WSR 20-04-083
PERMANENT RULES
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR
STANDARDS BOARD
[Filed February 4, 2020, 1:38 p.m., effective March 6, 2020]
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: Amend WAC to reflect policy changes implemented by passage of HB 1621 (2019) impacting professional educator standards board policy regarding the basic skills assessment for educators.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 181-01-0025; and amending WAC 181-78A-300, 181-01-001, and 181-01-002.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 28A.410 RCW.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 19-22-100 on November 6, 2019.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 3, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: January 17, 2020.
Justin Montermini
Rules Coordinator
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 13-16-051, filed 8/1/13, effective 9/1/13)
WAC 181-01-001WEST-B extension.
Candidates who are prepared and/or certified out-of-state applying for a Washington state residency teaching certificate under WAC 181-79A-257 (((1)(b))) or 181-79A-260 have up to one calendar year from issuance of temporary permit to ((pass))take the WEST-B basic skills ((test or))assessment and report the individual results; present evidence of ((passing))taking an alternative ((assessment per WAC 181-01-0025,))or equivalent assessment per WAC 181-01-002, provided that they have completed all other requirements for ((residency))teacher certification other than ((passage of)) the WEST-B requirement and are thus eligible for a temporary permit under WAC 181-79A-128.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 15-08-030, filed 3/25/15, effective 4/25/15)
WAC 181-01-002WEST-B exemptions, alternatives, and equivalent assessments.
(1) ((Candidates who are prepared and/or certified out-of-state applying for a Washington state residency teaching certificate under WAC 181-79A-257 (1)(b) or 181-79A-260, or out-of-state candidates applying to masters level/post baccalaureate teacher preparation programs in the state of Washington, in lieu of passing the WEST-B, may present evidence of passing an alternative assessment per WAC 181-01-0025, or may provide official documentation of scores on equivalent skills tests as approved and published by the professional educator standards board. A candidate may substitute a passing score on one or more sections of skills tests approved by the board as equivalent passing score on the WEST-B.))Individuals seeking admission to a state approved teacher preparation program, and out-of-state candidates applying for a Washington state teacher certificate under WAC 181-79A-257 or 181-79A-260, must submit evidence of taking the WEST-B or an alternative or equivalent to the WEST-B as identified and accepted by the professional educator standards board. Individuals may not receive a teacher certificate without taking a basic skills assessment under this section.
(2) Candidates applying for a Washington state ((residency or professional)) teaching certificate under WAC 181-79A-257 (((1)(b))) who hold a valid certificate through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or other equivalent second tier educator certifications from other states as approved and published by the professional educator standards board, are exempt from the WEST-B requirement.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 07-09-058, filed 4/12/07, effective 5/13/07)
WAC 181-01-004((Appeals))Case-by-case exception process.
(1) The Washington professional educator standards board may permit exceptions from the basic skills and content knowledge assessment requirements under RCW 28A.410.220 (1) and (2) on a case-by-case basis.
(2) Consistent with the discretion accorded to the professional educator standards board in RCW 28A.410.220(((3)))(4), the alternative assessments, equivalent assessments, exemptions and extensions provided for in WAC 181-01-001, 181-01-002, 181-02-001 and 181-02-002, shall be the sole exceptions to the WEST-B and WEST-E assessment requirements.
REPEALER
The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:
WAC 181-01-0025
WEST-B alternatives.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 18-17-089, filed 8/14/18, effective 9/14/18)
WAC 181-78A-300Educator preparation program provider requirements ((for teacher candidates)).
In addition to the general program standards and expectations established in WAC 181-78A-220 and 181-78A-231 through 181-78A-237, providers shall comply with the following:
(1) Field placement. The board will publish minimum field placement and clinical experience requirements for all roles. Providers must establish and maintain field placement agreements with all Washington school districts in which candidates are placed for field experiences leading to certification or endorsement. Each field placement agreement shall require, but not be limited to:
(a) Fingerprint and character clearance under RCW 28A.410.010 is current at all times during the field experience for candidates who do not hold a valid Washington certificate;
(b) Assurance that programs shall ensure candidates are placed in settings where they can be objectively evaluated;
(c) Specified qualifications of the proposed site supervisor for each site and qualifications of each school's cooperating educator/administrator;
(d) Assurances related to the provision of mentors, including:
(i) Mentors are instructional leaders identified collaboratively with the partner school or district;
(ii) Mentors and principals are provided with a set of internship expectations;
(iii) Mentors receive or provide evidence of training on mentoring of adult learners;
(iv) Mentors must be fully certificated school personnel and have a minimum of three years of professional experience in the role they are supervising.
(e) Providers must describe in writing the duties and responsibilities of site supervisors and mentors and the anticipated length and nature of the field experience;
(f) Teacher preparation programs.
(i) A provider of a teacher education program must administer the teacher performance assessment adopted by the board to all candidates in a residency certificate program.
(ii) Clinical practice for teacher candidates should consist of no less than four hundred fifty hours in classrooms settings.
(g) Administrator preparation programs.
(i) The internship for administrators shall take place in an education setting serving under the general supervision of a certificated practitioner who is performing in the role for which certification is sought.
(ii) A provider of a principal preparation program shall require for those persons beginning their internship August 1, 2016, and after, an internship which requires practice as an intern for five hundred forty hours, of which at least one-half shall be during school hours, when students and/or staff are present, and for the duration of a full school year. A "full school year" shall mean at least the majority of an academic year: Provided further, that a provider of a principal preparation program shall include demonstration by the candidate that she or he has the appropriate, specific skills pursuant to the standards identified in WAC 181-78A-220.
(iii) A provider of a superintendent preparation program shall require an internship of at least three hundred sixty hours.
(2) Assessment requirements for providers of teacher preparation programs.
(a) A provider of a teacher preparation program must assure that all candidates entering the program have successfully ((passed))met the WEST B ((or its alternative or exemptions per))requirement under chapter 181-01 WAC at the time of admission. ((The candidate must take and pass the WEST B, or provide evidence of meeting an alternative or exception at the time of admissions. Candidates admitted to a residency teacher preparation program prior to passage of the WEST B or its approved alternative or exemptions must pass the WEST B prior to student teaching.)) The provider must collect and hold evidence of candidates meeting this requirement.
(b) A provider of a teacher preparation program shall assure that the candidate has successfully attempted at least one WEST E or equivalent content assessment test per chapter 181-02 WAC prior to placing a teacher candidate in a student teaching role with a district. The provider must collect and hold evidence of candidates meeting this requirement.
(c) Teacher evaluation. Teacher preparation program providers shall require candidates for a residency certificate to demonstrate knowledge of teacher evaluation research and Washington's evaluation requirements.
(d) Performance assessment. Teacher preparation program providers shall require that each candidate engage in a performance assessment process approved by the board. All candidates shall exit the residency certificate program with a professional growth plan.
(3) Required since time immemorial curriculum integration.
(a) There shall be a one quarter or semester course in either Washington state history and government, or Pacific Northwest history and government in the curriculum of all teacher preparation programs.
(b) No person shall be completed from any of said programs without completing said course of study, unless otherwise determined by the Washington professional educator standards board.
(c) Any course in Washington state or Pacific Northwest history and government used to fulfill the requirement of this section shall include information on the culture, history, and government of the American Indian peoples who were the first human inhabitants of the state and the region.
(d) Teacher preparation program providers shall ensure that programs meet the requirements of this section by integrating the curriculum developed and made available free of charge by the office of the superintendent of curriculum developed and made available free of charge by the office of the superintendent of public instruction into existing programs or courses and may modify that curriculum in order to incorporate elements that have a regionally specific focus.
(4) Principal preparation programs.
(a) A provider of a principal preparation program must require candidates to demonstrate knowledge of teacher evaluation research, Washington's evaluation requirements, and successfully complete opportunities to practice teacher evaluation skills.
(b) Performance assessment. All candidates shall exit the preparation program with a professional growth plan.
(5) Professional education advisory board.
(a) All educator preparation program providers shall establish and maintain a professional education advisory board to participate in and cooperate with the organization on decisions related to the development, implementation, and revision of preparation program(s).
(b) The professional education advisory board has adopted operating procedures and has met at least three times a year.
(c) The professional education advisory board annually shall review and analyze data for the purposes of determining whether candidates have a positive impact on student learning and providing the institution with recommendations for programmatic change. This data may include, but not be limited to: Student surveys, follow-up studies, employment placement records, student performance portfolios, course evaluations, program review indicators, and summaries of performance on the pedagogy assessment for teacher candidates.
(d) The professional education advisory board shall make recommendations when appropriate for program changes to the institution which must in turn consider and respond to the recommendations in writing in a timely fashion.
(6) This section shall be in effect beginning September 1, 2017.