• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Professional Educator Standards Board

A-Z Topic Index

facebook logoteal twitter iconyoutube logo
  • Home
  • Educator pathways
    • Alternative routes to teacher certification
      • Alternative routes descriptions
      • Find an alternative route program
    • Becoming an educator
      • Find a preparation program
      • Find an endorsement offering
    • Recruiting Washington Teachers (RWT)
      • RWT curriculum and resources
      • RWT reports
    • Educators of the deaf and visually impaired
  • Workforce
    • Assignment
      • Educational staff associate
      • Teacher
    • Developing current educators
      • Certification standards and renewal
      • Clock hours
      • Educator retooling conditional loan scholarship
      • Endorsements
      • Pipeline for paraeducators conditional loan scholarship
      • Professional growth plans (PGPs)
    • District workforce data
    • Educator shortage
    • Human resources support
  • Preparation programs
    • Approval
      • Become a new program
      • Change an approved program
      • Course approval
      • Offer an endorsement
    • Review
      • 27-month review
      • Annual reporting
      • Program review by educator role
    • Standards and requirements
      • Educator assessments
      • Endorsement competencies
      • Field placement plans
      • Instructional topic requirements
      • PGP for program completion
      • Program standards
      • Role standards
  • Paraeducator program
    • District implementation
      • District reimbursement
    • Minimum employment requirements
    • Program components
  • Resources & reports
    • Reports
      • Braille competency reports
      • Educator assessment system report
      • Educator shortage report
      • Grow Your Own teachers report
      • Testing barriers in Washington State report
      • The potential of micro-credentials in Washington state report
    • Data portal
    • Handouts
    • Online learning
  • Innovation to policy
    • Equity initiatives
    • “Grow Your Own” Initiative
    • Innovation archive
    • Legislative priorities
    • Workgroups
      • Advancing equity workgroup
      • Case-by-case exceptions
      • Credentialing for educators of the blind and visually impaired
      • Credentialing for educators of the deaf
      • CTE program review
      • Educator assessment system
      • Educator professional growth
      • Paraeducator Board subcommittees
      • Professional educator collaborative
      • Professional practice
      • Standards, approval, and review committee
    • Grants & pilots
      • Advancing equity grant
      • Alternative routes block grant
      • Collaborative schools for innovation and success
      • Educational service district alternative routes grant
      • “Grow Your Own” Pilot Program
      • Micro-credential pilot grant
      • Multiple measures pilot for the edTPA
      • Recruiting Washington Teachers – Bilingual Educators Initiative
      • Recruiting Washington Teachers grant
      • Teaching Equity Grant
  • About us
    • Contact us
    • COVID-19 resources
    • Meet our Executive Director
    • News
    • PESB and Paraeducator Board rule making
    • Strategic plan
    • About the Professional Educator Standards Board
      • Board member resources
      • PESB members
    • About the Paraeducator Board
      • Board member resources
      • Paraeducator Board members
    • Board meetings
      • Previous Paraeducator Board meetings and materials
      • Previous PESB meetings and materials
You are here: Home / Workforce / Assignment / Educational staff associate

Educational staff associate

Educational staff associates (ESAs) provide education and health services to students in Washington state. PESB oversees assignment and credentialing policy for educational staff associates (ESAs). There are eight ESA roles.

ESAs providing services through telepractice are subject to the same Washington ESA certification and licensure regulations as those providing in-person services.

School behavior analyst

Credentialing requirements

School behavior analysts are required to have an educational staff associate (ESA) certificate for behavior analysts.
School behavior analysts are not required to have a Department of Health (DOH) behavior analyst license, although many of them do. See RCW 18.380.030(3).

Contracted providers

ESA certification is not required in order for a district to contract with a related service provider that is not an employee of the school district. Though they are not required to do so, many school districts choose to require ESA certification or other conditions as part of a personal services or agency contract. These individuals must have the relevant DOH license, such as a behavior analyst license.
The OSPI Special Education office requires ESA certification (or other appropriate educator certification) in order to provide specially designed instruction under an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The OSPI Special Education office can respond to inquiries on specially designed instruction or related services at 360-725-6075 or speced@k12.wa.us.

Learn more about:

  • School behavior analyst ESA certification
  • Conditional ESA certification
  • DOH behavior analyst license
  • Related service providers

School counselor

Credentialing requirements

School counselors are required to have an educational staff associate (ESA) certificate for school counselors.
You can find a description of the school counselor role and requirement for certification in RCW 28A.410.043.
School social workers or other ESAs, or individuals with a DOH mental health counselor license or other DOH license, cannot serve as school counselors without a school counselor ESA certificate.

Contracted providers

ESA certification is not required in order for a district to contract with a related service provider that is not an employee of the school district. Though they are not required to do so, many school districts choose to require ESA certification or other conditions as part of a personal services or agency contract. These individuals must have the relevant DOH license, such as a mental health counselor or marriage and family therapist license.
The OSPI Special Education office can respond to inquiries on related services at 360-725-6075 or speced@k12.wa.us.

Learn more about:

  • School counselor ESA certification
  • Conditional ESA certification
  • Washington State approved school counselor preparation programs
  • DOH mental health counselor license
  • DOH marriage and family therapist license
  • Related service providers
  • OSPI information on school counseling

School nurse

Credentialing requirements

School nurses are required to have an educational staff associate (ESA) certificate for school nurses.
An individual must have a Department of Health (DOH) RN license in order to obtain the school nurse ESA certificate. For questions on licensure requirements for school-based health care services, including billing, please contact the Health Care Authority.
School districts with less than 2,000 students can employ DOH licensed nurses without ESA certificates (RCW 28A.210.300).

Contracted providers

ESA certification is not required in order for any district to contract with a provider who is not an employee of the school district. Though they are not required to do so, many school districts choose to require ESA certification or other conditions as part of a personal services or agency contract. These individuals must have the relevant DOH license, such as a registered nurse license.

Learn more about:

  • School nurse ESA certification
  • Conditional ESA certification
  • Department of Health (DOH) RN license
  • OSPI information on nursing services

School occupational therapist

Credentialing requirements

School occupational therapists are required to have an educational staff associate (ESA) certificate for school occupational therapists.
An individual must have a Department of Health (DOH) occupational therapist license in order to obtain the school occupational therapist ESA certificate. For questions on licensure requirements for school-based health care services, including billing, please contact the Health Care Authority.

Contracted providers

ESA certification is not required in order for a district to contract with a related service provider that is not an employee of the school district. Though they are not required to do so, many school districts choose to require ESA certification or other conditions as part of a personal services or agency contract. These individuals must have the relevant DOH license, such as an occupational therapist license.
The OSPI Special Education office requires ESA certification (or other appropriate educator certification) in order to provide specially designed instruction under an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The OSPI Special Education office can respond to inquiries on specially designed instruction or related services at 360-725-6075 or speced@k12.wa.us.

Learn more about:

  • School occupational therapist ESA certification
  • Department of Health (DOH) occupational therapist license
  • Related service providers

School physical therapist

School physical therapists are required to have an educational staff associate (ESA) certificate for school physical therapists.
An individual must have a Department of Health (DOH) physical therapist license in order to obtain the school physical therapist ESA certificate. For questions on licensure requirements for school-based health care services, including billing, please contact the Health Care Authority.

Contracted providers

ESA certification is not required in order for a district to contract with a related service provider that is not an employee of the school district. Though they are not required to do so, many school districts choose to require ESA certification or other conditions as part of a personal services or agency contract. These individuals must have the relevant DOH license, such as a physical therapist license.
The OSPI Special Education office can respond to inquiries on related services at 360-725-6075 or speced@k12.wa.us.

Learn more about:

  • School physical therapist ESA certification
  • Department of Health (DOH) physical therapist license
  • Related service providers

School psychologist

School psychologists are required to have an educational staff associate (ESA) certificate for school psychologists.
You can find a description of the school psychologist role and the requirement for certification in RCW 28A.410.045.
Individuals are not required to have a license from the Department of Health (DOH) in order to obtain the school psychologist ESA certificate. For questions on licensure requirements for school-based health care services, including billing, please contact the Health Care Authority.

Contracted providers

ESA certification is not required in order for a district to contract with a related service provider that is not an employee of the school district. Though they are not required to do so, many school districts choose to require ESA certification or other conditions as part of a personal services or agency contract. These individuals must have the relevant DOH license, such as a psychologist license.
The OSPI Special Education office requires ESA certification (or other appropriate educator certification) in order to provide specially designed instruction under an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The OSPI Special Education office can respond to inquiries on specially designed instruction or related services at 360-725-6075 or speced@k12.wa.us.

Learn more about:

  • School psychologist ESA certification
  • Conditional ESA certification
  • Washington state approved school psychologist preparation programs
  • DOH psychologist license
  • Related service providers

School social worker

School social workers are required to have an educational staff associate (ESA) certificate for school social workers. Individuals are not required to have a license from the Department of Health (DOH) in order to obtain the school social worker ESA certificate.
You can find a description of the school social worker role and the requirement for certification in RCW 28A.410.045.

Contracted providers

ESA certification is not required in order for a district to contract with a related service provider who is not an employee of the school district. While many school districts choose to require ESA certification or other conditions as part of a personal services or agency contract, they are not required to do so. These individuals must have the relevant DOH license, such as a social worker license.
The OSPI Special Education office requires ESA certification (or other appropriate educator certification) in order to provide specially designed instruction under an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The OSPI Special Education office can respond to inquiries on specially designed instruction or related services at 360-725-6075 or speced@k12.wa.us.

Learn more about:

  • School social worker ESA certification
  • Conditional ESA certification
  • DOH social worker license
  • Related service providers

School speech language pathologist (SLP) and audiologist

School SLPs and audiologists are required to have an educational staff associate (ESA) certificate for SLPs and audiologists.
Individuals are not required to have a license from the Department of Health (DOH) in order to obtain the SLP ESA certificate, although many SLP ESAs also have the DOH license. Some school districts set a local requirement of having both an ESA certificate and a DOH license, often to allow billing for school-based health care. For questions on licensure requirements for school-based health care services, including billing, please contact the Health Care Authority.

Contracted providers

ESA certification is not required in order for a district to contract with a related service provider that is not an employee of the school district. Though they are not required to do so, many school districts choose to require ESA certification or other conditions as part of a personal services or agency contract. These individuals must have the relevant DOH license, such as a speech language pathologist or audiologist license.
The OSPI Special Education office requires ESA certification (or other appropriate educator certification) in order to provide specially designed instruction under an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The OSPI Special Education office can respond to inquiries on specially designed instruction or related services at 360-725-6075 or speced@k12.wa.us.

Telepractice

School district SLPs and audiologists providing services through telepractice are subject to the same ESA certification and licensure regulations as those providing in-person services. School district SLPs and audiologists providing telepractice services are not required to have a DOH license unless needed for school-based health care billing purposes.
Some other states require individuals providing telepractice services to have the appropriate certificate for both the state they are providing services from, and the state they are providing services to, so it is important for individuals to inquire with both states.

Department of Health (DOH)

For SLPs licensed by DOH, the Board of Hearing and Speech has developed telepractice guidelines (PDF). An SLP who treats residents of Washington must have a DOH license to practice in Washington State. SLPs may choose telepractice as one way to provide services.
Determine if an individual has a Department of Health license.

Learn more about:

  • School SLP and audiologist ESA certification
  • Conditional ESA certification
  • Health Care Authority school-based health care billing
  • DOH SLP licensure
  • DOH audiologist licensure
  • Related service providers

Primary Sidebar

  • Workforce
    • Assignment
      • Educational staff associate
      • Teacher
    • Developing current educators
      • Certification standards and renewal
        • Educational Staff Associates (ESAs)
        • Occupational therapist benchmarks
        • Physical therapist benchmarks
        • Principal and program administrator benchmarks
        • School counselor benchmarks
        • School nurse benchmarks
        • School psychologist benchmarks
        • School social worker benchmarks
        • Superintendent benchmarks
        • Teacher benchmarks
      • Clock hours
        • Clock hours for National Board certification and renewal
      • Educator retooling conditional loan scholarship
      • Endorsements
      • Pipeline for paraeducators conditional loan scholarship
      • Professional growth plans (PGPs)
        • PGP FAQ
    • District workforce data
    • Educator shortage
    • Human resources support

Footer

Seal of the state of Washington
Professional Educator Standards Board

Old Capitol Building
600 Washington Street SE
Olympia, WA 98504-7236

PESB@k12.wa.us
Paraboard@k12.wa.us

(360) 725-6275

STAY UPDATED

Sign up with your email address to receive news and event information.

Copyright © 2021 · Staff Intranet