WSR 25-24-036
EXPEDITED RULES
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR
STANDARDS BOARD
[Filed November 25, 2025, 3:57 p.m.]
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 181-78A-220 and 181-78A-232.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Update WAC with the new name for the since time immemorial curriculum.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: Required by RCW.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 28A.410 RCW.
Statute Being Implemented: Chapter 28A.410 RCW.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: Governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Matt Dressen, 600 Washington Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, 360-489-4471; Implementation: Jeffrey Youde, 600 Washington Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, 360-870-0143; and Enforcement: Erica Hernandez-Scott, 600 Washington Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, 360-890-2443.
This notice meets the following criteria to use the expedited adoption process for these rules:
Corrects typographical errors, makes address or name changes, or clarifies language of a rule without changing its effect.
Explanation of the Reason the Agency Believes the Expedited Rule-Making Process is Appropriate: This change clarifies language without making any substantive changes.
NOTICE
THIS RULE IS BEING PROPOSED UNDER AN EXPEDITED RULE-MAKING PROCESS THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR THE AGENCY TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS, PREPARE A SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT, OR PROVIDE RESPONSES TO THE CRITERIA FOR A SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATIVE RULE. IF YOU OBJECT TO THIS USE OF THE EXPEDITED RULE-MAKING PROCESS, YOU MUST EXPRESS YOUR OBJECTIONS IN WRITING AND THEY MUST BE SENT TO Matt Dressen, Professional Educator Standards Board, 600 Washington Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, phone 360-489-4471, email rulespesb@k12.wa.us, BEGINNING November 25, 2025, AND RECEIVED BY February 2, 2026.
November 25, 2025
Matt Dressen
Rules Coordinator
RDS-6853.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 21-20-052, filed 9/28/21, effective 10/29/21)
WAC 181-78A-220Program approval standards for approved preparation programs.
The board shall adopt and revise program standards that describe domains of practice, program components, and other expectations for educator preparation programs to align and maintain currency with recognized national association standards for the specific certificate role. The board will use national standards as guidance for determining domains, components, and indicators used for program review.
(1) General domain outcome expectations for teacher, principal, career and technical education administrator, superintendent, program administrator, school counselor, and school psychologist preparation programs are as follows:
(a) Candidates and cohorts. Providers of educator preparation programs recruit, select, and prepare diverse cohorts of candidates with potential to be outstanding educators.
(i) Providers conduct strategic and ongoing outreach to identify, recruit, admit, support, and transition promising educator candidates.
(ii) Providers of preparation programs use strategies to recruit and prepare a greater number of candidates from underrepresented groups including, but not limited to, candidates of color in effort to prepare an educator workforce that mirrors the characteristics of the student population in Washington state public schools.
(iii) Providers set, publish and uphold admission standards to ensure that candidates and cohorts are academically capable and prepared to succeed in educator preparation programs.
(b) Knowledge, skills and cultural responsiveness. Providers prepare candidates who demonstrate the knowledge, skills and cultural responsiveness required for the particular certificate and areas of endorsement, which reflect the state's approved standards.
(i) Providers demonstrate effective, culturally responsive pedagogy using multiple instructional methods, formats, and assessments.
(ii) Providers ensure that completers demonstrate the necessary subject matter knowledge for success as educators in schools.
(iii) Providers ensure that candidates demonstrate pedagogical knowledge and skill relative to the professional standards adopted by the board for the role for which candidates are being prepared.
(iv) Providers ensure that candidates are well prepared to exhibit the knowledge and skills of culturally responsive educators.
(v) Providers ensure that teacher candidates engage with the John McCoy (lulilaš) since time immemorial curriculum focused on history, culture, and government of American Indian peoples as prescribed in RCW 28B.10.710 and WAC 181-78A-232.
(c) Novice practitioners. Providers prepare candidates who are role ready.
(i) Providers prepare candidates who are ready to engage effectively in their role and context upon completion of educator preparation programs.
(ii) Providers prepare candidates to develop reflective, collaborative, and professional growth-centered practices through regular evaluation of the effects of their teaching through feedback and reflection.
(iii) Providers prepare candidates for their role in directing, supervising, and evaluating paraeducators.
(iv) Providers require candidates to demonstrate knowledge of teacher evaluation research and Washington's evaluation requirements.
(d) State and local workforce needs. Providers contribute positively to state and local educator workforce needs.
(i) Providers partner with local schools to assess and respond to educator workforce, student learning, and educator professional learning needs.
(ii) Providers use preparation program and workforce data in cooperation with professional educator advisory boards to assess and respond to local and state workforce needs.
(iii) Providers of teacher educator preparation programs prepare and recommend increasing numbers of candidates in endorsement areas identified by the professional educator standards board workforce priorities.
(e) Data systems. Providers maintain data systems that are sufficient to direct program decision making, inform state-level priorities, and report to the professional educator standards board.
(i) Providers develop and maintain effective data systems that are sufficient for program growth, evaluation, and mandated reporting.
(ii) Providers utilize secure data practices for storing, monitoring, reporting, and using data for program improvement.
(iii) Providers produce and utilize data reports in accordance with data and reporting guidance published by the professional educator standards board.
(f) Field experience and clinical practice. Providers offer field-based learning experiences and formalized clinical practice experiences for candidates to develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed for their role.
(i) Providers establish and maintain field placement practices, relationships, and agreements with all school districts in which candidates are placed for field experiences leading to certification or endorsement per WAC 181-78A-125.
(ii) Providers ensure that candidates integrate knowledge and skills developed through field experiences with the content of programs' course work.
(iii) Providers offer field experiences that are in accordance with chapter 181-78A WAC and the board approved candidate assessment requirements.
(iv) Providers ensure that candidates participate in field experiences in school settings with students and teachers who differ from themselves in race, ethnicity, home language, socio-economic status, or local population density.
(g) Program resources and governance. Providers ensure that programs have adequate resources, facilities, and governance structures to enable effective administration and fiscal sustainability.
(i) Providers ensure that programs utilize a separate administrative unit responsible for the composition and organization of the preparation program.
(ii) Providers ensure the program has adequate personnel to promote teaching and learning.
(iii) Providers ensure the program has adequate facilities and resources to promote teaching and learning.
(2) General knowledge and skills standards are as follows:
(a) Teacher: The board adopts the national knowledge and skills competencies most recently published by the Council of Chief State School Officers known as the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers with any additions deemed necessary by the professional educator standards board.
Endorsement competencies will be aligned with the national standards of each content area/specialized professional organization, when such a national standard is available. Currently approved endorsement standards and competencies will be published on the board website.
(b) Principal: The board adopts the national knowledge and skills competencies most recently published by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration known as the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards - Building Level with any additions deemed necessary by the professional educator standards board.
(c) Superintendent: The board adopts the national knowledge and skills competencies published by the University Council of Educational Administration known as the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards - District Level published in 2018, or as subsequently revised.
(d) Program administrator: Provider may select national knowledge and skills competencies published by the University Council of Educational Administration known as the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards - Building Level or those known as the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards - District Level with any additions deemed necessary by the professional educator standards board.
(e) School counselor: The board adopts the national knowledge and skills competencies most recently published by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs known as the CACREP standards with any additions deemed necessary by the professional educator standards board.
(f) School psychologist: The board adopts the national knowledge and skills competencies most recently published by the National Association for School Psychologists known as the National Association for School Psychologists standards for graduate preparation of school psychologists with any additions deemed necessary by the professional educator standards board.
(g) Standards for career and technical education teacher preparation programs resulting in an initial certificate area, as published by the professional educator standards board and as described in WAC 181-77A-165.
(h) Standards for career and technical education administrator preparation programs are as published by the professional educator standards board.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 22-08-101, filed 4/5/22, effective 5/6/22)
WAC 181-78A-232Teacher, principal, career and technical education administrator, superintendent, and program administratorSpecific program approval domain standardCandidate knowledge, skills, and cultural responsiveness.
Knowledge, skills, and cultural responsiveness. Providers prepare candidates who demonstrate the knowledge, skills and cultural responsiveness required for the particular certificate and areas of endorsement, which reflect the state's approved standards.
(1) Providers demonstrate effective, culturally responsive pedagogy using multiple instructional methods, formats, and assessments.
(a) Qualified faculty use multiple instructional strategies, pedagogies, and assessments to address candidates' academic language ability levels and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
(b) Providers create opportunities for faculty members and program personnel to pursue, apply, and practice ongoing professional learning to improve their knowledge, skill, effectiveness, and cultural responsiveness.
(c) Faculty within the program and the unit collaborate among one another, with content specialists, P-12 schools, members of the broader professional community, and diverse members of local communities for continuous program improvement.
(d) Faculty members and program leaders systematically and comprehensively evaluate faculty's effectiveness in teaching and learning, and competence on the cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion standards under WAC 181-85-204.
(2) Providers ensure that completers demonstrate the necessary subject matter knowledge for success as educators in schools.
(a) Candidates demonstrate knowledge and competence relative to the standards related to the role adopted by the board. Providers ensure that candidates in teacher preparation programs demonstrate the most recently published InTASC Standards, candidates in principal programs demonstrate the most recently published NELP - Building Level Standards, candidates in superintendent programs demonstrate the most recently published NELP - District Level Standards, candidates in program administrator programs demonstrate the most recently published NELP Building or District Level Standards, candidates in school counselor programs demonstrate the most recently published CACREP standards, candidates in school psychologist programs demonstrate the most recently published NASP standards for graduate preparation of school psychologists, and candidates in career and technical education educator preparation programs demonstrate and document the career and technical education standards approved by the professional educator standards board.
(b) Teacher candidates must take a board approved basic skills assessment prior to program admission. A provider of a teacher preparation program must assure that all candidates entering the program have successfully met the basic skills requirement under chapter 181-01 WAC at the time of admission. The provider must collect and hold evidence of candidates meeting this requirement.
(c) Teacher candidates must take a content knowledge assessment prior to beginning student teaching. The provider must collect and hold evidence of candidates meeting this requirement. Teacher candidates apply content knowledge as reflected in board approved endorsement competencies. Endorsement assessments are not required for teacher candidates in career and technical education business and industry route programs.
(d) Providers ensure that educator candidates complete coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students under RCW 28A.410.035 and WAC 181-79A-200.
(e) Under RCW 28A.410.040, a teacher candidate whose only baccalaureate degree is in early childhood education, elementary education, or special education must have completed 30 quarter credits, or the equivalent in semester credits or continuing education credit hours, in one academic field in an endorsement area under WAC 181-82A-202.
(f) Candidates for an initial certificate in a career and technical education residency teacher preparation program must complete a minimum of 45 quarter credits, or the equivalent in semester credits or continuing education credit hours, in the specific career and technical education area for which certification is sought.
(3) Providers ensure that candidates demonstrate pedagogical knowledge and skill relative to the professional standards adopted by the board for the role for which candidates are being prepared.
(a) Candidates demonstrate knowledge and competence relative to the standards related to the role, which were adopted by the board. Providers ensure that candidates in teacher preparation programs demonstrate most recently published InTASC Standards, candidates in principal programs demonstrate most recently published NELP - Building Level Standards, candidates in superintendent programs demonstrate most recently published NELP - District Level Standards, candidates in program administrator programs demonstrate the most recently published NELP Building or District Level Standards, candidates in school counselor programs demonstrate the most recently published CACREP standards, candidates in school psychologist programs demonstrate the most recently published NASP standards for graduate preparation of school psychologists, and candidates in career and technical education educator preparation programs demonstrate and document the career and technical education standards approved by the professional educator standards board.
(b) Faculty and mentors provide regular and ongoing feedback to candidates regarding field based performance that is actionable and leads to improvement in candidates' practice.
(c) Providers demonstrate through structured observation, discussion, surveys, and/or artifacts that program completers effectively apply the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions that the preparation program was designed to achieve.
(d) Providers may use the edTPA teacher performance assessment as a formative tool as long as notification to candidates is included in all program descriptions under chapter 28A.410 RCW.
(e) Providers of career and technical educator preparation programs provide candidates all necessary guidance to document, demonstrate, and submit for approval the required hours of occupational experience.
(f) In order to ensure that teacher and principal candidates can recognize signs of emotional or behavioral distress in students and appropriately refer students for assistance and support, teacher and principal preparation program providers must incorporate the social emotional standards and benchmarks, and must provide guidance to candidates on related competencies described in RCW 28A.410.270.
(4) Providers ensure that candidates are well prepared to exhibit the knowledge and skills of culturally responsive educators as described in the cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion standards under WAC 181-85-204.
(a) Providers ensure that candidates demonstrate knowledge and competence relative to cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion standards under WAC 181-85-204.
(b) Providers offer all candidates meaningful, reflective opportunities to interact with racially and culturally diverse colleagues, faculty, P-12 practitioners, and P-12 students and families.
(c) Providers prepare candidates to adapt their practices based on students' prior experiences, cultural knowledge, and frames of reference to make learning encounters more relevant and effective.
(d) Providers ensure course work explicitly focuses on cultural responsiveness and integrates components of culturally responsive education within and throughout all courses.
(e) Faculty explicitly model equity pedagogy in course work and field experiences in ways that enable candidates to integrate their own cultural and linguistic backgrounds into classroom activities.
(5) Teacher candidates engage with the John McCoy (lulilaš) since time immemorial curriculum focused on history, culture, and government of American Indian peoples as prescribed in RCW 28B.10.710.
(a) There shall be a one quarter or semester course, or the equivalent in continuing education credit hours, 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 public instruction into existing programs or courses and may modify that curriculum in order to incorporate elements that have a regionally specific focus.