Professional Educator Standards Board

A-Z Topic Index

Changes to CTE certificates

In 2018, the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) worked with the OSPI CTE office to convene a work group to examine CTE certification. The WAC amendments reflect recommendations from the work group.

  • In May 2018, the board heard recommendations from the work group.
  • In July 2018, the board made initial consideration of the WAC language.
  • In September 2018, the board adopted the proposed WAC amendments.

Learn more at one of our informational webinars

What were the main changes?

  • Holders of initial and continuing CTE certificates expiring June 30, 2019, will need to have completed 100 clock hours or the equivalent in the five years prior to the expiration date of the certificate.
  • No change in expiration dates for certificates currently held by educators.
  • The probationary CTE certificate will no longer be available, but districts will be able to request a conditional CTE certificate for those same individuals.
  • Holders of the conditional CTE certificate will need to complete 50 clock hours or the credit equivalent subsequent to the issuance, but prior to the reissuance, of the certificate.
    • The 50 clock hours or credit equivalent must be aligned to CTE competencies.
    • The 50 clock hours or credit equivalent may be completed in a program.

Areas of CTE certification policy change include:

Initial and continuing CTE certificates

One overall recommendation from the work group was to align CTE certification renewal requirements, and requirements to move from an initial to a continuing CTE certificate, with the rest of the certification system.

CTE teachers, CTE directors, and CTE career guidance specialists, holding initial or continuing certificates, may renew their certificates in five-year intervals with:

  • 100 clock hours or the equivalent in college credit;
  • Or, by completing four annual Professional Growth Plans (PGPs during the five-year validity date of the certificate;
  • Or, by combining completed PGPs (document) with clock hours for a total of 100 hours. (e.g. 3 PGPs + 25 CH = 100 CH);
  • Or, a valid NBPTS National Board certificate in any area.

Holders of the initial and continuing CTE teacher certificates must complete the STEM certificate renewal requirement.
Holders of continuing CTE teacher and CTE director certificates must complete the TPEP certificate renewal requirement.

To move from an initial to a continuing certificate, CTE teachers, CTE directors, and CTE career guidance specialists must accrue two years experience in the CTE area; and, 150 clock hours or a valid National Board certificate in any area.

A graphic showing the flow of earning and renewing an initial CTE certificate and earning a continuing CTE certificate and its renewal. The text for the initial CTE certificate reads: valid for five years. Renewal of initial: 100 clock hours or four PGPs or combine clock hours and PGPs. Each PGP worth 25 hours. AND STEM cert renewal requirements. To obtain a continuing CTE certificate: two years FTE teaching experience in CTE area required and 150 clock hours, or a valid National Board certificate in any area. The renewal of the continuing CTE certificate reads: valid for five years. 100 clock hours, or PGPs, or combine clock hour and PGPs. Each PGP worth 25 clock hours. Or a National Board certificate in any area and STEM and TPEP certificate renewal requirements.

The limited CTE certificates

The work group discussed the overlap between the conditional and probationary certificates: individuals often moved from a conditional to a probationary back to a conditional; individuals on a probationary also qualified for a conditional; and individuals enrolled in a program may have a conditional, a probationary, or no certificate.

The work group recommended merging the two certificates, and the board adopted WAC merging the certificates.

Key points:
  • The probationary CTE certificate will no longer be available, but districts will be able to request a conditional CTE certificate for those same individuals.
  • The conditional CTE certificate will have a validity period of two years.
  • Individuals holding the CTE conditional certificate will be required to complete 50 clock hours or the credit equivalent subsequent to the issuance, but prior to the reissuance, of the certificate. The must relate to designated CTE competencies.
Professional Development requirement:

Individuals are required to complete 50 clock hours or the credit equivalent subsequent to the issuance, and prior to the reissuance, of the conditional certificate. The district will verify that this continuing education credit hour requirement has been met. The continuing education credit hours must relate to these competencies:

  1. Issues related to legal liability;
  2. The responsibilities of career and technical education educators;
  3. The lines of authority in the employing school district and/or building;
  4. Career and technical education methods, including those described in RCW 28A.700.010, WAC 181-77-041(1)(b), and WAC 181-77A-165;
  5. General and specific safety.

This continuing education credit hour requirement may be completed through credit hours earned while enrolled in a program.

District request requirements:

Districts will affirm that one or more of the following are the case when requesting the conditional CTE certificate. The conditional certificate may be issued only to:

  1. Persons qualified and experienced in the knowledge and occupational skills of the career and technical education program to be certified; or
  2. Persons who meet the occupational experience requirements for career and technical education certification; or
  3. Persons enrolled in a career and technical education preparation program as verified by an approved career and technical education program provider; or
  4. Persons who will be employed in new and emerging occupations as identified by the professional educator standards board and/or its designee.

The local career and technical education administrator or superintendent will verify that all of the following criteria have been met when requesting the conditional career and technical education certificate:

  1. No person with CTE certification in the field is available as verified by the local CTE administrator or superintendent; and
  2. The individual is being certified for a limited assignment and responsibility in a specified career and technical education program area; and
  3. Personnel so certificated will be oriented and prepared for the specific assignment and will be apprised of any legal liability, the lines of authority and the duration of the assignment; and
  4. The CTE administrator and local program advisory committee will indicate the basis on which he/she has determined that the individual is competent for the assignment; and
  5. A written training plan is on file with the employing district. The career and technical education administrator and the candidate will mutually develop this plan. The plan must be approved by the local school district CTE program advisory committee to which the candidate is assigned.

The plan will provide for the career and technical education instructor to develop competencies in the following:

  1. Issues related to legal liability;
  2. The responsibilities of career and technical education educators;
  3. The lines of authority in the employing school district and/or building;
  4. Career and technical education methods, including those described in RCW 28A.700.010, WAC 181-77-041(1)(b), and WAC 181-77A-165;
  5. General and specific safety.

Questions?