Endorsement competencies outline the knowledge and skills that educators are expected to master in each endorsement area they are pursuing.
How are endorsement competencies used?
- Programs will use the endorsement competency standards for pre-service or in-service teachers seeking to obtain their endorsements.
- Washington State uses the endorsement competency standards to develop the content assessment which educators must take to earn a specific endorsement.
- These standards are for teacher preparation programs and teacher candidates; they are not student learning standards.
How are endorsement competencies reviewed?
We are currently integrating national professional standards into each of Washington’s endorsement competencies. We have also convened review committees to better align Washington-specific endorsement competencies with standards developed by national professional associations specializing in specific subject areas. Learn more about the adoption of national standards.
What national standards are currently being implemented?
- Business and marketing: National Business Education Association (NBEA) Standards
- Early childhood education: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Professional Preparation Standards
- Agricultural education: American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE) standards for School-based Agricultural Education Teacher Preparation Programs
- Family and consumer sciences: National Association of Teacher Educators for Family and Consumer Sciences (NATEFACS) Teacher Education standards
- Bilingual Education: National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation Standards (NDLETPS)
- World Languages: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers
What are the competencies and assessment for each endorsement?
Essential learnings for specialty endorsements
Essential learnings are educator professional standards for specialty endorsements. Specialty endorsements do not require an assessment.
| Specialty Endorsement | Essential Learnings | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Computer Science | Elementary Computer Science essential learnings | N/A |
| Elementary Mathematics Specialist | Elementary Mathematics Specialist essential learnings | N/A |
| Environment and Sustainability Education | Environment and Sustainability essential learnings | N/A |
| Gifted Education | Gifted Education essential learnings | N/A |
| Secondary Computer Science | Secondary Computer Science essential learnings | N/A |
| Adapted Physical Education | Adapted Physical Education essential learnings | N/A |
Standards-based benchmarks by educator role
These contain the criteria, strands and benchmarks at the residency, professional, and career levels. The Educator standards, SEL, CCDEI page has more information about the standards used by in-service educators.
