EMERGENCY RULES
Date of Adoption: March 30, 2001.
Purpose: Students earning degrees or credits through colleges and universities can apply such credits for recognition on the state salary allocation schedule if the institution is regionally accredited. Current SBE policy limits recognition of fully accredited institutions. The Western Governor's University is seeking from the SBE a rule change that would recognize WGU's status as a "candidate for accreditation" as being sufficient so the students who are ready to graduate will not be penalized.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 180-78A-010(6).
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.410.010 and 28A.305.130 (1) and (2).
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: Expanding the definition of "regionally accredited institution" will include colleges and universities that have attained "candidate for accreditation" status with one of the six regional accrediting organizations recognized by the State Board of Education. Expansion of the definition will allow students who are about to receive a degree from such university to apply their credits for recognition on the state salary allocation schedule.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.
April 5, 2001
Larry Davis
Executive Director
(1) "College or university" means any regionally accredited baccalaureate degree granting Washington institution of higher learning or cooperative group of such institutions which has or develops programs of preparation in education which are submitted to the state board of education for approval.
(2) "Endorsement" means a specification placed on a certificate to indicate the subject area, grade level, and/or specialization for which the individual is prepared to teach.
(3) "Interstate compact" means the contractual agreement among several states authorized by RCW 28A.690.010 and 28A.690.020 which facilitates interstate reciprocity.
(4) "Program approval" means the approval by the state board of education of an educator preparation program within Washington state.
(5) "Field experience" means a sequence of learning experiences which occur in actual school settings or clinical or laboratory settings. Such learning experiences are related to specific program outcomes and are designed to integrate educational theory, knowledge, and skills in actual practice under the direction of a qualified supervisor.
(6) "Regionally accredited institution of higher education"
means a community college, college, or university which is a
candidate for accreditation or is ((fully)) accredited by one of
the following regional accrediting bodies:
(a) Middle States, Association of Colleges and Schools;
(b) New England Association of Schools and Colleges;
(c) North Central Association of Colleges and Schools;
(d) Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges;
(e) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
(f) Western Association of Schools and Colleges: Accrediting Commission for Junior and Senior Colleges.
(7) "An approved performance-based educator preparation program" means a program that requires the candidate to demonstrate in multiple ways, over time, specific state board of education required standards, criteria, knowledge and skills, including, where appropriate, evidence related to positive impact on student learning.
(8) "A positive impact on student learning" means that a teacher through instruction and assessment has been able to document students' increased knowledge and/or demonstration of a skill or skills related to the state goals and/or essential academic learning requirements: Provided, That teachers employed by private schools who are candidates for the professional teaching certificate shall document students' increased knowledge and/or demonstration of a skill or skills related to either:
(a) The state goals or essential academic learning requirements; or
(b) Such alternative learning goals as the private school has established.
(9) "Collaboration" (as used in WAC 180-78A-500 through 180-78A-540) means ongoing communication among the professional growth team members using a variety of formats (e.g., conferences, electronic mail, conference calls, etc.) to reach consensus regarding the content - course work, experiences, competencies, knowledges and skills - of the candidate's professional growth plan.
(10) "Professional growth team" means a team of persons comprised of the candidate for professional certification, a colleague specified by the candidate, a college or university advisor appointed by the college or university, and a representative from the school district in which the candidate teaches.
(11) "Individual professional growth plan" means the document which identifies the specific competencies, knowledges, skills and experiences needed to meet the standards set forth in WAC 180-78A-540. The individual professional growth plan shall meet requirements set forth in WAC 180-78A-535 (4)(a).
(12) "Preassessment seminar" means that component of the approved professional certificate program in which the candidate for a professional certificate, in collaboration with members of his/her professional growth team, identifies specific competencies, knowledges, skills and/or experiences needed to meet standards for the certificate as required by WAC 180-78A-540. The preassessment seminar shall meet requirements set forth in WAC 180-78A-535 (4)(a).
(13) "Culminating seminar" means that component of the approved professional certificate program in which the candidate for a professional certificate presents his/her final documentation and evidence of professional certificate level knowledge, skill and performance, and positive impact on student learning. The culminating seminar shall meet requirements set forth in WAC 180-78A-535 (4)(e).
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.010 and 28A.305.130 (1) and (2). 00-03-049, 180-78A-010, filed 1/14/00, effective 2/14/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.305.130 (1) and (2), 28A.410.010 and 28A.150.220(4). 99-01-174, 180-78A-010, filed 12/23/98, effective 1/23/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.010 and 28A.305.130. 98-01-025, 180-78A-010, filed 12/8/97, effective 1/8/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.305.130. 97-04-084, 180-78A-010, filed 2/5/97, effective 3/8/97.]
Reviser's note: The bracketed material preceding the section above was supplied by the code reviser's office.