AN ACT Relating to evaluation and recommendation of candidates for residency teacher certification; amending RCW 28A.410.270 and 28A.410.2211; adding a new section to chapter 28A.410 RCW; creating new sections; repealing RCW 28A.410.280; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature acknowledges that passing the evidence-based assessment of teaching effectiveness, known as the edTPA, may be a barrier to some candidates becoming fully certificated teachers in Washington. The legislature seeks to promote academic success and reduce barriers for all students, particularly candidates of color, candidates for whom English is a second language, and candidates from low-income households. The legislature is also concerned that candidates from low-income households have difficulty paying for the edTPA, which is administered by a third party.

(2) The legislature finds that the state approval process requires each teacher preparation program to ensure that teacher candidates demonstrate the most recently published interstate teacher assessment and support consortium standards, the state-adopted cultural competency standards, and the state-adopted social-emotional learning standards. The legislature recognizes that teacher candidates may demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and competencies in a variety of ways and settings. The legislature trusts that teacher preparation programs can use multiple measures to evaluate whether teacher candidates meet or exceed the standards, without relying on a statewide assessment. Therefore, the legislature intends to eliminate taking or passing the edTPA as a prerequisite for residency teacher state certification. Nothing in this legislation prohibits a teacher preparation program from using the edTPA as a formative tool so long as notification is included in all program descriptions.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Washington professional educator standards board-approved teacher preparation programs must recommend for residency teacher certification each person who, during the 2019-20, 2020-21, or 2021-22 academic years, met all statutory and program requirements except for completion of the evidence-based assessment of teaching effectiveness under RCW 28A.410.280, as repealed by this act. The programs must attempt to notify each person who meets the requirements of this subsection of the recommendation.

(2) Except when required under subsection (1) of this section, Washington professional educator standards board-approved teacher preparation programs may, upon request, recommend for residency teacher certification any person who was required to pass the evidence-based assessment of teaching effectiveness under RCW 28A.410.280, as repealed by this act, as a prerequisite to residency teacher certification, provided that the person met all other statutory and program requirements in effect at the time of enrollment in the teacher preparation program.

The Washington professional educator standards board may not adopt rules requiring that candidates for residency teacher certification take or pass a uniform, statewide performance assessment of teaching effectiveness.

(1)(a) The ((Washington professional educator standards)) board shall adopt a set of articulated teacher knowledge, skill, and performance standards for effective teaching that are evidence-based, measurable, meaningful, and documented in high quality research as being associated with improved student learning. The standards shall be calibrated for each level along the entire career continuum. For candidates recommended for residency teacher certification by a board-approved preparation program, the standards adopted by the board must be the most recent teaching standards published by a consortium of state and national education organizations dedicated to the reform of the preparation, licensing, and ongoing professional development of teachers since 1987.

(b) In developing the standards, the board shall, to the extent possible, incorporate standards for cultural competency, as defined in RCW 28A.410.260, along the entire continuum. ((For the purposes of this subsection, "cultural competency" includes knowledge of student cultural histories and contexts, as well as family norms and values in different cultures; knowledge and skills in accessing community resources and community and parent outreach; and skills in adapting instruction to students' experiences and identifying cultural contexts for individual students.))

(c) By January 1, 2020, in order to ensure that teachers can recognize signs of emotional or behavioral distress in students and appropriately refer students for assistance and support, the ((Washington professional educator standards)) board shall incorporate along the entire continuum the social-emotional learning standards and benchmarks recommended by the social-emotional learning benchmarks work group in its October 1, 2016, final report titled, "addressing social emotional learning in Washington's K-12 public schools." In incorporating the social-emotional learning standards and benchmarks, the ((Washington professional educator standards)) board must include related competencies, such as trauma-informed practices, consideration of adverse childhood experiences, mental health literacy, antibullying strategies, and culturally sustaining practices.

(2) The ((Washington professional educator standards)) board shall adopt a definition of master teacher, with a comparable level of increased competency between professional certification level and master level as between professional certification level and national board certification. Within the definition established by the ((Washington professional educator standards)) board, teachers certified through the national board for professional teaching standards shall be considered master teachers.

(3) ((The Washington professional educator standards board shall maintain a uniform, statewide, valid, and reliable classroom-based means of evaluating teacher effectiveness as a culminating measure at the preservice level that is to be used during the student-teaching field experience. This assessment shall include multiple measures of teacher performance in classrooms, evidence of positive impact on student learning, and shall include review of artifacts, such as use of a variety of assessment and instructional strategies, and student work.

(4))) Award of a professional certificate shall be based on a minimum of two years of successful teaching experience as defined by the board, and may not require candidates to enroll in a professional certification program.

(((5)))(4) Educator preparation programs approved to offer the residency teaching certificate shall be required to demonstrate how the program produces effective teachers as evidenced by ((the))multiple measures ((established under this section))of the knowledge, skills, performance, and competencies described in subsection (1) of this section and other criteria established by the ((Washington professional educator standards)) board.

(6) Before a board-approved teacher preparation program may recommend a candidate for residency teacher certification, the candidate must meet or exceed the knowledge, skill, performance, and competency standards described in subsection (1) of this section.

(1) The professional educator standards board shall revise assessments for prospective teachers and teachers adding subject area endorsements required for teacher certification under RCW 28A.410.220 to measure the revised standards in RCW 28A.410.221.

(2) ((In implementing the evidence-based assessment of teaching effectiveness under RCW 28A.410.280, the))The professional educator standards board shall require that successful candidates for the residency certificate demonstrate effective subject specific instructional methods that address the revised standards.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.