Professional Certificate is a next level of teaching certificate from initial Residency Certificate for teachers with teaching experience for more than two years in the State of Washington.

Once accepted into the program, a candidate can begin coursework during any semester and is allowed to progress at his or her own pace. Semesters are 16-weeks long, with most courses being rotated between day and evening hours every semester to provide flexibility.

Program summary:

The model focuses on exemplars that the teacher can provide to demonstrate that he/she is providing necessary opportunities for all students to engage in activities and behaviors that will positively impact their learning. With the focus of performance based learning for students and teachers within the framework of the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR’s), this is a necessary structural support for educators of the 21st century. It is the ideal opportunity to support the candidate in using "best practices" which includes: identification of student’s level of knowledge and skills, providing instruction to support growth and then reflectively analyzing the data using multiple sources of the methods of data collection to determine the effectiveness of the instruction. Successful completion of the process used to meet the 3 standards and 12 incorporated criteria as documented in the electronic portfolio will provide a structure that is supportive of the professional growth that OSPI is expecting. SMU candidates will be expected to formally present their portfolio to the Professional Growth Team and to provide a reflective summary of the Professional Growth Plan process.

Professional Certification Requirements

Phase I: MED500 Pre-Assessment Seminar (2 Semester credits)Professional Growth Team is formed
Performance Indicators for Professional Certification are drafted

Standard I: Effective Teaching

Standard II: Professional Development

Standard III: Leadership

Sample Tools to be used in product development:

Self-assessment
Learner Profiles
District Base Individual Growth Plans
District and School Improvement Goals
Teaching context
Electronic Portfolio

Phase II: Professional Growth Plan Core (6 Semester credits Minimum)

2 Elective graduate level courses: based on teacher, district, Professional Growth Team decisions/recommendations, District provided staff development will be evaluated on an individual basis as an alternative to graduate classes.
Other requirements (credit or non-credit based) as determined by the Professional Growth Team

Phase III: MED588 Post-Assessment/Culminating Seminar (2 Semester credits)

Performance Indicators for Professional Certification

All products for Standard I, II, III are completed
All products for Standard I, II, III are approved by the Professional Growth Team

Optional: additional coursework/requirements to complete an MED degree