Residency Teacher Certificate
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   cert@k12.wa.us

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  Certification
Teachers Administrators ESA CTE

Teacher Certification

For Those Who Hold A Residency Teacher Certificate

The residency certificate enables the holder to teach in endorsed subject areas. If you DO NOT KNOW what kind of Washington certificate you hold, send an email with your full name (name used at the time of certification), date of birth, certificate number (if known), and social security number (optional) to cert@k12.wa.us

If you hold a VALID RESIDENCY CERTIFICATE you have the following options:

If your RESIDENCY has LAPSED you have the following options: Renew/Reissue a Residency Certificate, Substitute Certificate

Questions?

 

 

 

 

Reissuance of a Residency Teacher Certificate (valid for three years)

All individuals, who have not completed this process, should do so before applying for renewal of the residency or the professional certificate.


The residency teacher certificate may be reissued to teachers who:

Meet requirements for enrollment in the ProTeach external online assessment. Individuals meet requirements if they have completed a total of one and one-half full-time equivalent (1.5 FTE) years of experience and are currently serving in any P-12 teaching role.

  • Individuals employed in a Washington school district will have the validity calculated based on the experience information submitted by the school district on their annual personnel report (S275 report) to OSPI. Individuals employed in a Washington public school will receive notification from their employer when they must submit a reissuance application. Individuals employed by a Washington school district must have their residency certificate reissued with a defined expiration date once they are eligible for enrollment in ProTeach.
  • Individuals employed in nonpublic school settings may participate in completing professional teacher certificate requirements and have their certificate reissued with a defined expiration date. It is up to the individual or their employer to determine if they wish to have their certificate reissued with a defined expiration date.
  • When a certificate is reissued, it will be valid for three years.

For details on the documents needed and process to obtain this certificate, please see the application.

top of page

  Application

Includes details on the documents needed and process to obtain certification.

Electronic Certification Application
benefits of applying online

OR

Download Certification Forms

 

 

 

Renewal of a Residency Teaching Certificate


The residency teacher certificate may be renewed once, in one of two ways:

1

Register to complete the ProTeach external and uniform assessment on www.waproteach.org
(registration requires individuals to hold or have held a residency certificate and have at least 1.5 FTE of experience in a Washington school district or private school).

2

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Assessment: Individuals who are a candidate and have been assessed for NBPTS certification can obtain a renewal valid for two years.


Please note: Individuals need verification of assessment to obtain renewal. Assessment is submitted in Spring and verifications are not available until September. Since certificates expire on June 30, individuals should plan carefully so that renewal can be accomplished prior to their expiration date and not the September following the expiration date.

For details on the documents needed and process to obtain this certificate, please see the application.

 

  Application

Note: Application is used for renewal options 1-4

Includes details on the documents needed and process to obtain certification.

Electronic Certification Application
benefits of applying online

OR

Download Certification Forms

 

 

Professional Certificate (valid for five years*)


* Professional Certificates issued on the basis of holding a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certificate will have a validity of five years or the validity of the NBPTS certificate, whichever is greater.

One of the following three options:

  • Complete the new Professional Certificate Assessment (ProTeach)
    or
  • Hold a certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (see information on NBPTS);
    or
  • Hold another state's equivalent certificate; (The only other state's equivalent certificate at this time is the Oregon CTL issued after January 1999)
    plus
  • The Issues of Abuse course must include information related to identification of physical, emotional, sexual, and substance abuse; the impact on learning and behavior; the responsibilities of a teacher to report abuse or to provide assistance to victimized children; and methods of teaching about abuse and its prevention.

For details on the documents needed and process to obtain this certificate, please see the application.

If you have completed the Professional Certificate Assessment (ProTeach Portfolio) and need the form to earn clock hours, click here.

top of page

  Application

Includes details on the documents needed and process to obtain certification.

Electronic Certification Application
benefits of applying online

OR

Download Certification Forms

 

 

Old Capitol Building, PO Box 47200, 600 Washington St. S.E., Olympia, WA  98504-7200  (360) 725-6000  TTY (360) 664-3631
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