Educator Preparation Programs.

The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) adopts rules and creates policies for the preparation and certification of educators.  The PESB approves entities to offer preparation programs, whether traditional or alternative, for prospective educators, such as teachers, principals, and school counselors.

All teacher preparation programs (TPPs) leading to a Washington teacher certificate must meet minimum state standards established by the PESB.  Each teacher preparation program is required to develop, and submit to the PESB, a plan describing how the program will partner with local school districts regarding field placement of student teachers.  A rule of the PESB allows school districts to request an intern teacher substitute certificate, so that a student teacher can substitute teach in the absence of their preservice mentor.  This limited certificate is issued only with approval from the student teacher's TPP.

Traditional.  A traditional PESB-approved TPP is generally offered by an institution of higher education.  One component of teacher preparation programs is a student teaching experience in a classroom setting.  The PESB requires this experience to be at least 450 hours, including supervised planning, instruction, and reflection.  The experience must also relate to specific program outcomes and be designed to integrate educational theory, knowledge, and skills in practice under the direction of a certificated teacher with three years of teaching experience.

Alternative route.  Alternative route to teacher certification (alternative route) programs are partnerships between PESB-approved TPPs, Washington school districts, and other partners as appropriate that focus on teacher shortage areas.  In addition to meeting TPP standards, an alternative route program must meet partnership agreement requirements and implement a development plan for each candidate.  The PESB requires alternative route programs to include a one-year mentored internship and 540 hours of student teaching.

Apprenticeship.  The Washington Apprenticeship and Training Council, within the state Department of Labor and Industries, establishes apprenticeship program standards as rules, including requirements for apprentice-related and supplemental instruction, coordination of instruction with job experiences, and instructor qualifications.  These standards include 2,000 hours of on-the-job training.  Federal apprenticeship laws require a teacher apprenticeship program to be sponsored by an employer, labor union, industry association, educational institution, or workforce board, so a PESB-approved TPP can be registered as a teacher apprenticeship program.

Beginning Educator Support Team Program.
The Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) program provides professional development and mentor support for beginning educators.  A BEST mentor is one who has successfully completed training in assisting, coaching, and advising beginning educators, has been selected using mentor standards developed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and is participating in ongoing mentor-skills professional development.

Compared to the original bill, the substitute bill makes changes to requirements for teacher residencies to:

• refer to a teacher residency model, rather than both a teacher residency model and teacher residency programs;
• add that charter schools can partner with a teacher preparation program (TTP) to operate a teacher residency;
• include alignment of the resident's coursework with the context and priorities of the elementary or secondary school;
• allow for a resident to be assigned to more than one preservice mentor during the preservice clinical practice;
• remove language prohibiting residents from being assigned the lead or primary responsibility for student learning until the resident completes a specified number of preservice clinical practice hours; and
• remove language directing the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to establish a process to approve either:  new TTPs, or some or all of an existing TTP to transition to a teacher residency program.

Compared to the original bill, the substitute bill makes changes to requirements for teacher apprenticeship programs to:

• remove language limiting teacher apprenticeship programs to those designed for individuals with bachelor's degrees who seek an initial teacher certificate and no graduate degree;
• specify that up to 500 hours working as a paraeducator may count toward the required 2,000 hours of on-the-job mentored teaching experience; and
• add that, beginning September 1, 2025, before applying to the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council to operate a teacher apprenticeship program, an entity must be approved by the PESB as a TTP.

Compared to the original bill, the substitute bill also strikes provisions:  (1) expanding student eligibility for the Alternative Route Conditional Scholarship program to teacher residents; and (2) renaming educator certificates.