(1) No certificated school district employee shall be assigned to provide instruction of Braille to students who has not demonstrated competency with the grade two standard literary Braille code by:
(a) Successful completion of the National Literary Braille Competency Test; or
(b) Successful completion of the Braille competency test developed at Portland State University; or
(c) Successful completion of any other test approved for use by the professional educator standards board.
(2) No classified school district employee working under the supervision of a certificated school district employee, which certificated employee meets the requirement of subsection (1) of this section, may produce Braille material or provide instruction in the Braille code unless the employee has demonstrated competency with the grade two standard literary Braille code as provided under subsection (1) of this section.
(3)(a) Each school district is responsible for monitoring the appropriate assignment of personnel under subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(b) Any person under subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall have one year from the date of request to successfully pass the testing requirement under subsection (1) of this section.
(c) The Washington Instructional Resource Center for the Visually Impaired shall forward to the professional educator standards board the names of individuals who have passed the testing requirement under subsection (1) of this section and the date of passage. The center also shall forward to the professional educator standards board the names of individuals who have not passed the testing requirement within one year and the name of the employing school district of the individual.
(4) The professional educator standards board shall establish a test review committee which shall be responsible for developing criteria to evaluate a test under subsection (1)(c) of this section. No test shall be considered for approval by the professional educator standards board under subsection (1)(c) of this section unless it has been evaluated by the test review committee and a recommendation for approval or disapproval has been submitted to the board. At a minimum, the membership of the committee shall include persons representing:
(a) National Federation of the Blind of Washington;
(b) Washington council of the blind;
(c) Association of education and rehabilitation of the blind and visually impaired of Washington;
(d) Washington instructional resource center for the visually impaired;
(e) Washington state school for the blind; and
(f) Office of the superintendent of public instruction.
(5) A person who has met the requirement of subsection (1) of this section shall maintain their facility with the grade two standard literary Braille code by:
(a) Completing ten hours every five years of continuing education; or
(b) Successful completion every five years of one of the tests under subsection (1) of this section.
(6)(a) For the purpose of subsection (5)(a) of this section, the continuing education option may be satisfied by:
(i) Completing the equivalent of ten clock hours through completion of college credits as provided under WAC
181-85-030 (1) and (2); or
(ii) Completing ten clock hours of continuing education as provided under WAC
181-85-030 (3) and (4); or
(iii) Completing the equivalent of ten clock hours through completion of continuing education units through a college or university. One continuing education unit shall equal not fewer than ten clock hours of attendance.
(b) For the purpose of subsection (5)(a) of this section, "continuing education" shall mean one or more of the following:
(i) Instructional methodology in Braille;
(ii) Improving Braille code skills; or
(iii) Maintaining or refreshing Braille code skills, not including technology or software. "Braille code skills" means literary, music, and the Nemeth code of mathematics and scientific notation.
(c) For the purpose of subsection (5)(a) of this section, an approved provider of continuing education may include:
(i) The National Braille Association;
(ii) The Library of Congress;
(iii) The Braille Authority of North America;
(iv) A regionally accredited institution of higher education under WAC
181-78A-010(6);
(v) An educational service district;
(vi) The American Foundation for the Blind;
(vii) The Association of Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Washington;
(viii) The American Foundation for the Blind annual American Braille literacy conference; or
(ix) Any other entity approved by the professional educator standards board based upon a recommendation to approve from the test review committee established under subsection (4) of this section.
(d) For the purpose of subsection (1) of this section, a person who holds a Library of Congress transcriber's certificate is exempt only from the testing requirement under subsection (1) of this section. If an individual earns the Library of Congress transcriber's certificate, they shall be deemed to have met the continuing education option under subsection (5)(a) of this section.
(e) Individuals who seek through subsection (5)(a) of this section to remain eligible to work with visually impaired students are responsible for documenting completion of continuing education. Such individuals are strongly encouraged to provide a copy of their documentation to their employing school district. The documentation shall not be collected by the professional educator standards board. However, the documentation could be audited for purposes of compliance with basic education appropriation requirements under WAC
180-16-195.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.210. 06-14-010, § 181-82-130, filed 6/22/06, effective 7/23/06. 06-02-051, recodified as § 181-82-130, filed 12/29/05, effective 1/1/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.305.130 (1) and (2),28A.410.010 , 28A.150.220(4). 01-13-110, § 180-82-130, filed 6/20/01, effective 7/21/01; 99-04-008, § 180-82-130, filed 1/21/99, effective 2/21/99.]