Original Notice.

     Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 02-15-017.

     Title of Rule: Amend rules for course approval and distance education delivery method approval. Will amend WAC 308-124H-025 and 308-124H-029.

     Purpose: To require that real estate continuing education providers demonstrate in the application for course approval how a course is related to the practice of real estate and how the school will determine that a student has completed the required number of clock hours.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 18.85.040(1).

     Statute Being Implemented: RCW 18.85.090, [18.85.]095, and 18.85.165.

     Summary: Will require that course providers demonstrate how a real estate continuing education course is related to the practice of real estate. Will require that distance education providers demonstrate how they will determine that a student has completed the required number of clock hours. Current rules do not clearly require this information from the providers and have resulted in many alleged abuses of the continuing education clock hour requirement.

     Reasons Supporting Proposal: Will help to reduce alleged abuses of the continuing education clock hour requirement.

     Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Jana L. Jones, Department of Licensing, Black Lake Complex, P.O. Box 2445, Olympia, WA, (360) 664-[6524]; Implementation and Enforcement: DOL Real Estate Program, Department of Licensing, Black Lake Complex, P.O. Box 2445, Olympia, WA, (360) 664-6524.

     Name of Proponent: Washington Real Estate Commission and the Department of Licensing Real Estate Program, governmental.

     Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

     Explanation of Rule, its Purpose, and Anticipated Effects: To require that real estate continuing education providers demonstrate in the application for course approval how a course is related to the practice of real estate and how the school will determine that a student has completed the required number of clock hours.

     Proposal Changes the Following Existing Rules: Amendment of WAC 308-124H-025 and 308-124H-029 will help to reduce alleged abuses of the continuing education clock hour requirements.

     No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. There will not be a burden on the industry due to increased fees or increased workloads.

     RCW 34.05.328 does not apply to this rule adoption. Department of Licensing is exempt from this law.

     Hearing Location: Department of Licensing, 405 Black Lake Boulevard, Conference Room #102, 1st Floor, Olympia, WA 98502, on Wednesday, December 11, 2002, at 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon.

     Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Jana Jones by December 10, 2002, TDD (360) 753-1966 or (360) 664-6524.

     Submit Written Comments to: Jana L. Jones, Assistant Administrator, Real Estate Program, P.O. Box 2445, Olympia, WA 98507-2445, fax (360) 586-0998, by December 10, 2002.

     Date of Intended Adoption: December 11, 2002.

October 23, 2002

Alan E. Rathbun

Assistant Director

Business and Professions Division

OTS-6034.1

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 02-03-055, filed 1/10/02, effective 2/10/02)

WAC 308-124H-025   General requirements for course approval.   Courses shall meet the following requirements:

     (1) Be offered by a private entity approved by the director to operate as a school;

     (2) Be offered by a tax-supported, public technical or community college or other institution of higher learning that certifies clock hours as indicated in RCW 18.85.010(9), consistent with the approval standards prescribed by the director and this chapter;

     (3) Be offered by the Washington real estate commission;

     (4) Have a minimum of three hours of course work or instruction for the student. A clock-hour is a period of fifty minutes of actual instruction;

     (5) Provide practical information related to the practice of real estate in any of the following real estate topic areas: Fundamentals, practices, principles/essentials, real estate law, legal aspects, brokerage management, business management, taxation, appraisal, evaluating real estate and business opportunities, property management and leasing, construction and land development, ethics and standards of practice, real estate closing practices, current trends and issues, finance, hazardous waste and other environmental issues, commercial, real estate sales and marketing, instructor development or the use of computers and/or other technologies as applied to the practice of real estate;

     (6) Be under the supervision of an instructor approved to teach the topic area, who shall, at a minimum, be available to respond to specific questions from students on an immediate or reasonably delayed basis;

     (7) The following types of courses will not be approved for clock hours: Course offerings in mechanical office and business skills, such as, keyboarding, speed-reading, memory improvement, language, and report writing; orientation courses for licensees, such as those offered by trade associations; and personal and sales motivation courses or sales meetings held in conjunction with a licensee's general business. Clock hours will not be awarded for any course time devoted to meals or transportation;

     (8) Courses of thirty clock hours or more which are submitted for approval shall include a comprehensive examination(s) and answer key(s) of no fewer than three questions per clock hour with a minimum of ninety questions, and a requirement of passing course grade of at least seventy percent; essay question examination keys shall identify the material to be tested and the points assigned for each question;

     (9) Include textbook or instructional materials approved by the director, which shall be kept accurate and current;

     (10) Not have a title which misleads the public as to the subject matter of the course;

     (11) The provider's course application shall identify learning objectives and demonstrate how these are related to the practice of real estate;

     (12) Courses offering the prescribed core curriculum shall meet the requirements of WAC 308-124A-605;

     (((12))) (13) Only primary providers shall be approved to teach the prescribed core curriculum; and

     (((13))) (14) Course providers offering core curriculum within a course exceeding three clock hours must clearly indicate in the application for approval where the core curriculum elements are met in the course.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.85.040(1), 43.24.086. 02-03-055, § 308-124H-025, filed 1/10/02, effective 2/10/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.85.040 and The Governor's Order on Regulatory Improvement 97-02. 00-08-035, § 308-124H-025, filed 3/29/00, effective 7/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.85.040 and chapter 18.86 RCW. 97-01-027, § 308-124H-025, filed 12/10/96, effective 1/10/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.85.040 and SB 6284. 95-03-012, § 308-124H-025, filed 1/5/95, effective 7/1/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.85.040. 91-23-006, § 308-124H-025, filed 11/7/91, effective 12/8/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.85.040, [18.85].085, [18.85].090 and [18.85].095. 91-07-029, § 308-124H-025, filed 3/14/91, effective 4/14/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.85.040. 90-10-010, § 308-124H-025, filed 4/20/90, effective 8/1/90.]

     (1) Specify the course learning objectives for each learning unit and clearly demonstrate that the learning objectives cover the subject matter and how these relate to the practice of real estate. Objectives must be specific to ensure that all content is covered adequately to ensure mastery;

     (2) Demonstrate how mastery of the material is provided by:

     (a) Dividing the material into major learning units, each of which divides the material into modules of instruction;

     (b) Specifying learning objectives for each learning unit or module of instruction. Learning objectives must be comprehensive enough to ensure that if all the objectives are met, the entire content of the course will be mastered;

     (c) Specifying an objective, quantitative criterion for mastery used for each learning objective and provide a structured learning method designed to enable students to attain each objective;

     (3) Demonstrate that the course includes the same or reasonably similar informational content as a course that would otherwise qualify for the requisite number of clock hours of classroom-based instruction and how the provider will know that the student completed the required number of clock hours;

     (4) Describe consistent and regular interactive events appropriate to the delivery method. The interactive elements must be designed to promote student involvement in the learning process, and must directly support the student's achievement of the course learning objectives. The application must identify the interactive events included in the course and specify how the interactive events contribute to achievement of the stated learning objectives;

     (5) Demonstrate how the course provides a mechanism of individual remediation to correct any deficiencies identified during the instruction and assessment process;

     (6) Measure, at regular intervals, the student's progress toward completion of the mastery requirement for each learning unit or module. In the case of computer-based instruction, the course software must include automatic shutdown after a period of inactivity;

     (7) Demonstrate that approved instructors are available to answer questions regarding course content at reasonable times and by reasonable means, including in-person contact, individual and conference telephone calls, e-mail and FAX;

     (8) Demonstrate how reasonable security will be provided to ensure that the student who receives credit for the course is the student who enrolled in and completed the course. Both the approved school and the student must certify in writing that the student has completed the course, and the required number of clock hours;

     (9) Provide a complete description of any hardware, software, or other technology to be used by the provider and needed by the student to effectively engage in the delivery and completion of the course material and an assessment of the availability and adequacy of the equipment, software, or other technologies to the achievement of the course's instructional claims; and

     (10) Provide an orientation session with the instructor or an affiliated representative of an approved school. Mechanisms must be clearly in place which allow students an early orientation to discuss course specifics.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.85.040 and The Governor's Order on Regulatory Improvement 97-02. 00-08-035, § 308-124H-029, filed 3/29/00, effective 7/1/00.]

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office