Washington Administrative Code › Title 392 - Public Instruction, Superintendent of › Chapter 392-172A - Provision of Special Education Services › OTHER REQUIREMENTS › Section 392-172A-02090 - Personnel qualifications

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) All
				school district personnel providing special education services and/or related
				services shall meet the following qualifications:
(a) All employees shall hold such
				credentials, licenses, certificates, endorsements or permits as are now or
				hereafter required by the professional educator standards board for the
				particular position of employment and shall meet such supplemental standards as
				may be established by the school district of employment. Supplemental standards
				established by a district or other public agency may exceed, but not be less
				than, those established by the professional educator standards board in
				accordance with Title 181 WAC and this section.
(b) In addition to the requirement in (a) of
				this subsection, all special education personnel providing, designing,
				supervising, monitoring or evaluating the provision of special education
				services shall possess "substantial professional training." "Substantial
				professional training" as used in this section shall be evidenced by issuance
				of an appropriate special education endorsement (or early childhood special
				education endorsement, deaf education endorsement, deaf education with American
				sign language proficiency endorsement, teacher of the visually impaired
				endorsement) on an individual teaching certificate issued by the OSPI,
				professional education and certification section.
(c) A teacher will be considered to meet the
				applicable requirements in (a) and (b) of this subsection if that teacher is
				participating in an alternative route to a special education certification
				program under which the teacher:
(i) Receives
				high-quality professional development that is sustained, intensive, and
				classroom-focused in order to have a positive and lasting impact on classroom
				instruction, before and while teaching;
(ii) Participates in a program of intensive
				supervision that consists of structured guidance and regular ongoing support
				for teachers or a teacher mentoring program;
(iii) Assumes functions as a teacher only for
				a specified period of time not to exceed three years; and
(iv) Demonstrates satisfactory progress
				toward full certification according to the state professional educator
				standards board rules, and the state ensures, through its certification and
				endorsement process, that the provisions of subsection (2) of this section are
				met.
(d) Other
				certificated related services school personnel providing specially designed
				instruction or related services as defined in this chapter, shall meet
				standards established under the educational staff associate rules of the
				professional educator standards board, as now or hereafter amended.
(e) Employees with only an early childhood
				special education endorsement may be assigned to programs that serve students
				birth through eight. Preference for an early childhood special education
				assignment must be given first to employees having early childhood special
				education endorsement, but may be assigned to an individual with a special
				education endorsement.
(f)
				Certified and/or classified staff assigned to provide instruction in Braille,
				the use of Braille, or the production of Braille must demonstrate competency by
				successful completion of a test approved by the professional educator standards
				board pursuant to WAC
				181-82-130.
(g) Certified and/or classified staff
				assigned as educational interpreters, must meet the performance standards
				outlined in
				RCW
				28A.410.271 by passing an educational
				interpreter assessment approved by the professional educator standards
				board.
(h) Paraeducator staff and
				aides shall present evidence of skills and knowledge established under the
				rules of the professional educator standards board, necessary to meet the needs
				of students eligible for special education services, and shall be under the
				supervision of a certificated teacher with a special education endorsement, or
				a certificated educational staff associate or a licensed staff, as provided in
				(i) of this subsection. Paraeducator staff assigned to Title 1 school-wide
				programs shall also meet ESEA standards for paraeducators.
(i) Special education and related services
				must be provided by appropriately qualified staff. Other staff including
				general education teachers and paraeducators may assist in the provision of
				special education and related services, provided that the instruction is
				designed and supervised by special education certificated staff (or early
				childhood special education certificated staff, deaf education certificated
				staff, deaf education with American sign language proficiency certificated
				staff, teacher of the visually impaired certificated staff), or for related
				services by a certificated educational staff associate. Student progress must
				be monitored and evaluated by special education certificated staff or for
				related services, a certificated educational staff associate.