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In late April, the legislature passed a bill that significantly changes the way in which teachers earn the professional certificate. While not all the implications of this change have been determined yet, the following information should be helpful to teachers and others affected by the professional certificate.
As of September 1, 2011, to earn a professional certificate, you must (a) have two years of teaching experience and (b) pass the new professional certificate assessment (portfolio of evidence).
University support will be optional.
No. individuals with a residency certificate will still be expected to earn the professional certificate. What's changing is the process for earning the certificate.
Yes. Some programs are planning to offer support seminars for professional certificate candidates in the same way that some universities offer support programs for National Board candidates. Other universities may only offer it in conjunction with their master's degree.
No. Your existing professional certificate will remain valid until the expiration date stated on the certificate. Renewal requires 150 clock hours every five years.
Yes, that option is still in place.
No, as long as you complete your program by August 31, 2011, you can be assessed by the university.
No, the expectations for the work you are producing remain the same as long as you complete the work by August 31, 2011.
No.
Yes.
The new portfolio process will measure whether a candidate for the professional certificate has met the standards and criteria established by the Professional Educator Standards Board for that certificate.
No.
Teachers will complete three portfolio entries, as prescribed by the state assessment. In these three entries, they will be asked to provide student work and classroom instructional evidence from their teaching that addresses the professional certificate standards and criteria. Their portfolio entries will then be reviewed by trained outside evaluators to provide a score.
The new process is similar in many respects: the standards and criteria are identical, and the collection and analysis of evidence in the portfolio are also very similar.
The difference is that the portfolio will be assessed at the state level by
trained evaluators.
Teachers can register to take the assessment anytime prior to the expiration of their residency certificate (but typically during their third or fourth year of teaching in Washington schools). There will be two windows of time each year for teachers to submit their portfolio entries.
Yes, but you must pay a fee for re-submitting and scoring the entries that did not meet standard.
No. All entries must meet standard before the professional certificate can be awarded, and there are no provisions for additional renewals under the new process.
The cost will be $495.
The entries, writing guidelines, and rubrics can be viewed on the Professional Educator Standards Board website at
www.pesb.wa.gov.
Yes, registration for the assessment will be available by January, 2010.
No.
The changes do not automatically change your certificate status; they just change the process by which you complete requirements for the professional certificate. However, you should keep your expiration date in mind as you consider your options—as always, maintaining the certificate is the responsibility of the holder.
The options depend on your certificate history; people in different categories have different options:
- When the residency teacher certificate is first issued, it has no expiration date until the individual has completed two years of teaching and has signed a contract for a third year in the same Washington school district, state-approved private school, or state agency providing education services to children. Individuals who are still in this category have plenty of time to consider their options.
- After the contract is signed for the third year, the certificate acquires a five-year expiration date. The expectation is that the professional certificate will be attained before the residency certificate expires.
- If the professional certificate has not been earned and the expiration date is approaching, teachers may qualify for a two-year renewal if they are enrolled in a professional certificate program.
- If the professional certificate has not been earned and the individual is not eligible for a professional certificate program (i.e., is not teaching), he or she may receive a one-time five-year renewal by having completed 15 quarter-credits (10 semester credits) since the residency was first issued.
- Note: teachers may use only one of these two renewal options before receiving a professional certificate.
- Individuals whose certificates expire in 2010 or 2011 may receive a two-year renewal by registering for the ProTeach portfolio assessment. In addition, teachers whose service has been interrupted because of layoffs, leaves of absence, or similar reasons may receive a two-year renewal.
Certification policy changed in 2005, so residency certificates received in 2005 or earlier may have a five-year expiration date if you did not apply to have the date changed. However, the certification office at OSPI will retroactively apply the two–year undated policy, effectively extending your expiration date by two years.
You can e-mail the certification office at OSPI: cert@k12.wa.us.
No. The current changes apply only to the teacher professional certificate.
There are no current plans to do so.
If you have a question about requirements in the pro cert program in which you're enrolled, contact your advisor or the program director.
If you wish to enroll in or learn more about a pro cert program, visit
Professional Certification for Teachers: Available Programs for contact information.
E-mail us if you have a question that is not addressed above:
New portfolio of evidence: pesb@k12.wa.us
Pro cert requirements: profeduc@k12.wa.us
Your certificate status: cert@k12.wa.us
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