instruction shall issue a replacement certificate to any person who files an application, pays the appropriate certification fee, and verifies by signature that the original certificate has been lost or destroyed or that a legal name change has occurr…

(1) Certificates issued under previous standards which were issued for a specific term shall continue to be effective for that term.(2) Certificates issued under standards prior to September 1, 2000, which were issued for an indefinite period shall continue to be in effect.(3) Al…

An individual who applies for a Washington state certificate, unless otherwise stipulated by the provisions of WAC 181-79A-123, must meet the requirements in effect at the time of application.[Statutory Authority: Chapter 28A.410 RCW. WSR 21-15-085, § 181-79A-124, filed 7/16/21, …

A holder of a certificate subject to expiration may renew such certificate subject to the rules in effect at the time of such renewal, unless otherwise stipulated by the provisions of WAC 181-79A-123.[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.210. WSR 06-14-010, § 181-79A-127, filed 6/22/…

Temporary permits may be issued by the superintendent of public instruction and designated agents under the following conditions:(1) Temporary permits may be issued under this section to those persons who have filed an application for a certificate; who, based on available docume…

(1) Under provisions of RCW 28A.410.060, 28A.410.062, and 28A.415.010, the fee for certificates that are valid for more than one year, issued under the authority of the state of Washington and authorizing the holder to serve in the common schools of the state, shall be as follows…

(1) Under RCW 28A.410.060, certificate fees will be used solely for one or more of the following:(a) Precertificate preparation;(b) Program evaluation; or(c) Professional in-service training programs.(2) Precertificate preparation, program evaluation, and professional in-service …

Per WAC 181-82A-215, all teachers are required to hold at least one endorsement, provided, a teacher who obtains a bilingual education, or English language learner endorsement after September 1, 2019, must earn and/or hold a second endorsement in another endorsement area that may…

In addition to the uses described in WAC 181-79A-131, certificate fees will be used as described in this section to support professional in-service training programs.(1) Beginning with the state fiscal year 2015, the professional educator standards board shall biennially issue a …

The provisions of this chapter apply to the certificate roles listed in this section. Certificates in the following roles shall be issued:(1) Teacher. The teacher certificate authorizes service as a classroom teacher.(2) Career and technical education. The career and technical ed…

The provisions of this chapter apply to the following certificate types:(1) The following certificate types issued on or after August 31, 1987:(a) Residency certificates;(b) Professional certificates;(c) Initial certificates;(d) Continuing certificates;(e) Standard certificates a…

Two levels of certification may be issued.(1) Initial and professional certificates:(a) Initial certificates. The initial administrator certificates are valid for seven years. Initial administrator certificates shall not be subject to renewal. Initial educational staff associate …

The following requirements are to be met by candidates for certification, including teachers, career and technical education educators, administrators, educational staff associates, or first peoples' language, culture, and oral tribal traditions teachers:(1) Age. No person who is…

All applicants for certification shall submit the following:(1) An affidavit from the applicant indicating that he or she has not been convicted of any crime or a complete disclosure of all arrests and subsequent dispositions of such arrests. In the event of a conviction for any …

An individual's application for certification shall be signed under oath that the statements therein are true and correct. The application if not notarized by a notary public must conform with the formalities prescribed in RCW 9A.72.085. In addition, the application shall state t…

Educators holding certificates shall provide a current mailing address to the superintendent of public instruction. Beginning September, 2010, any change of address shall be communicated to the same office within sixty days.[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.210. WSR 10-20-004, § …

(1) The course work on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students under RCW 28A.410.035 will include content on the following:(a) Issues of abuse:(i) Identification of physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and substance abuse;(ii) Commercial sexual …

Candidates for teachers' certificates shall complete the following requirements.(1) Residency.Candidates for the residency certificate shall hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university under WAC 181-79A-030.(2) Professional.Candidates for a professional c…

Candidates for the respective administrative certificate shall complete the following requirements.(1) Superintendent.(a) Initial.(i) The candidate shall hold a master's degree or higher and have completed subsequent to the baccalaureate degree at least forty-five quarter credit …

Candidates for school counselor and school psychologist certification shall complete the following requirements.(1) Degree. It shall not be necessary for any candidate who holds a master's degree or higher to obtain the specified master's degree if the candidate provides satisfac…

Candidates for school nurse, school occupational therapist, school physical therapist and school speech-language pathologist or audiologist, school social worker, school behavior analyst, and school orientation and mobility specialist certification shall apply directly to the pro…

(1) Professional transitions to public schools course work requirement. The candidate shall successfully complete a minimum of fifteen continuing education credit hours or one semester hour of course work approved by the professional educator standards board which will consist of…

(1) Per WAC 181-82A-215, all teachers are required to hold at least one endorsement. Candidates pursuing a science endorsement in a state-approved program must earn and/or hold the science endorsement before September 1, 2019. After September 1, 2019, only certified teachers with…

Emergency teacher certificates, valid for one year, may be issued by the superintendent of public instruction under the following conditions:(1) A teacher preparation program approved by the professional educator standards board has recommended the candidate as having met all req…

All applicants for limited certificates must meet the age, good moral character, and personal fitness requirements of WAC 181-79A-150 (1) and (2).Nothing within chapter 181-79A WAC authorizes practice by an educational staff associate which is otherwise prohibited or restricted b…

Substitute certificate.(1) Intent. The intent of the substitute certificate is to provide a district, educational service district, or approved private school with hiring flexibility during the absence of an educator.(2) Roles.(a) This certificate may be issued in the role of tea…

(1) Certificate types and roles. Certificate types under WAC 181-79A-142(1), for the certificate roles under WAC 181-79A-140, are renewed or reinstated as described in this section unless otherwise provided for in Title 181 WAC.(2) Validity period. Unless otherwise specified in T…

Certificate renewal requirements include the following:(1) Equity-based school practices. Applications for renewal dated July 1, 2023, and beyond, for the certificate types and roles as indicated in (a) and (b) of this subsection, must demonstrate completion of professional learn…

(1) Professional growth plans. Individuals may use professional growth plans towards meeting the continuing education requirement for certificate renewal. Professional growth plans are defined in WAC 181-85-033. For educators holding multiple certificates in chapter 181-77 or 181…

The following shall apply to first peoples' language, culture, and oral tribal traditions certificates issued pursuant to this chapter:A first peoples' language, culture, and oral tribal traditions certificate may be renewed for an additional five-year period on application and v…

The superintendent of public instruction is authorized to enter into interstate educational personnel contracts with states party to the interstate agreement on qualifications of educational personnel in accordance with provisions of RCW 28A.690.010 and 28A.690.020 which authoriz…

Candidates for certification from other states who meet the general certificate requirements described in WAC 181-79A-150 (1) and (2), and the specific requirements for the certificate being sought in chapter 181-77 or 181-79A WAC including, but not limited to, degree, continuing…

Certification candidates who have completed degree and/or approved professional preparation programs in a country other than the United States may be required to provide one or more of the following:(1) A transcript from an accredited United States college or university indicatin…

As provided for in RCW 28A.410.210, 28A.660.020, and 28A.660.035, the Washington professional educator standards board establishes policies and requirements for the preparation and certification of educators, including establishing policies for the approval of nontraditional prep…

The following definitions shall apply to terms used in this chapter:(1) Clinical practice: "Clinical practice" means a specific, prolonged field experience where the candidate practices or serves in the role for which they are being prepared. Clinical practice must take place in …

(1) Alternative routes to teacher certification programs are partnerships between professional educator standards board-approved preparation program providers, Washington school districts, and other partners as appropriate. These partnerships are focused on district-specific teac…

Alternative route programs under this chapter shall operate one to four specific route programs. Successful completion of an alternative route program shall meet the program completion requirements for residency teacher certification. The mentor of the teacher candidate at the sc…

The authority for this chapter is chapter 28A.410 RCW which authorizes the professional educator standards board to establish, publish, and enforce rules and regulations determining eligibility for the certification of personnel employed in the common schools of this state. This …

The purposes of this chapter are to:(1) Establish policies for the assignment of certificated personnel within districts; and(2) Establish policies and conditions for obtaining endorsements on teaching certificates.[WSR 06-02-051, recodified as § 181-82-004, filed 12/29/05, effec…

(1) Beginning September 1, 2014, the professional educator standards board shall annually make publicly available:(a) A report on the number of students in courses assigned to a teacher of record with or without a matching endorsement appropriate to that course by district and st…

In addition to holding teaching permits or certificates as required by WAC 180-16-220(2), the assignment of classroom teachers in the basic program of education shall comply with the following:(1) Classroom teachers with standard or unendorsed continuing teacher certificates may …

The assignment of substitute teachers in the basic program of education shall comply with the following:(1) Individuals with the following valid teacher certificate or permit types may be assigned as a substitute teacher:(a) Substitute.(b) Emergency substitute.(c) Intern substitu…