Washington professional educator standards board — Performance standards — Certification levels — Requirements for professional certificate and residency teaching certificate — Demonstration of educator preparation programs' outcomes — Program completion requirements (as amended by 2021 c 198).
RCW 28A.410.270
in effect(1)(a) The (( Washington professional educator standards )) board shall adopt a set of articulated teacher knowledge, skill, and performance standards for effective teaching that are evidence-based, measurable, meaningful, and documented in high quality research as being associated with improved student learning. The standards shall be calibrated for each level along the entire career continuum. For candidates recommended for residency teacher certification by a board-approved preparation program, the standards adopted by the board must be the most recent teaching standards published by a consortium of state and national education organizations dedicated to the reform of the preparation, licensing, and ongoing professional development of teachers since 1987. (b) In developing the standards, the board shall, to the extent possible, incorporate standards for cultural competency , as defined in RCW 28A.410.260 , along the entire continuum. (( For the purposes of this subsection, "cultural competency" includes knowledge of student cultural histories and contexts, as well as family norms and values in different cultures; knowledge and skills in accessing community resources and community and parent outreach; and skills in adapting instruction to students' experiences and identifying cultural contexts for individual students. )) (c) By January 1, 2020, in order to ensure that teachers can recognize signs of emotional or behavioral distress in students and appropriately refer students for assistance and support, the (( Washington professional educator standards )) board shall incorporate along the entire continuum the social-emotional learning standards and benchmarks recommended by the social-emotional learning benchmarks work group in its October 1, 2016, final report titled, "addressing social emotional learning in Washington's K-12 public schools." In incorporating the social-emotional learning standards and benchmarks, the (( Washington professional educator standards )) board must include related competencies, such as trauma-informed practices, consideration of adverse childhood experiences, mental health literacy, antibullying strategies, and culturally sustaining practices. (2) The (( Washington professional educator standards )) board shall adopt a definition of master teacher, with a comparable level of increased competency between professional certification level and master level as between professional certification level and national board certification. Within the definition established by the (( Washington professional educator standards )) board, teachers certified through the national board for professional teaching standards shall be considered master teachers. (3) (( The Washington professional educator standards board shall maintain a uniform, statewide, valid, and reliable classroom-based means of evaluating teacher effectiveness as a culminating measure at the preservice level that is to be used during the student-teaching field experience. This assessment shall include multiple measures of teacher performance in classrooms, evidence of positive impact on student learning, and shall include review of artifacts, such as use of a variety of assessment and instructional strategies, and student work. (4) )) Award of a professional certificate shall be based on a minimum of two years of successful teaching experience as defined by the board, and may not require candidates to enroll in a professional certification program. (( (5) )) (4) Educator preparation programs approved to offer the residency teaching certificate shall be required to demonstrate how the program produces effective teachers as evidenced by (( the )) multiple measures (( established under this section )) of the knowledge, skills, performance, and competencies described in subsection (1) of this section and other criteria established by the (( Washington professional educator standards )) board. (5) Each board-approved teacher preparation program must publish, and provide to candidates prior to admission, a list of program completion requirements. (6) Before a board-approved teacher preparation program may recommend a candidate for residency teacher certification, the candidate must meet or exceed the knowledge, skill, performance, and competency standards described in subsection (1) of this section. (7) For the purpose of this section, "board" means the Washington professional educator standards board.
(1)(a) The (( Washington professional educator standards )) board shall adopt a set of articulated teacher knowledge, skill, and performance standards for effective teaching that are evidence-based, measurable, meaningful, and documented in high quality research as being associated with improved student learning. The standards shall be calibrated for each level along the entire career continuum. For candidates recommended for residency teacher certification by a board-approved preparation program, the standards adopted by the board must be the most recent teaching standards published by a consortium of state and national education organizations dedicated to the reform of the preparation, licensing, and ongoing professional development of teachers since 1987.
(b) In developing the standards, the board shall, to the extent possible, incorporate standards for cultural competency , as defined in RCW 28A.410.260 , along the entire continuum. (( For the purposes of this subsection, "cultural competency" includes knowledge of student cultural histories and contexts, as well as family norms and values in different cultures; knowledge and skills in accessing community resources and community and parent outreach; and skills in adapting instruction to students' experiences and identifying cultural contexts for individual students. ))
(c) By January 1, 2020, in order to ensure that teachers can recognize signs of emotional or behavioral distress in students and appropriately refer students for assistance and support, the (( Washington professional educator standards )) board shall incorporate along the entire continuum the social-emotional learning standards and benchmarks recommended by the social-emotional learning benchmarks work group in its October 1, 2016, final report titled, "addressing social emotional learning in Washington's K-12 public schools." In incorporating the social-emotional learning standards and benchmarks, the (( Washington professional educator standards )) board must include related competencies, such as trauma-informed practices, consideration of adverse childhood experiences, mental health literacy, antibullying strategies, and culturally sustaining practices.
(2) The (( Washington professional educator standards )) board shall adopt a definition of master teacher, with a comparable level of increased competency between professional certification level and master level as between professional certification level and national board certification. Within the definition established by the (( Washington professional educator standards )) board, teachers certified through the national board for professional teaching standards shall be considered master teachers.
(3) (( The Washington professional educator standards board shall maintain a uniform, statewide, valid, and reliable classroom-based means of evaluating teacher effectiveness as a culminating measure at the preservice level that is to be used during the student-teaching field experience. This assessment shall include multiple measures of teacher performance in classrooms, evidence of positive impact on student learning, and shall include review of artifacts, such as use of a variety of assessment and instructional strategies, and student work.
(4) )) Award of a professional certificate shall be based on a minimum of two years of successful teaching experience as defined by the board, and may not require candidates to enroll in a professional certification program.
(( (5) )) (4) Educator preparation programs approved to offer the residency teaching certificate shall be required to demonstrate how the program produces effective teachers as evidenced by (( the )) multiple measures (( established under this section )) of the knowledge, skills, performance, and competencies described in subsection (1) of this section and other criteria established by the (( Washington professional educator standards )) board.
(5) Each board-approved teacher preparation program must publish, and provide to candidates prior to admission, a list of program completion requirements.
(6) Before a board-approved teacher preparation program may recommend a candidate for residency teacher certification, the candidate must meet or exceed the knowledge, skill, performance, and competency standards described in subsection (1) of this section.
(7) For the purpose of this section, "board" means the Washington professional educator standards board.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28A.410&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026