The State of Washington offers a variety of certificate types that generally fall into one of three categories: limited/conditional certificate, residency certificate, or professional certificate. However, the type of certification a candidate qualifies for may depend on whether they are an in-state or out-of-state applicant.
Here is a list of each certificate type and the basic information about each one.
| Certificate Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Teacher College Recommendation Certification | For educators who have completed all requirements for full certification and have been recommended for certification by a state-approved teacher preparation program. |
| Conditional Teacher Certificate (limited) | For educators who have yet to earn full certification. Application must be initiated by an employer that is seeking to hire the educator based on their teaching experience and expertise. |
| Intern Substitute Certification (limited) | For educators who have yet to earn full certification. Application must be initiated by an employer that is seeking to hire the educator to substitute for their mentor in case of their absence. |
| Emergency Substitute Certification (limited) | For educators at the request of an employer. It is a limited certification not available to those that hold full certification. |
| First Peoples' Language, Culture and Oral Traditions Certification | For educators who have completed all requirements for full certification and completed a sovereign tribal government's language and cultural teacher preparation program. |
| Certificate Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Residency Teacher Certificate | For educators that either have completed a state approved teacher preparation program OR currently have or previously held a teaching certificate in another state. |
| Professional Teacher Certificate | For educators that meet all the requirements necessary to earn a Residency Teacher Certificate and at least one of the following: 1)Have or previously held a teaching certificate from another state 2) Certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) 3)Successful completion of the Washington ProTeach Portfolio |
| Substitute Teaching Certificate | For educators that completed a state approved teacher preparation program (or approved alternative) OR have minimum of three years of out-of-state teaching experience and hold a standard out-of-state teaching certificate. |
| Conditional Teacher Certificate (limited) | For out-of-state applicants who have yet to earn full certification. Application must be initiated by an employer that is seeking to hire them based on their teaching experience and expertise. |
| Intern Substitute Teacher Certificate (limited) | Must be initiated by an employer that is seeking to hire out-of-state applicants to substitute for their mentor in case of their absence. |
| Emergency Substitute teacher Certification (limited) | Must be initiated by employers that need out-of-state candidates to fill a substitute teaching role on an emergency basis. |
| Foreign Trained Applicants Teacher Certification | For educators that completed a preparation program in a different country. Applicants must provide documentation verifying the equivalency of both their degree and preparation program. Evaluation varies by origin country. |
To become a licensed educator in Washington State, there are three basic requirements:
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A teacher preparation program in Washington State offers the training, knowledge and skills necessary to perform the duties of an educator. Below is a complete list of the public and private institutions in Washington.
Certification candidates must hold a bachelor's degree and must complete a state-approved teacher preparation program. Candidates with a bachelor's degree in an area other than teaching can enroll in a certificate only or master's program that allows them a short, streamlined route toward certification.
Alternatively, candidates with an associate's degree are encouraged to enroll in a program that allows them to complete a bachelor's and both their teacher preparation and certification requirements concurrently.
Take an assessment and focus on the areas that need the most practice.
Candidates must complete two Washington Educator Skills Tests (WEST):
Candidates that completed a teacher preparation program outside the state of Washington may apply for a teaching permit that grants them temporary employment for up to 12 months while they fulfill their WEST-E and WEST-B requirements.
There are alternatives and exemptions for the WEST-B assessment. Candidates applying for admission to a state-approved teacher preparation program may submit scores from their SAT or ACT as an alternative, and those who earned qualifying scores on an approved basic skills equivalent assessment may be exempt.
For the WEST-E, out-of-state candidates with a National Board Certificate may be exempt from taking the test if they can verify that there is a direct equivalency between their certificate and endorsement, as determined by the Professional Educators Standards Board and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Also, out-of-state candidates with qualifying scores on an approved content knowledge equivalent assessment may be exempt.
Washington State requires educators and administrators to complete fingerprint record checks as part of their certification and employment. These checks must be done in person at one of the state's nine fingerprint office locations, otherwise a fingerprinting card must be sent by mail to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction along with a fee of $45.25.
Washington State's Teaching license application has four basic steps:
Washington's Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) offers four routes for individuals with a non-traditional path toward a career in education, each requiring a mentored internship (residency) and student teaching experience.
For candidates with an associate degree, the Washington PESB recommends enrolling in a program that will earn a bachelor's degree and successful completion of teacher certification requirements. To qualify for admission to this program, candidates need to:
Non-traditional candidates with a bachelor's degree are eligible to enroll in a program that prepares them for certification and requires taking intensive coursework, a yearlong residency, and student teaching experience. To qualify, candidates must:
Non-traditional candidates with a bachelor's degree in an area outside teaching and those seeking to change careers may enroll in a certification program that requires coursework, residency, and student teaching experience. To qualify for the program, candidates must have:
Candidates with a bachelor's degree and a limited certificate can enroll in a program that involves completing intensive coursework and a teaching residency. To qualify for this program, candidates must:
Candidates that hold a bachelor's degree and are certified educators in another state can apply for certification by completing testing requirements (WEST-E and WEST-B or their alternatives) and completing a fingerprint record check. In addition, they must submit their out-of-state teacher certificate, a form detailing at least three years of teaching experience, a form verifying their completion of an approved teacher preparation program at an accredited institution.
Candidates that meet all these requirements but the testing may apply for a limited (temporary) teaching permit pending completion of tests.
Educators with a Residency Teacher Certificate that is set to expire may apply for a five-year renewal. Requirements include 100 clock hours of continued education and up to four Professional Growth Plans (PGPs) in the previous five years. One semester credit of continuing education is worth 15 clock hours while 1 PGP is worth 25 clock hours.
Average salaries for teachers in Washington state are significantly higher than the national average. Nationwide, the teaching field is expected to grow by 9% over the next 10 years. Annual mean wage is about 69,000 to 77,000 from kindergarten to high school.