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

     Purpose: Establishes a specific process for seeking approval from the professional educator standards board for offering a specialty endorsement.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 181-82A-207.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.410.210.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 07-20-106 on October 2, 2007.

     A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Nasue Nishida, P.O. Box 47236, Olympia, WA 98504, phone (360) 725-6238, fax (360) 586-4548, e-mail nasue.nishida@k12.wa.us.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: November 8, 2007.

Nasue Nishida

Policy and Research Analyst

OTS-1093.2

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 06-20-063, filed 9/29/06, effective 10/30/06)

WAC 181-82A-207   Specialty endorsement ((program requirements)) criteria.   (1) Specialty endorsements prepare a teacher ((candidate)) to work with a specific student population/demographic and/or subject matter area, and are created to help ((candidates)) teachers specialize beyond the required certificate endorsements as stated in WAC 181-82A-202. Specialty endorsements have unique endorsement competencies not found in any of the existing endorsements.

     (((1) Candidates completing specialty endorsements shall complete the following:

     (a) Complete a college/university teacher specialty endorsement program approved by the professional educator standards board pursuant to chapter 181-78A WAC, which includes methodology (see WAC 181-78A-264(5)) and field experience/internship (see WAC 181-78A-264(6)) and pursuant to endorsement program approval requirements in this chapter; and

     (b) Pass the subject knowledge test for the specialty endorsement approved by the professional educator standards board.

     (2) Out-of-state candidates shall comply with WAC 181-79A-257.

     (3) Course work used to meet specialty endorsement requirements must be completed through a regionally accredited college/university.

     (4) Only course work in which an individual received a grade of C (2.0) or higher or a grade of pass on a pass-fail system of grading shall be counted toward the course work required for the approved specialty endorsement program.))

     (2) Each college or university and/or Washington-based organization/association requesting the creation of a specialty endorsement shall seek a two phase approval by the professional educator standards board.

     (a) Phase one: Proposers shall submit a preapproval proposal to the professional educator standards board that includes the following information:

     (i) Documentation of nationally recognized teaching standards unique to the proposed specialty endorsement;

     (ii) Letter of support from a professional educator standards board-approved college or university interested in offering the proposed specialty endorsement program.

     (b) Phase two: If proposers receive preapproval from the professional educator standards board, they shall submit a phase two application available by the board. The phase two application, not to exceed ten pages, will address the following information:

     (i) A description of the needs, student population and/or subject matter addressed by the proposed specialty endorsement;

     (ii) A description of the unique knowledge and skills the proposed specialty endorsement provides to educators;

     (iii) An explanation of the expected value and benefit of the proposed specialty endorsement for the K-12 system.

     (c) Upon completion of both phases and board approval of a specialty endorsement, the process in WAC 181-82A-206 shall apply.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.210. 06-20-063, § 181-82A-207, filed 9/29/06, effective 10/30/06.]

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