PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR

[Filed March 26, 2024, 3:17 p.m., effective April 26, 2024]

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

Purpose: The new WAC will add adapted physical education (PE) as a specialty endorsement to the state system along with prerequisite as to who can hold this specialty endorsement. The professional educator standards board approved of adding adapted PE specialty endorsement to the state system as well as prerequisites as to who can hold this specialty endorsement.

Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 181-82A-208.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 28A.410 RCW.

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 24-03-160 on March 21 [January 24], 2024.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: March 21, 2024.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 21-20-047, filed 9/28/21, effective 10/29/21)

WAC 181-82A-208Specialty endorsements and educator certificates.

(1) The following specialty endorsements may only be added to an existing endorsed teacher certificate:

(a) Environmental and sustainability education.

(b) Teacher of the visually impaired. Upon adoption of a content knowledge assessment by the professional educator standards board, teacher of the visually impaired will be available as an endorsement. Until adoption, teacher of the visually impaired will be available as a specialty endorsement.

(d) Elementary mathematics specialist.

(e) Adapted physical education. Only teachers holding a health/fitness, special education, early childhood special education, deaf education, deaf education with American sign language (ASL) proficiency, or teacher of the visually impaired endorsement may add the adapted physical education specialty endorsement.

(f) Other specialty endorsements as approved by the professional educator standards board.

(2) The following specialty endorsements may be added to an existing administrator certificate, educational staff associate certificate, or endorsed teacher certificate:

(a) Elementary computer science.

(b) Secondary computer science.

(3) Providers approved by the professional educator standards board may recommend a candidate for a specialty endorsement to the superintendent of public instruction.