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This newsletter provides key updates and policy changes that were presented at the March board meeting. See additional actions and annotations from this meeting.
The Board approved recommendations from the clock hour work group, which address issues of flexibility, access, and requirements for becoming a Washington State approved clock hour provider.
Recommendations included:
- Allowing Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from out-of-state colleges and universities; professional development hours from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (formerly Department of Early Learning); and hours used to maintain a Department of Health license to all count as clock hours.
- Professional Growth Plans (PGPs) would be able to be reviewed by any holder of a Washington state educator or paraeducator certificate.
- In applications to become a clock hour provider, organizations would need to describe how they would meet clock hour rules and regulations.
Initial consideration of these WAC amendments is anticipated in May, with proposed amendment anticipated in July. For more information, see meeting materials.
Board members approved adding a Behavior Analyst certificate to the group of ESA (Educational Staff Associate) certificates offered by Washington.
The board also approved changes to certificate renewal for holders of initial ESA certificates, including initial certificate renewal with 100 clock hours or the equivalent in PGPs or credits; a five year validity period; and suicide prevention training for first tier ESA certificates in the roles for which it was already required at the second-tier. Initial ESA certificates include school nurses, social workers, speech language pathologists (SLP), occupational therapists, physical therapists, and behavior analysts.
The Board approved a sunrise date of September 1, 2020 for the new renewal requirements. This would impact individuals with initial or residency ESA certificates expiring June 30, 2021, or later.
Initial consideration of these WAC amendments is anticipated in May, with proposed amendment anticipated in July. For more information, please see meeting materials.
The Board received an update on the micro-credential policy convening which took place in January. At the convening, 100 stakeholders from around our state gathered to discuss the role micro-credentials might play in educator professional learning.
What are micro-credentials?
Micro-credentials are an innovative form of competency-based learning in which educators submit evidence of having met certain standards, and that evidence is scored against a set of criteria. PESB has piloted micro-credentials in culturally responsive Social Emotional Learning (SEL), elementary computer science, and Recruiting Washington Teachers (RWT). The Board also considered the convening of a Micro-credential Advisory Council to provide guidance on micro-credential policy and implementation.
For more information on this tab, please see meeting materials.
The Recruiting Washington Teachers (RWT) program is designed to grow our own diverse group of future educators who closely reflect the demographics of Washington’s students. At the March board meeting, we shared a new video resource to help encourage educators and school districts to support the launch of their own RWT program sites.
Watch the video on our YouTube channel.
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At the January and March meetings, board members approved the adoption of national standards for educator preparation endorsement competencies in Business and Marketing, and Early Childhood Education. Board members postponed the consideration of adoption of national standards for four additional areas: Family and Consumer Sciences, Library-Media, Reading, and Special Education.
For more information about the national standards implementation timeline for Business and Marketing and Early Childhood Education, please visit our website.
- May 16-17 at the Hampton Inn in Richland
- July 15-16 at the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine
- September 26-27 at ESD 101 in Spokane
- November 14-15 at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver
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