Glossary

Alternative Routes to Certification

The Washington State legislature recently mandated alternative pathways to teacher certification to respond to the shortage of teachers in our state. Alternative certification is not for everyone: it was designed to help professionals with relevant experience transfer into the teaching profession more quickly than through a traditional education program. For more information, visit http://www.pesb.wa.gov/.

Bachelor's degree

A four-year degree from an accredited college or university. A Bachelor's degree is required to obtain a Washington State teaching certificate.

Certificate/Certification

See:
Alternative Routes to Certification
Residency Certificate
National Board Certification
Professional Certificate

Cohort

Many teacher certification programs are described as having a "cohort" structure. This implies that a group of students is admitted and progresses through the program together.

Elementary

In terms of certification and endorsements, Elementary refers to Kindergarten-8th grade, the range covered by the Elementary Education endorsement.

Endorsement

An endorsement is the subject area in which a certified teacher is authorized to teach.

EALR - Essential Academic Learning Requirements

The Essential Academic Learning Requirements are statewide academic standards that have been developed for the "basics"--reading, writing, communication, and mathematics, and for science, history, geography, civics, economics, arts, and health & fitness. They represent the specific academic skills and knowledge students will be required to meet in the classroom. See WASL for related information.

Master's degree

Some of the state-approved teacher certification programs in Washington offer teacher certification as part of a Master's degree program. These programs are typically labeled as Master in Teaching (MIT) or Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). The programs vary in length and structure, but all lead to a Master's degree with Washington State Residency certification.

National Board Certification

An advanced level of certification for experienced teaching professionals. National Board Certification is an optional step for teachers wishing to test their skills against the rigorous standards set up by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards at http://www.nbpts.org/.

OSPI - Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing K-12 education in Washington State.

Paraprofessional

A paraprofessional is a non-certificated staff member working in the classroom. Paraprofessionals often take on the role of assistant teacher and share a great deal of the responsibility in the classroom. Recent legislation aims to assist paraprofessionals to obtain teacher certification through alternative routes to certification.

Post-baccalaureate

Some of the state-approved teacher certification programs in Washington offer teacher certification as a post-baccalaureate program. The term post-baccalaureate refers to "fifth-year" programs that fall between undergraduate and graduate study. Post-baccalaureate programs are typically one year in length, and require that the student already hold a bachelor's degree. By definition, post-baccalaureate programs do not lead to a degree, but simply to a Washington State Residency teaching certificate.

Professional Certificate

The Professional Certificate is the second level of teacher certification in the state of Washington. Teachers must enter a state-approved Professional Certificate program within five years of obtaining their Residency Certificate.

Residency Certificate

The Residency Certificate is the first level of teacher certification in the state of Washington. Twenty-two (22) teacher certification programs in the state offer programs leading to the Residency Certificate. The Residency Certificate is valid for five years, during which time the teacher must begin making progress towards the Professional Certificate.

Salary scale

Base teacher salaries are set each year by the State. Where a teacher falls on the salary scale depends on years of experience and level of education obtained. Actual salaries may vary from district to district, but teachers can reference the State 2008-2011 Salary Schedule.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is the common term for time spent teaching in a real classroom under the general supervision of an experienced teacher as part of a teacher certification program.

SWEA - Student Washington Education Association

The Student Washington Education Association is a professional association for students pursuing a degree in the field of education including 0-12 teachers, counselors and nurses.

WASL - Washington Assessment of Student Learning

The WASL is a state-wide standardized test designed to assess students' knowledge, skills, and understanding in each of the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (see EALR, above).

WEA - Washington Education Association

WEA represents more than 73,000 school and college employees in Washington. The mission of the Washington Education Association is to make public education the best it can be for students, staff, and communities.

WEST-B - Washington Educator Skills Test - Basic

The WEST-B is the basic skills assessment is required of all applicants to Washington-approved teacher preparation programs and persons from out of state applying for a Washington State residency teaching certificate. The basic skills areas included in the assessment are reading, mathematics, and writing. More information is available on the WEST-B website.