ESA First Time Applicant
Questions?
Submit a question to OSPI.
These certificates are required for individuals by school districts in certificated positions. School districts determine the roles and responsibilities of certificated employees. Please get in touch with your school district for more information. The application that needs to be completed will vary depending on each applicant's role. Review the application types below to find the right application based on your current status.
If you have completed a Washington state program for the school counselor or school psychologist role, you must check with your institution for the next steps in your application process.
Full & Limited Educational Staff Associate (ESA) Certificates
Foreign Trained Applicants (All ESA Roles)
- Select this if you completed your degree(s) and/or a preparation program specific to serving in the ESA role in PK-12 schools (ages birth to eighteen years) through an institution in a country outside of the United States.
- The Residency ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
- The Professional ESA Certificate is the second tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
- The Residency ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
- The Professional ESA Certificate is the second tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington State for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
- The Initial ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
- An Initial ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
- The Initial ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
- The Initial ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
School Speech Language Pathologist/Audiologist
- The Initial ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
- The Initial ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about this certification.
School Orientation and Mobility Specialist
- The Initial ESA Certificate is the first tier full certificate issued in the state of Washington for this role. Select this to learn more about the certification.
- This certificate is available to those who meet full certification requirements for the specific ESA roles.
Conditional ESA* (School Behavior Analyst, School Counselor, School Nurse, School Psychologist, School Social Worker, and Speech Language Pathologist or Audiologist)
- Select this if you are working with a Washington employer wanting to hire you for one of the above ESA roles, and you do not currently meet full certification requirements for the ESA role.
*If an educator meets the requirements for a full ESA certificate for the role, they might not qualify for limited ESA certificates. If you have a question regarding the qualifications for these certificates, please contact the Certification Office. Limited ESA certificates must be initiated by a state of Washington employer on behalf of the educator who is not eligible for full certification in the requested ESA role.