Washington Policy Profile
Washington
Teaching Standards and Leadership Standards
Teaching Standards
Is working with and meeting the needs of students with disabilities addressed in state teaching standards?
Standard five of the Professional Educator Standards Board’s (PESB) Washington Teacher Standards-Based Benchmarks outlines the knowledge and skills of an effective Residency-level teacher (the first level in the state’s three-tiered continuum). While the standards address differentiating instruction to meet individual student needs, they do not specifically address students with disabilities.
For example, the benchmarks establish that “effective” teachers:
- Implement classroom/school centered instruction, including sheltered instruction that is connected to communities within the classroom and the school, and includes knowledge and skills for working with other.
- Plan and/or adapt standards-based curricula that are personalized to the diverse needs of each student.
- Plan and/or adapt learner-centered curricula that engage students in a variety of culturally responsive, developmentally, and age appropriate strategies.
The edTPA (teacher performance assessment), which is now required for or all preservice candidates completing an approved Washington teacher preparation program, however, does require candidates to, “Consider all students, including students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students.”
Sources:
Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB), Washington Teacher Standards-Based Benchmarks
Email communication with the PESB, October 2, 2014
School Leadership Standards
Is knowledge of working with students with disabilities included in leader standards?
The PESB’s current standards for a Residency Principal do not specifically require school leaders to have knowledge of working with students with disabilities. Standard 5.4, Inclusive Practice, for example, comes closest b requiring principal candidates to recognize the diversity within the school and the district, including the characteristics of community groups. It suggests that preparation programs must help candidates to “understand the potential impact of discrimination based on race, socio-economic class, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and language on students and their learning.”
Source: PESB, Residency Principal and Program Administrator
Teacher and Principal Preparation
Teacher Preparation – Program Approval/Accreditation
Required course work in teaching students with disabilities/diverse learners
PESB program design standards do not require specific coursework in teaching students with disabilities, as Washington is a competency-based state. However, preparation programs must be in compliance with the program approval standards that outline, among others, the following criteria for effective teaching:
- Using multiple instructional strategies, including the principles of second language acquisition, to address student academic language ability levels and cultural and linguistic backgrounds;
- Planning and/or adapting standards-based curricula that are personalized to the diverse needs of each student;
- Planning and/or adapting learner-centered curricula that engage students in a variety of culturally responsive-, developmentally- and age-appropriate strategies.
Sources:
Washington Administrative Code(WAC) 181-78A-270 (1)
PESB, Standard 4 (2010) – Program Design
Email communication with the PESB, October 2, 2014
Clinical time in diverse settings/teaching special populations
The PESB preparation program design standards require clinical practice (defined as supervised planning, instruction, and reflection) for teacher candidates to consist of “no less than 450 hours in classroom settings”. Standard 4.E (Diversity) requires teacher candidates to have “significant interactions with diverse populations including colleagues, faculty, P-12 practitioners, and P-12 students and families.” It calls for candidates and faculty to “articulate a broad definition of culture and diversity that includes socio-economic, gender, ethnicity, race, and exceptionalities.”
Sources:
PESB, Standard 4 (2010) – Program Design
Teacher Preparation – Accountability
Quality of teacher preparation programs
Washington collects some program-specific, objective data that reflect teacher preparation program performance, including candidate “work samples” that document a positive impact on student learning and first-year teacher/principal surveys.
PESB preparation program standards (Standard 2 – Accountability and Program Improvement) require each program to maintain an assessment system that gathers evidence on candidate learning and program operations (including placement rates, clinical experiences, and candidate characteristics), collects candidate work samples, aggregate key data over time, and provides for regular analysis of assessment results. Standard 1 requires each institution’s Professional Education Advisory Board to annually review and analyze data for the purposes of determining whether candidates have a positive impact on student learning and making recommendations for program improvement. This data may include, but not be limited to: Student surveys, follow-up studies, employment placement records, student performance portfolios, course evaluations, and summaries of performance on the pedagogy assessment for teacher candidates.
Sources:
PESB, Standard 2 (2010) – Accountability and Program Improvement
PESB, Standard 1 – Professional Education Advisory Board
WAC 181-78A-209, Professional education advisory boards – Membership
Email communication with the PESB, October 2, 2014
Principal Preparation – Program Approval/Accreditation
Require course work in leading a school/district that serves students with disabilities/diverse learners
PESB program design standards do not require specific coursework in teaching students with disabilities, as Washington is a competency-based state. However, preparation programs must prepare principals and superintendents who have “the knowledge, skills, and cultural competence to improve learning and achievement to ensure the success of each student.”
Sources:
PESB, Standard 4 (2010) – Program Design
Principal Preparation – Accountability
Are programs reviewed based on outcomes of graduates’ success? Can school principals be linked back to institutions of higher education and preparation programs?
PESB preparation program standards (Standard 2 – Accountability and Program Improvement) require each program to maintain an assessment system that gathers evidence on candidate learning and program operations (including placement rates, clinical experiences, and candidate characteristics), collects candidate work samples, aggregate key data over time, and provides for regular analysis of assessment results. Standard 1 requires each institution’s Professional Education Advisory Board to annually review and analyze data for the purposes of determining whether candidates have a positive impact on student learning and making recommendations for program improvement. This data may include, but not be limited to: Student surveys, follow-up studies, employment placement records, student performance portfolios, and course evaluations.
Sources:
PESB, Standard 2 (2010) – Accountability and Program Improvement
PESB, Standard 1 – Professional Education Advisory Board
WAC 181-78A-209, Professional education advisory boards – Membership
Teacher and Principal Certification/Licensure
Teacher Certification/Licensure – Structure
Is a specific certificate, license or endorsement related to special education required?
Washington does not distinguish between elementary and secondary special education teachers. The state offers only a K-12 special education certification, in addition to an option for early childhood special education.
Teacher Certification – Examination
Does the state require teachers to pass a basic skills exam for initial certification? What are the pass rates on the exams? Does the state require Praxis II or more pedagogical assessment for licensure? Does it include anything about teaching diverse learners or special populations?
The Washington Educator Skills Tests-Basic (WEST-B) test is required for admission to teacher preparation programs; SAT and ACT scores may be substituted for WEST-B passing scores. The Washington Educator Skills Tests-Endorsements (WEST-E) is required for designated content endorsements. The edTPA (teacher performance assessment), as of January 2014, is now required for all preservice candidates completing an approved Washington teacher preparation program. The edTPA is a multiple-measures assessment of teaching – built and submitted by the candidate – that address planning, instruction, assessment and analyzing teaching. It requires candidates to, “Consider all students, including students with IEPs or 504 plans.”
Sources:
PESB, Educator assessment requirements for Washington State
Email communication with the PESB, October 2, 2014
Teacher Certification/Licensure – Requirements
Is professional development around working with special student populations required to move from initial to a professional license?
In Washington, there are three levels of the career continuum (residency, professional, and career). Our state policy analysis did not identify any required professional development in working with special student populations for a teacher candidate to move from a residency to a professional certificate.
Sources:
Principal Certification/Licensure – Requirements
Is prior teaching experience required to become a principal and/or a superintendent? Is specific coursework or other evidence required around working with special student populations?
The state of Washington requires school leaders to obtain a master’s degree, have prior teaching experience, and complete a state-approved preparation program.
Principals: Candidates must earn a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university and complete a state-approved college/university administrator preparation program or three years successful experience in the administrative role at the P-12 level while holding a regular certificate issued by another state. Candidates must hold or have held a regular teaching certificate or ESA (school counselor, school psychologist, etc.) certificate.
Superintendents: Candidates must earn a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university and complete a state-approved college/university administrator preparation program in the administrative role (principal, program administrator, or superintendent) or complete three years successful experience in the administrative role at the P-12 level while holding a regular certificate issued by another state. Candidates must also hold a valid regular teaching certificate, ESA, principal, or program administrator certificate.
Sources:
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Certification: Administrators
Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 181-79A-150
ECS, Administrator License Requirements, Portability, Waivers and Alternative Certification
George W. Bush Institute, Operating in the Dark
Teacher and Principal Induction
Teacher Induction
Is mentoring required for all new teachers and for how many years? If so, do program guidelines/requirements specifically address teaching diverse learners?
The state does not require that all beginning teachers receive induction support. However, the state operates a beginning teacher assistance program—Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST)—but it does not serve all new teachers. The Legislature funded BEST through the 2013-15 biennium and made additional funding available in the 2014 session. Should the Legislature expand funding in the next biennium, grant districts will continue to receive funding for first- and second-year teachers in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Sources:
New Teacher Center, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction
OSPI, Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST)
Principal Induction
Is coaching/mentoring required for all new principals/administrators/ superintendents and for how many years? If so, do program guidelines/requirements specifically serving diverse learners?
The state does not require new school administrators to participate in an induction program.
Source: New Teacher Center, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction
Teacher and Principal Professional Development Standards
Teacher Professional Development Standards
Does the state have professional development standards for teacher PD?
Our state policy analysis did not identify professional development standards for teachers.
Principal Professional Development Standards
Does the state have professional development standards for leadership PD?
Our state policy analysis did not identify professional development standards for school leaders.
Popular Resources
Other Collaborators
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Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE)
Personnel Improvement Center (PIC)
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)
National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPENSE)
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
This website was produced under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Award No. H325A120003. David Guardino serves as the project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or polices of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this website is intended or should be inferred.