BILL REQ. #:  S-5238.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/08/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to the professional educator standards board establishing a professional-level certification assessment; and amending RCW 28A.410.210 and 28A.410.220.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.410.210 and 2005 c 497 s 201 are each amended to read as follows:
     The purpose of the professional educator standards board is to establish policies and requirements for the preparation and certification of educators that provide standards for competency in professional knowledge and practice in the areas of certification; a foundation of skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to help students with diverse needs, abilities, cultural experiences, and learning styles meet or exceed the learning goals outlined in RCW 28A.150.210; knowledge of research-based practice; and professional development throughout a career. The Washington professional educator standards board shall:
     (1) Establish policies and practices for the approval of programs of courses, requirements, and other activities leading to educator certification including teacher, school administrator, and educational staff associate certification;
     (2) Establish policies and practices for the approval of the character of work required to be performed as a condition of entrance to and graduation from any educator preparation program including teacher, school administrator, and educational staff associate preparation program as provided in subsection (1) of this section;
     (3) Establish a list of accredited institutions of higher education of this and other states whose graduates may be awarded educator certificates as teacher, school administrator, and educational staff associate and establish criteria and enter into agreements with other states to acquire reciprocal approval of educator preparation programs and certification, including teacher certification from the national board for professional teaching standards;
     (4) Establish policies for approval of nontraditional educator preparation programs;
     (5) Conduct a review of educator program approval standards at least every five years, beginning in 2006, to reflect research findings and assure continued improvement of preparation programs for teachers, administrators, and school specialized personnel;
     (6) Specify the types and kinds of educator certificates to be issued and conditions for certification in accordance with subsection (1) of this section and RCW 28A.410.010;
     (7) Hear and determine educator certification appeals as provided by RCW 28A.410.100;
     (8) Apply for and receive federal or other funds on behalf of the state for purposes related to the duties of the board;
     (9) Adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW that are necessary for the effective and efficient implementation of this chapter;
     (10) Maintain data concerning educator preparation programs and their quality, educator certification, educator employment trends and needs, and other data deemed relevant by the board;
     (11) Serve as an advisory body to the superintendent of public instruction on issues related to educator recruitment, hiring, mentoring and support, professional growth, retention, educator evaluation including but not limited to peer evaluation, and revocation and suspension of licensure;
     (12) Submit, by October 15th of each even-numbered year, a joint report with the state board of education to the legislative education committees, the governor, and the superintendent of public instruction. The report shall address the progress the boards have made and the obstacles they have encountered, individually and collectively, in the work of achieving the goals set out in RCW 28A.150.210;
     (13) Establish the prospective teacher assessment system for basic skills and subject knowledge that shall be required to obtain residency certification pursuant to RCW 28A.410.220 through 28A.410.240; ((and))
     (14) By January 2010, set performance standards and develop, pilot, and implement a uniform and externally administered professional-level certification assessment based on demonstrated teaching skill. In the development of this assessment, consideration shall be given to changes in professional certification program components such as the culminating seminar; and
     (15) Conduct meetings under the provisions of chapter 42.30 RCW.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.410.220 and 2002 c 92 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Beginning not later than September 1, 2001, the Washington professional educator standards board shall make available and pilot a means of assessing an applicant's knowledge in the basic skills. For the purposes of this section, "basic skills" means the subjects of at least reading, writing, and mathematics. Beginning September 1, 2002, except as provided in (c) of this subsection and subsection (((3))) (4) of this section, passing this assessment shall be required for admission to approved teacher preparation programs and for persons from out-of-state applying for a Washington state residency teaching certificate.
     (b) On an individual student basis, approved teacher preparation programs may admit into their programs a candidate who has not achieved the minimum basic skills assessment score established by the Washington professional educator standards board. Individuals so admitted may not receive residency certification without passing the basic skills assessment under this section.
     (c) The Washington professional educator standards board may establish criteria to ensure that persons from out-of-state who are applying for residency certification and persons applying to master's degree level teacher preparation programs can demonstrate to the board's satisfaction that they have the requisite basic skills based upon having completed another basic skills assessment acceptable to the Washington professional educator standards board or by some other alternative approved by the Washington professional educator standards board.
     (2) The professional educator standards board shall set performance standards and develop, pilot, and implement a uniform and externally administered professional-level certification assessment based on demonstrated teaching skill. In the development of this assessment, consideration shall be given to changes in professional certification program components such as the culminating seminar.
     (3) Beginning not later than September 1, 2002, the Washington professional educator standards board shall provide for the initial piloting and implementation of a means of assessing an applicant's knowledge in the subjects for which the applicant has applied for an endorsement to his or her residency or professional teaching certificate. The assessment of subject knowledge shall not include instructional methodology. Beginning September 1, 2005, passing this assessment shall be required to receive an endorsement for certification purposes.
     (((3))) (4) The Washington professional educator standards board may permit exceptions from the assessment requirements under subsections (1) ((and)), (2), and (3) of this section on a case-by-case basis.
     (((4))) (5) The Washington professional educator standards board shall provide for reasonable accommodations for individuals who are required to take the assessments in subsection (1) ((or)), (2), or (3) of this section if the individuals have learning or other disabilities.
     (((5))) (6) With the exception of applicants exempt from the requirements of subsections (1) ((and)), (2), and (3) of this section, an applicant must achieve a minimum assessment score or scores established by the Washington professional educator standards board on each of the assessments under subsections (1) ((and)), (2), and (3) of this section.
     (((6))) (7) The Washington professional educator standards board and superintendent of public instruction, as determined by the Washington professional educator standards board, may contract with one or more third parties for:
     (a) The development, purchase, administration, scoring, and reporting of scores of the assessments established by the Washington professional educator standards board under subsections (1) ((and)), (2), and (3) of this section;
     (b) Related clerical and administrative activities; or
     (c) Any combination of the purposes in this subsection.
     (((7))) (8) Applicants for admission to a Washington teacher preparation program and applicants for residency and professional certificates who are required to successfully complete one or more of the assessments under subsections (1) ((and)), (2), and (3) of this section, and who are charged a fee for the assessment by a third party contracted with under subsection (((6))) (7) of this section, shall pay the fee charged by the contractor directly to the contractor. Such fees shall be reasonably related to the actual costs of the contractor in providing the assessment.
     (((8))) (9) The superintendent of public instruction is responsible for supervision and providing support services to administer this section.
     (((9))) (10) The Washington professional educator standards board shall collaboratively select or develop and implement the assessments and minimum assessment scores required under this section with the superintendent of public instruction and shall provide opportunities for representatives of other interested educational organizations to participate in the selection or development and implementation of such assessments in a manner deemed appropriate by the Washington professional educator standards board.
     (((10))) (11) The Washington professional educator standards board shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW that are reasonably necessary for the effective and efficient implementation of this section.