Certification standards and renewal

• Teacher
• Principal & program administrator
• Superintendent
• School counselor
• School psychologist
• School nurse
• School social worker
• School occupational therapist
• School physical therapist
• School speech language pathologists or audiologists may align their PGPs with the ASHA standards. See standard V.

What is the STEM professional development requirement for certificate renewal?

Beginning on September 1, 2019, renewal applications for residency, professional, initial, and continuing teacher and CTE certificates must document completion of at least 15 clock hours, or at least one goal from an annual professional growth plan (PGP), with an emphasis on STEM integration to meet this renewal requirement.

STEM integration is the authentic combination of at least two of the STEM components (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). The requirement applies to the following currently offered STEM area endorsements:

• Computer Science
• CTE (All Areas)
• Designated Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space Science; Physics
• Early Childhood Education
• Elementary Education
• Mathematics; Middle Level Mathematics
• Science; Middle Level Science

The STEM certificate renewal requirement is considered to be met by holders of a valid National Board Certificate.
View this spreadsheet for a list of endorsements no longer offered (but which may be held by current educators), and whether or not these endorsements are subject to the STEM certificate renewal requirement.

• STEM certificate renewal RCW

Professional Growth Plans (PGP)

An educator may develop a goal for a Professional Growth Plan that integrates at least two out of the four STEM components. This educator may implement this STEM activity somewhere within their professional practice, such as in a classroom, or through a professional development opportunity, including a PLC, staff meeting, or district level workshop. The educator may collect evidence from the STEM related activity for their PGP. When the educator records this PGP in eCertification, the educator indicates this PGP met the STEM renewal requirement by checking a box.

• Learn more information about PGPs.

Guidance for professional development providers

The intent of the RCW 28A.410.2212  is to ensure students have exposure to authentic STEM integration experiences which align to state learning standards, including information about STEM-related career choices. The intent is for educators to incorporate the learning from the STEM activity within their professional practice such as a classroom or professional development opportunity (PLC, staff meeting, district level workshop, etc.). The educator must participate in or demonstrate implementation of a STEM activity. The learning or activity must demonstrate authentic integration of science, technology, engineering and math, incorporating at least two out of the four STEM elements: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Only one element out the STEM learning experience is not considered an authentic STEM experience.

Guiding questions

In order to be considered an authentic integration, at least two of the four STEM components need to be incorporated. Providers of STEM-related continuing education should design workshops or course offerings to ensure educators will meet the renewal requirement by answering “YES” to the following questions.

• Will the STEM activity have an impact on STEM experiences for students?
• Does the STEM activity provide examples or resources to use with students or with other educators?
• Does the STEM activity provide examples or resources about STEM-related career choices to use with students?

STEM certificate renewal examples

This is not an exhaustive list.

• Completing a PGP that integrates two out of the four STEM components
• Completing a clock hour course aligned to the STEM certificate renewal requirements
• Project Lead the Way Summer Training
• Leading a school-based Washington MESA program
• Participating in STEM LASER professional development
• Incorporating a STEM Design challenge within your classroom
• Attending a STEM workshop at a conference
• Participating in a workshop that demonstrates the integration of the STEM disciplines
• Collaborating with a Math, Science, Technology, or CTE teacher to implement a project integrating science and technology or math and technology or a design challenge that uses math and science.
• Participating in professional development offered by a district, ESD, educational organization, etc. that demonstrates the integration of STEM.

Please see the OSPI’s website on the STEM certificate renewal requirement for more information.

Beginning July 1, 2015, school nurses, school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers earning or renewing a continuing or professional certificate are required to demonstrate a minimum of three (3) hours of training in suicide prevention through a PESB-approved suicide prevention course or completion of a Department of Health (DOH) approved program. Suicide prevention training is required for renewal of residency and initial certificates in these roles for applications received beginning September 1, 2020.

• • DOH approved suicide prevention trainings
  • Issues of abuse syllabus – guidance for assuring the components of RCW are met.

Update: TPEP certificate renewal requirement now eliminated

On May 8, 2019, Governor Inslee signed HB 1139, a bill which included the elimination of the TPEP certificate renewal requirement. This bill is effective immediately. Educators are no longer required to meet this requirement in order to renew their certificates.

What was the TPEP professional development requirement for certificate renewal?

Beginning on September 1, 2019, renewal applications for professional and continuing teacher, administrator, and CTE certificates must document completion of at least 15 clock hours, or at least one goal from an annual professional growth plan (PGP), related to the knowledge and competency of the teacher and principal evaluation criteria or system. This is not required for residency or initial certificate renewal.

• TPEP certificate renewal RCW

The TPEP certificate renewal requirement is considered to be met by holders of a valid National Board Certificate.

Please note: This requirement is not for a “TPEP 101” type of course every five years. The requirement is that the professional development is aligned to at least one of the state eight TPEP criteria.

Resources for educators:

• OSPI TPEP information
• Washington Education Association (WEA) – trainings
• Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP) – professional development
• Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) – professional development
• Professional Growth Plans (PGPs)

TPEP certificate renewal examples

This is not an exhaustive list.

• Any professional development relating to at least one of the state eight TPEP criteria
• Completing a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) aligned to the state certification standards. The state certification standards are cross-walked with the state evaluation criteria (Spreadsheet).
• Using material from a focused evaluation to complete a PGP
• Training related to TPEP evaluation process
• Completing OSPI TPEP modules and then developing a PGP around that learning
• PLC with grade level team developing formative assessments to measure student growth for clock hours or a PGP
• Teachers sharing a portion of their TPEP process that worked well with building faculty as part of formalized delivery for clock hours or a PGP
• Sharing interventions that improves student learning in a clock hour course or as part of a PGP
• Individuals working on student growth criteria in a PGP
• Individual actively engaging in a content-area PLC for clock hours or a PGP
• Teachers and administrators training together
• Principals/Supts./PA- district inservice regarding safety protocols for clock hours or a PGP
• Principals/ Supts./Program Admins -participating in conference, or inservice, on closing the achievement/opportunity gap for clock hours or a PGP
• Principals/Supts/PA – AWSP Framework examples for clock hours or a PGP
• Participating in a series of sessions on evidence gathering or formative assessment for clock hours or a PGP
• Participating in sessions aimed at specific topics such as “Introduction to Focused Evaluation” or “Student Measures in the Arts” and teachers submitting that time on Time, Responsibility and Incentive (TRI) forms for clock hours or a PGP
• Teachers meeting to create common assessments, analyze data from those assessments, and create instructional plans that respond to student learning needs for clock hours or a PGP
• Teachers learning skills to enhance questioning across the curriculum for clock hours or a PGP
• Teachers work together to learn collaborative strategies for improving student learning for clock hours or a PGP
• A group of teachers on Comprehensive evaluations meeting monthly to discuss various aspects of the process, share successes, and address common challenges for clock hours or a PGP