PERMANENT RULES
Purpose: WAC 180-85-034, to adopt a new section of WAC that addresses the manner in which educators may use continuing education credit hours (clock hours) earned through a professional growth plan to maintain the continuing certificate or renew the professional certificate.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: New section WAC 180-85-034.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.410.010.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 05-08-044 on March 30, 2005.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: August 26, 2005.
Larry Davis
Executive Director
OTS-7994.2
NEW SECTION
WAC 180-85-034
Continuing education credit
hour -- Definition -- Professional development
system -- Professional growth plan.
(1) Beginning September 1,
2005, in order to initiate a process that leads to a
performance-based continuing education system, districts and
approved private schools may offer educators the opportunity
through use of a professional growth plan to earn not more
than sixty continuing education credit hours over a period of
two school years, in addition to hours earned through WAC 180-85-025 (1) through (4). Districts/private schools
electing to participate must verify as a prerequisite that the
following minimum elements of a professional development
system are in place:
(a) A professional development system plan describing the use of professional growth plans for continuing education purposes and the accompanying support structure which will be made available to participants shall:
(i) Be approved by the board of directors of the local school district or approved private school.
(ii) In the case of a public school district, be accompanied by a letter of support from the applicable local educational association.
(iii) Include the establishment of a professional development committee consisting of, at a minimum, an educator and administrator representing the building level and a representative of the district or approved private school. This professional development committee is formed to review and approve professional growth plans, and verify continuing education credit hours to be awarded.
(b) A template of an individual professional growth plan, showing how the process described in subsection (3) of this section will be documented, as well as how the plan is tailored to the individual's professional growth needs and aligned with district improvement plans, school improvement plans under WAC 180-16-220, or both.
(2) The district/private school professional development system must be approved by the superintendent of public instruction. Districts shall respond to requests for information from the superintendent of public instruction, for evaluation purposes.
(3) The office of superintendent of public instruction shall publish guidelines on its website as part of the state professional development planning guide to assist districts/private schools with compliance and implementation. Such guidelines shall include the following minimum essential elements:
(a) An assessment of the needs of each participating educator, including a written reflective analysis.
(b) Preparation of a written individual professional growth plan, with input from the educator's supervisor, that is approved by the professional development committee.
(c) Activities to both implement the plan and gather evidence of its completion.
(d) Verification of completion, including review of evidence and determination, in the professional judgment of the professional development committee, of how many continuing education credit hours are to be awarded.
(4) In making its determination, the professional development committee shall not count continuing education credit hours that can be awarded pursuant to WAC 180-85-025 (1) through (4).
(a) If documentation/evidence presented is determined to be incomplete or insufficient, the professional development committee shall provide feedback to the educator on the documentation/evidence presented, citing reasons for the decision.
(b) An educator may submit for review by the professional development committee additional documentation and evidence submitted in response to feedback received under (a) of this subsection.
(5) Individuals electing to use professional growth planning for purposes of earning continuing education credit hours may choose to integrate such professional growth planning with that called for in the professional growth option for evaluation established in accordance with RCW 28A.405.100(5), but they may not be required to do so.
(6) After the first three years of implementation, the superintendent of public instruction will review this option and will provide a report with recommendations, as necessary, to the professional educator standards board.
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