Career guidance specialists must meet the following requirements in addition to those set forth in WAC 181-79A-150 (1) and (2) and 181-79A-155:

(1) Probationary certificate.

(a) A candidate is eligible for the probationary career guidance specialist certification if they meet one or more of the following:

(i) Completion of three years of certificated experience at the initial, continuing, residency, or professional level as a career and technical education administrator career and technical education teacher, career and technical education counselor, or occupational information specialist; or

(ii) Hold a valid educational staff associate - School counselor certificate under WAC 181-79A-221; or

(iii) Provide documentation of six thousand hours of occupational experience of which two thousand hours shall have been in the last ten years, dealing with employment, including personnel or placement and evaluation of workers; or experience providing career guidance, employment, or career counseling services.

(b) Such a certificate may be issued upon recommendation by a school district according to the following:

(i) The candidate shall have developed a written training plan in cooperation with the career and technical education administrator. The plan must be approved by a local career and technical education advisory committee.

(ii) The plan shall develop procedures and timelines for the candidate to meet the requirements for the initial certificate.

(c) The probationary certificate is valid for two years and may be reissued one time for two additional years upon recommendation of the school district if the individual has completed the procedures outlined for the first year in the written training plan and has made additional progress in meeting the requirements for the initial certificate.

(2) Initial certificate.

(a) Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements for the probationary certificate outlined in this section.

(b) Candidates for the initial certificate shall demonstrate competence through a course of study from a state approved educator preparation program provider or state approved continuing education credit hour provider in the general standards for career guidance specialist which include, but are not limited to, knowledge and skills in the following areas as approved and published by the professional educator standards board:

(i) Individual and group career guidance skills;

(ii) Individual and group career development assessment;

(iii) Information and resources in providing career guidance, including history and philosophy of career and technical education;

(iv) Career guidance program planning, implementation, and management;

(v) Diverse populations;

(vi) Student leadership development;

(vii) Ethical and legal issues;

(viii) Technology.

(c) In order to teach worksite learning and career choices courses, candidates must successfully complete requirements per WAC 181-77A-180.

(3) Initial certificate renewal.

Certificates under this section are renewed under chapter 181-79A WAC. At least fifteen continuing education credit hours must be related to the knowledge and skills areas listed in subsection (2)(b) of this section.

(4) Continuing certificate.

(a) Candidates for the continuing career guidance specialist certificate shall have in addition to the requirements for the initial certificate at least one hundred fifty continuing education credit hours completed subsequent to the issuance of the initial certificate; or hold a valid national board certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in any certificate area.

(b) Candidates for the continuing certificate shall provide as a condition for the issuance of a continuing certificate documentation of two years full-time equivalency (FTE) as a career guidance specialist with a school employer (i.e., school district(s) or skills center(s)).

(5) Continuing certificate renewal. Certificates under this section are renewed under chapter 181-79A WAC. At least thirty continuing education credit hours must be related to the knowledge and skills areas listed in subsection (2)(b) of this section.

(6) Certificates issued under previous standards.

(a) Any person with a valid one-year occupational information specialist, or career and technical education counselor, certificate issued prior to July 1, 2018, under previous standards of the professional educator standards board may apply for the initial career guidance specialist certificate, and will be considered to have met the requirements to obtain an initial career guidance specialist certificate in subsection (2) of this section.

Holders of expired one-year occupational information specialist, or one-year career and technical education counselor certificates, may apply for the initial career guidance specialist certificate, and will be considered to have met the requirements to obtain an initial career guidance specialist certificate with completion of one hundred continuing education credit hours within the previous five years from the date of the renewal application.

These holders of expired one-year certificates must present evidence to the superintendent of public instruction of completing the continuing education credit hours within the five years prior to the date of the renewal application.

(b) Any person with a valid three-year or five-year occupational information specialist, or career and technical education counselor, certificate issued prior to July 1, 2018, under previous standards of the professional educator standards board may apply for the continuing career guidance specialist certificate by the expiration date of the original certificate held, and will be considered to have met the requirements to obtain a continuing career guidance specialist certificate in subsection (4) of this section.

Holders of expired three-year or five-year occupational information specialist, or three-year or five-year career and technical education counselor certificates, may apply for the initial career guidance specialist certificate, and will be considered to have met the requirements to obtain an initial career guidance specialist certificate with completion of one hundred continuing education credit hours within the previous five years from the date of the renewal application.

These holders of expired three-year or five-year certificates must present evidence to the superintendent of public instruction of completing the continuing education credit hours within the five years prior to the date of the renewal application.

(c) Upon issuance of the initial or continuing career guidance specialist certificate, individuals addressed in this subsection will be subject to certificate renewal requirements of this section and chapter 181-79A WAC.

PDFWAC 181-77-081

Requirements for certification of career guidance specialist.