Teacher Education Outreach Programs

Teacher Education Outreach Programs offers professional education programs that lead to recommendation to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for residency teacher certification in the state of Washington. These programs integrate studies in Elementary Education, Special Education, and across eight additional disciplines, including math, science, health, and physical education.

The course work for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programs is offered in a prescribed sequence with evening classes, and daytime practicum work. Upon completion of the major (undergraduates), the professional studies core, the endorsement course work and internship, students will receive a teaching certificate with an endorsement in elementary education. Students may choose to complete a second internship to earn an additional endorsement in special education.

The programs, designed to prepare thoughtful, knowledgeable, and effective educators for a diverse society, offer courses and certification sequences at Western Washington University program sites in Bremerton, Everett, and Seattle. Prospective students are encouraged to contact the site office closest to them for information on program offerings that meet their individual needs.

Information

Individuals interested in Teacher Education Outreach Programs can obtain general information from the website, https://wce.wwu.edu/teop/teacher-education-outreach-programs.

Inquiries should be directed to the site you wish to attend. Bremerton, 360-475-7272; Everett, 425-405-1646; Seattle, 206-934-6052.

Teacher Education Outreach Programs

BA in Education (Special Education major) leading to a teacher certificate endorsed in Elementary Education
Post-Baccalaureate teacher certification with Elementary Education endorsement
Special Education (P-12) additional endorsement (certificated teachers only)
Elementary Education additional endorsement (certificated teachers only)
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) “highly qualified teacher” requirement may impact eligibility for certain middle school teaching assignments in a core academic subject(s). Students are responsible for consulting with an advisor for further information on NCLB.

Certification

The Washington Administrative Code specifies the requirements for earning a Washington state teacher certificate. State-approved preparation programs and certification requirements align with Washington State K-12 Learning Standards, and require candidates to demonstrate that they have made a positive impact on student learning. First-level residency certification programs are designed around the standards of effective teaching, professional development, and teaching as a profession. Second-level professional certification requirements are designed around the standards of effective teaching, professional development, and professional contributions. State requirements for teacher certification at the time of completion of a student’s program will supersede those outlined in this catalog. These changes may affect the time it takes for a student to complete the teacher education program.

Residency Teacher Certification

The first-level residency certificate is awarded to new teachers upon the completion of these general requirements:

A baccalaureate or higher-level degree from a regionally accredited college or university
A state-approved, performance-based teacher preparation program that includes preparation in an endorsable subject area, teaching methodology, and an internship
Evidence of good moral character and personal fitness

Candidates for residency certification must pass a tested content knowledge to earn an endorsement. WWU requires submission of a passing score for each endorsement to be earned, before commencement of the student teaching internship. For current information on test requirements, registration, fees, and test dates and locations, refer to the Content Test Resource Website, https://wce.wwu.edu/cert/content-test-resource-site. Candidates for residency certification must also complete the state of Washington edTeacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) during the student teaching internship. Application for the residency certificate is made to Woodring College Teacher Certification, Student Services, Miller Hall 150, 360-650-4930, no later than three months prior to the start of student teaching.

Application for the residency certificate is made to the Woodring Certification Office, Teacher Education Student Services, Miller Hall 150, phone 360-650-4930, no later than three months prior to the start of the internship. Candidates will be contacted by the program site or certification supervisor with required application materials.

The first-issue residency certificate has no defined expiration date. It is valid until the teacher completes 1.5 FTE years of successful teaching experience accumulated over a minimum of two years in a state-approved public, private or state operated education program. A three year residency certificate is then issued by the state. The timeline for earning a second level professional certificate begins with the reissued residency certificate.

Professional Teacher Certification

The second-level professional certificate is awarded to experienced teachers who hold a valid residency certificate and who pass the Washington ProTeach Portfolio assessment or earn national board certification through the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. For further information on professional certification requirements, contact the Woodring College of Education certification officer at 360-650-4630, Miller Hall 150.

Endorsements

An endorsement identifies the subject matter in which a teacher is prepared and authorized by the state to teach. One qualifying endorsement is required for residency certification. Courses required for a teaching endorsement and the professional education sequence must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better. For information on additional endorsement programs offered throughout the University, contact the Woodring College of Education certification officer at 360-650-4630, Miller Hall 150.

Approved Academic Majors

Post-baccalaureate students seeking teacher certification and an endorsement in elementary education through Teacher Education Outreach programs must have completed an approved academic major in anthropology, art, communication, English, environmental studies, foreign language, general science, geography, geology (earth science), history, humanities, elementary education studies, mathematics, music, psychology (human development), social studies, sociology, special education or student/faculty designed major. For further information on the applicability of a particular major, contact any Teacher Education Outreach Programs site.

Program Length

The sequence of study for teacher certification is designed for students who hold a transferable Associate of Arts degree (DTA) from a Washington State community college, or have satisfied Western’s General University Requirements, or have a bachelor’s degree with an approved major and are seeking certification. Students begin their program in the fall at all sites and move through their programs as a cohort.

Students earning a BA in Education attend class for 11 quarters, including the internship, or 12 quarters if earning the Special Education endorsement through the additional endorsement program.
Post-Baccalaureate students attend classes for 7 quarters, including the internship.

Admission Requirements

All applicants to undergraduate and post-baccalaureate teacher certification programs must be formally admitted to both Western Washington University and the applicable program. Admission occurs once a year in the fall.

The requirements listed below are minimum application criteria. Enrollment restrictions apply to all teacher education programs. Meeting the following requirements makes the applicant eligible for admission consideration but does not guarantee admission. Students who meet all criteria are further evaluated by the department to determine the most qualified applicants. Students will be evaluated on all information provided with the application, including required copies of transcripts from all prior colleges.

Application criteria:

Transferable associates degree from a Washington State community college or satisfaction of the Western Washington University general education requirements (undergraduate program only).
Bachelor’s degree in an approved academic major (post-baccalaureate program only).
Cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher overall college-level course work or over the last 45 credits.
Meet the West-B basic skills requirement. This may be met by: a) Taking the West-B exam, b) SAT minimum scores, c) ACT minimum scores. See the West-B webpage for details: https://wce.wwu.edu/admissions/west-b-requirement.
Completion of an English composition course with a grade of B- (2.7) or higher.
Three letters of recommendation and a reflective essay.

Advisement and Orientation

Upon acceptance to the Woodring College of Education, each student is assigned an advisor. At all Teacher Education Outreach Program sites, the advisor is the academic program director. Additionally, all accepted students must attend a required orientation. Students may be dropped from their program for failing to attend the orientation.

Program Continuation

Students admitted to the Woodring College of Education must meet specified requirements throughout the course of their teacher education program in order to remain in the program.

Requirements upon Program Admission

Institutional Application for a Teacher’s Certificate and Character and Fitness Supplement, and background checks as described below under Character and Fitness
Woodring College of Education Professionalism Orientation
Woodring College of Education Prevention of Sexual Harassment Training
Woodring College of Education Blood-Borne Pathogens Training

Character and Fitness

The Washington Administrative Code requires applicants for teacher certification to give evidence of “good moral character and personal fitness.” Students provide evidence of character and fitness through two separate but related processes:

An Institutional Application for a Teacher’s Certificate and Character and Fitness Supplement, provided to students upon acceptance into the program. The application for certification requires candidates to answer questions regarding professional fitness, criminal history and personal conduct. Students with “yes” responses must contact the certification officer at (360) 650-4630 and gain character and fitness clearance before registering for classes
Washington State Patrol and FBI background checks through a fingerprinting process. Procedures and fee information are provided to students upon acceptance into the program.

No student in a teacher education program may participate in a University-sponsored activity in the public schools until cleared by the Washington State Patrol, or in some cases, investigated and then cleared by the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Clearances are valid for specified time frames. Students must maintain character and fitness clearance until they have been recommended for a residency teacher certificate following completion of the teacher education program.

In addition to the Washington state character and fitness requirements noted above, students must abide by the Woodring College of Education conduct policies acknowledged in the Student Conduct Requirements and Agreement, which is submitted with program application materials.

General Retention Requirements

Students must maintain at least a 2.75 GPA, beginning with the quarter they are notified of admission. This requirement applies even to quarters where no education courses are being taken. Students who fail to meet this standard will receive a letter advising them that they have been dropped from the program.
Students must earn a grade of C (2.0) or better in both the professional education sequence and in all courses required for the endorsement
Students must understand and demonstrate a high level of competence in the English language. Those who have difficulty in their verbal and/or written communications should expect to seek remediation before beginning the internship
Students who interrupt enrollment in a teacher education program for more than two consecutive quarters (summer quarter not included) must meet all program admission, completion and certification requirements in place for the quarter in which they expect to return.

Program Completion

To qualify for program completion and recommendation for state of Washington residency certification, students must complete the following requirements and assessments:

A baccalaureate or higher-level degree from a regionally accredited college or university
A state-approved, performance-based teacher preparation program that includes preparation in an endorsable subject area, teaching methodology, and an internship
Evidence of good moral character and personal fitness
Minimum scores set by the state of Washington on a state required content knowledge test for the qualifying endorsement area(s)
Completion of the Washington Pre Service Teacher Performance Assessment
Successful completion of the student teaching internship as shown by performance on the WWU Intern Development and Evaluation System (IDES)

Other Departmental Information

Internship

An important experience for teacher certification candidates is the student teaching internship. Students spend two quarters taking final classes in the program along with time in their assigned classroom preparing for quarter three when they are full-time teaching under the direct supervision of a certificated teacher in a school setting. This internship involves intensive practice in integrating methods, content area knowledge, and classroom organizational strategies.

Students will be able to work part time during two quarters of the three quarter internship. Candidates are advised not to work during the full-time internship so they may gain maximum benefit from the experience and perform at their highest ability.

The Office of Field Experiences (OFE) is the service agency of the Woodring College of Education that seeks placement for prospective interns. Students apply for their internship around January prior to a fall internship start quarter, or April prior to a winter or spring internship start quarter. Specific dates for informational meetings and application deadlines are published on the OFE Website, https://wce.wwu.edu/ofe/office-field-experiences.

Before commencement of the internship, passing scores on the state-required content knowledge test for each endorsement must be submitted, all educational endorsement course work and practica must be completed, and fingerprint/character and fitness clearance must be valid. Students who interrupt enrollment for a quarter or more must meet the deadline for filing a returning student application.

OFE does not guarantee placements. Placement in a school is contingent upon:

Fulfillment of all program requirements (satisfactory academic work, education and endorsement program course work and training, practica, and faculty recommendations)
Submission of passing scores on the state-required content knowledge test for each endorsement
Availability of placements and supervision in specific subjects and grade levels
Acceptance by P-12 school personnel
Fingerprint/character and fitness clearance through the point of certification

Students are required to interview with the public school teacher to whom they will be assigned, for final approval of placement. OFE will make every effort to arrange up to three initial interviews but does not guarantee an interview.

Any subsequent placement after a voluntary or non-voluntary withdrawal from an internship will be granted only by faculty recommendation following a case conference.

For further information, contact the Woodring College Office of Field Experiences, Student Services, phone 360-650-3310, Miller Hall 150.