HOUSE BILL REPORT
2ESHB 1377
As Passed Legislature
Title: An act relating to posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education on equity-based school practices, the national professional standards for education leaders, and government-to-government relationships, which is currently required for administrators and teachers.
Brief Description: Posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education.
Sponsors: House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Santos, Reed and Ortiz-Self).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Education: 2/7/23, 2/14/23 [DPS].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 2/28/23, 97-0.
Passed House: 2/6/24, 97-0.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 2/28/24, 48-1.
Passed House: 3/5/24, 96-0.
Passed Legislature.
Brief Summary of Second Engrossed Substitute Bill
  • Modifies and establishes requirements for providers of continuing education for administrators and teachers on equity-based school practices and the National Professional Standards for Education Leaders, for example, an application process and an approval revocation process.
  • Requires education agencies to post on their websites a list of approved experts on government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes.
  • Requires a report to the Legislature on continuing education provider audits and the clock hour system.
Background:

Continuing Education Requirements for Administrators and Teachers.
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) adopts rules and creates policies for the preparation and certification of educators.? The PESB's statutory duties include specifying the types and kinds of educator certificates to be issued and the conditions for certification.
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Every five years, teachers and administrators must renew their certificate by meeting one of the following continuing education requirements:? (1) complete 100 clock hours or the equivalent in college credit; (2) complete four professional growth plans (PGPs); or (3) complete a combination of PGPs and clock hours.

For administrators renewing a certificate on or after July 1, 2023, the continuing education must meet the following requirements: ?10 percent must focus on equity-based school practices, 10 percent must focus on the National Professional Standards for Education Leaders (PSEL), and 5 percent must focus on government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes.
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For teachers renewing a certificate on or after July 1, 2023, 15 percent of continuing education must focus on equity-based school practices. ?

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Continuing education focused on equity-based school practices must be aligned with cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion standards of the PESB.

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Required continuing education for administrators and teachers related to equity-based school practice and the PSEL must be provided by one or more of the following entities, if they are an approved clock hour provider:? the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), school districts, Educational Service Districts, PESB-approved administrator or teacher preparation programs, the Association of Washington School Principals, or the Washington Education Association.
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Required continuing education for administrators and teachers related to government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes must be provided by one or more subject matter experts approved by the Governor's Office on Indian Affairs in collaboration with the Tribal Leaders Congress on Education and the Office of Native Education in the OSPI.

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Requirements for Providers of Continuing Education.
The PESB has adopted rules for the approval of providers of continuing education for administrators and teachers. ?In general, providers must meet a dozen specified program standards, for example: ?the content of the program and the intended outcomes or objectives of the program must be set forth in a program agenda, along with the instructor's qualifications to conduct the program; the provider must provide program evaluations to the participants; and the provider must permit a representative from the OSPI to attend the program and receive program materials at no charge. ?Providers must also comply with specified recordkeeping requirements, including making summaries of program evaluations available to the OSPI for seven years.


Providers must annually submit to the OSPI an assurance that continuing education programs comply with the program standards and recordkeeping requirements. ?In addition, continuing education providers must be audited by the OSPI on a selective basis, which may include responses to complaints or other evidence of possible noncompliance.
Summary of Second Engrossed Substitute Bill:

Subject Matter Expert List.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) must maintain on their websites a list of approved subject matter experts on government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes.

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Approval of Providers of Continuing Education.

In addition to the entities authorized in statute to provide continuing education for administrators and teachers focused on equity-based school practice and the National Professional Standards for Education Leaders (PSEL), the PESB may approve other clock hour providers to offer this continuing education.

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Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, the PESB must approve clock hour providers offering continuing education focused on equity-based school practices or the PSEL through a revised application process. ?At a minimum, the application must include: ?(1) the entity's mission and vision; (2) the entity's experience and expertise in providing professional development to educators generally, as well as specific experience and expertise in equity-based practices; (3) possible subject matter topics of continuing education to be provided by the entity; (4) information on clock hour pricing; and (5) transcript processes.

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Requirements for Providers of Continuing Education.

A provider of an administrator or teacher continuing education program focused on equity-based school practices or the National Professional Standards for Education Leaders (NPSEL) must publicly post the learning objectives of the program on its website. ?If the provider does not have a website, it must post the learning objectives of the program in a conspicuous place in the entity's main office and submit a copy of the learning objectives to the PESB.

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Revocation of Continuing Education Provider Status.

By September 1, 2024, the PESB must develop a process for the temporary or permanent revocation of continuing education provider status for approved providers of administrator or teacher continuing education programs focused on equity-based school practices or the PSEL.

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Continuing education provider status may be revoked for providers that meet any of the following criteria: ?(1) providers that receive a substantial number of complaints filed against the provider, as determined by the PESB; (2) providers found to not be in substantial compliance with requirements described above; or (3) providers found to offer course material that is not in substantial alignment with the cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion standards of practices, as determined by the PESB. ?Entities authorized to submit a complaint about such providers are limited to the following: ?(1) educators; (2) local education agencies; (3) the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI); (4) organizations representing principals; (5) organizations representing school board members; (6) organizations representing school administrators; (7) labor organizations representing classified instructional staff; and (8) labor organizations representing teachers.

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Legislative Report.

By December 1, 2024, the PESB in consultation with the OSPI must submit to the Legislature a report on how to implement an auditing system of continuing education providers and other recommendations for improving the clock hour system.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.