New Endorsement Requirement for TBIP-Funded Staff—Effective September 1st, 2019

Endorsement Requirement for Certificated Staff

During the 2016 regular session, the legislature passed House Bill 1541, a comprehensive bill based on recommendations from the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee. The bill added language to RCW 28A.180.040 which states “Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, all classroom teachers assigned using funds for the Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program to provide supplemental instruction for eligible pupils must hold an endorsement in Bilingual Education or English Language Learners (ELs), or both.”

Read more in Bulletin 011-17.

TBIP Can Be Used to Provide Supplemental Funding for:

TBIP Can Support Teachers with an ELL or BE endorsement Instructional coaches and trainers with an ELL or BE endorsement Non-instructional TBIP administrators Teachers holding a Standard/Continuing certificate (issued prior to 1987) Content-area teachers who provide academic supports to transitioned students Paraprofessionals who directly instruct English Learners under the supervision of a qualified teacher

TBIP Cannot Fund Teachers without an ELL or BE endorsement Instructional coaches and trainers without an ELL or BE endorsement

Existing Endorsements

Teachers with the following endorsements may be funded with TBIP funds:

• English Language Learner. (Teachers who have the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in English as a New Language may add the English Language Learner endorsement by following the Certification Office’s process.)
• Bilingual Education.
• Previously issued Washington endorsements that are titled, “English as a Second Language (Primary, Secondary, or Support)”.
• An equivalent endorsement with a new name, provided that the equivalent endorsement aligns with other ELL or BE endorsements in the Certification Office’s Migration Chart.

TBIP and Title III funds may not be used to pay for the administrative cost of acquiring endorsements.

Civil Rights Guidance—Staffing

School districts have an obligation to provide the personnel and resources necessary to effectively implement their chosen English learner programs. This obligation includes having highly qualified teachers to provide language assistance services, trained administrators who can evaluate these teachers, and adequate and appropriate materials for the English learner programs.

Paraprofessionals, aides, or tutors may not take the place of qualified teachers and may be used only as an interim measure while the school district hires, trains, or otherwise secures enough qualified teachers to serve its English learner students. If a school district uses paraprofessionals to provide language assistance services to English learner students that supplement those provided by qualified teachers, it may do so only if the paraprofessional is trained to provide services to English learner students and instructs under the direct supervision of a qualified teacher.

Read more in the January 7th, 2015 Dear Colleague Letter on meaningful participation for English learners. Learn more about compliance monitoring for qualifications for staff who instruct English learners in section 7 of the Consolidated Program Review checklist.

Institutions that Grant English Language Learner or Bilingual Education Endorsements

The Professional Educators Standards Board (PESB) offers a list of approved educator programs and provides information on approved endorsements. Further information about those programs and endorsements may be found on the PESB’s Approved Programs page. Districts may use Title III funds to help pay for teachers to become endorsed in either English Language Learner or Bilingual Education.