Changes to limited certificates

Roles:

The conditional certificate is available for teachers in all endorsement areas. Specific provisions exist for:

• Special education teacher
• Traffic safety education teacher
• Nonimmigrant exchange teacher

The conditional certificate is also available for Education staff associates (ESAs) in the following roles. Individuals must meet applicable specific provisions. For details, please see information on the conditional ESA certificates below.

• School counselor
• School nurse
• School psychologist
• School social worker
• School speech language pathologist or audiologist

For administrators, a conditional certificate is available in the role of principal to individuals meeting certain requirements.

Requirements for districts requesting a conditional certificate:

Mentors are required for holders of conditional certificates in all roles, and the district must develop a written plan of support within twenty working days from the commencement of the assignment.

School board approval continues to be required for conditional certificates.

When requesting a conditional certificate, districts will verify that one or more of the following criteria have been met:

• The individual has extensive experience, unusual distinction, or exceptional talent in the subject matter to be taught or in the certificate role; or
• No person with regular certification in the area is available; or
• The individual holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university; or
• The individual is enrolled in an educator preparation program specific to the certificate role for which they are applying; or
• Circumstances warrant.

When requesting a conditional certificate, districts will verify that all of the following criteria have been met:

• The district, educational service district, or approved private school has determined that the individual is competent for the assignment; and
• After specific inclusion on the agenda and a formal vote, the school board or educational service district board has authorized the conditional certificate; and
• The individual is being certificated for a specific assignment and responsibility in a specified activity/field; and
• The individual will be delegated primary responsibility for planning, conducting, and evaluating instructional activities; and
• The individual will not be serving in a paraeducator role; and
• The individual will be oriented and prepared for the assignment. In addition, prior to service, the individual will be apprised of any legal liability, the responsibilities of a professional educator, the lines of authority, and the duration of the assignment; and
• The individual will be assigned a mentor within twenty working days from the commencement of the assignment; and
• A written plan of support will be developed within twenty working days from the commencement of the assignment.

Requirements for individuals holding a conditional certificate:

Individuals will be required to complete 50 clock hours, or the equivalent in credits or Professional Growth Plans (PGPs) (document), subsequent to the issuance, and prior to the reissuance, of the certificate.

Degree requirements:

• No change in policy for conditional teacher certificates: bachelor’s degrees are not required. The exception is the special education teacher certificate, which still requires a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• A bachelor’s degree and enrollment in a program is required for a conditional principal certificate. Previously, it was an emergency principal’s certificate, and required a master’s degree and enrollment in a program.

Validity period:

Conditional certificates have a validity period of two years.

• The exception is the the conditional certificate for special education teachers, who are eligible for a two-year conditional certificate, followed by a three-year reissuance. .

Reissuance:

No change in policy in reissuances for conditional certificates—they may be reissued at district request as long as the original requirements for the issuance of the certificate are met.

• Special education conditional certificate may be reissued once. The individual may hold the certificate for five years total with a 2 year first issuance followed by a 3 year reissuance.
  (Previously was five years total with a 2 year conditional + 1 year conditional + 1 year emergency + 1 year emergency.)
• SLP conditional certificates may be reissued twice. The individual may hold the certificate for six years total with a 2 year issuance + 2 year reissuance + 2 year reissuance.
  (Previously was six years total with a 2 year conditional + 2 year conditional + 1 year emergency + 1 year emergency)

	Previous policy	New policy
Special Education	Five years total: Conditional: 2+1 Emergency: 1+1	Five years total: Conditional: 2+3
SLP: School speech language pathologist or audiologist	Six years total: Conditional: 2+2 Emergency 1+1	Six years total: Conditional: 2+2+2

Specific roles:

Special Education Teacher conditional certificate:

• Requires a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Requires enrollment in an approved teacher preparation program resulting in a residency teacher certificate endorsed in special education.
• An individual with full certification and endorsed in special education shall be assigned as a mentor to the special education teacher serving on a conditional certificate for the duration of the conditional certificate.
• Special education conditional certificate may be reissued once. The individual may hold the certificate for five years total with a 2 year first issuance followed by a 3 year reissuance.
  • The special education conditional certificate may only be reissued upon verification by the preparation program provider that the individual is completing satisfactory progress in a residency teacher certificate program leading to a special education endorsement.

Traffic Safety Education conditional certificate:

• The applicant qualifies to instruct in the traffic safety program pursuant to WAC 392-153-021.
• Written plans of support and mentors are not required for holders of conditional certificates in the role of traffic safety education teacher.

Nonimmigrant exchange teacher:

• A conditional certificate in the role of teacher may be issued to an individual admitted to the United States for the purpose of serving as an exchange teacher.
• The individual must be eligible to serve as a teacher in the elementary or secondary schools in their country of nationality or last residence.
• This conditional certificate may be reissued while the individual is being sponsored by a school district in an exchange and visiting teacher program.
• Holders of conditional certificates in the role of nonimmigrant exchange teacher are not required to complete fifty continuing education credit hours.

Principal:

• The applicant holds a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• The candidate for conditional certification as a principal shall be enrolled in a program resulting in the issuance of a residency principal certificate, in accordance with Washington requirements for certification.

The only change to policy regarding emergency substitute certificates is in regards to validity period.

Previously, emergency substitute certificates had a validity period of three years. Now, in order to align with the validity periods of other limited certificates, emergency substitute certificates will have a validity period of two years.

Role:

Teacher

Requirements for districts requesting an emergency substitute certificate:

A district may request the emergency substitute certificate if it has, “exhausted or reasonably anticipates it will exhaust its list of qualified substitutes under WAC 181-79A-232.”

Requirements for individuals holding an emergency substitute certificate:

No change in policy for emergency substitute teacher certificates: bachelor’s degrees are not required.

Validity period:

Two years.

Reissuance:

May be reissued.

The “lifetime” substitute certificate is requested by the individual certificate holder, not by the district. As such, it is not a limited certificate. The substitute certificate was removed from the list of limited certificates and placed in its own section, WAC 181-79a-232. Policy provisions for this certificate were not changed.

Roles:

Teacher, administrator, ESA.

Requirements for individuals requesting a substitute certificate:

Individuals must meet one or more of the following:

• Hold or have held a regular state of Washington educator certificate; or
• Have completed a state approved educator preparation programs, and a bachelor’s degree or higher; or
• Meet out-of-state certification requirements in WAC 181-79A-257; or
• Hold or have held a continuing CTE teacher certificate.

Validity period:

Valid for life.

Updated 05/31/2022.

The transitional certificate allows holders of expired continuing certificates to serve in the role while they are completing the requirements to renew their certificates.

At the May 2022 meeting, the PESB Board expanded the scope to allow transitional certificates to be issued for teachers, ESAs, or administrators whose certificates are subject to renewal under WAC 181-79A-240 and expire or lapse by June 30, 2022.

Roles:

Teachers, administrators, and ESAs with expired continuing certificates.

Teachers, administrators, and ESAs with expired certificates subject to renewal under WAC 181-79A-240 that expire or lapse by June 30, 2022.

Request requirements:

Issued upon request of the school district.

Requirements for individuals holding a transitional certificate:

Must complete the requirements for certificate renewal within two years of the date the holder was issued the transitional certificate.

Validity period:

Two years.

Reissuance:

May not be reissued.

There were no policy changes to the intern substitute certificate.

The intent of the intern substitute certificate is to provide the intern the opportunity to serve as a substitute when the cooperating teacher is absent. This provides the intern with experience while allowing for consistency in instruction for the students.

Role:

Teacher.

Holders of the intern substitute certificate may serve as a substitute teacher only in the classroom(s) to which the individual is assigned as a student teacher or intern.

Request requirements:

Requested by the district and approved by the preparation program provider.

Validity period:

One year.

Reissuance:

May be reissued upon request by the district and approval by the preparation program provider.

Previously, both conditional and emergency certificates were available for certain ESA roles. Individuals who qualified for one of these previous certificates would be eligible for the conditional certificate under the revised WAC.

Overall provisions for the ESA limited certificates did not change other than a name change from “emergency certificate” to “conditional certificate.” SLP limited certificates were previously available for a total of six years in a series of 2 year + 2 year + 1 year + 1 year conditional and emergency certificates, and now are still available for a total of six years in a series of  2 year + 2 year + 2 year conditional certificates.

A work group regarding the ESA certificates is currently meeting this year, and will be reviewing the ESA limited certificates.

Conditional ESA certificates are subject to the overall provisions of the conditional certificate. Information regarding the ESA conditional certificates is found below:

School counselor

• The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university, and be enrolled in a state-approved preparation program for the role, in accordance with Washington requirements for certification.

School psychologist

• The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university, and be enrolled in a state-approved preparation program for school psychologists.
• In addition, the candidate shall have completed all course work for the required master’s degree, and shall be participating in the required internship.

School nurse

• The applicant possesses a state of Washington license for a registered nurse.

School social worker

• The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• The applicant must be enrolled in a master’s degree program in social work or social welfare.

School speech language pathologist or audiologist

The individual may hold the certificate for six years total with a 2 year issuance + 2 year reissuance + 2 year reissuance.

• First issuance: The applicant has completed a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Reissuance: The conditional certification as a school speech language pathologist or audiologist may be reissued if the candidate is enrolled in a master’s degree program resulting in issuance of an initial ESA certificate in accordance with Washington requirements for certification.
• Reissuance: The school speech language pathologist or audiologist conditional certificate may be reissued a second time upon verification by the degree provider that the individual is completing satisfactory progress in a master’s degree program resulting in issuance of an initial school speech language pathologist or audiologist certificate in accordance with Washington requirements for certification.