Washington Teacher Certification Renewal
Learn how to renew a Professional Educator Certification or reinstate a Professional Educator Certification in Washington
Teaching Certification Renewal
Washington has several options for teachers looking to renew their teacher certifications.
A Residency Teacher Certificate may only be renewed once, after which, certificate holders must apply for a Professional Teacher Certificate. There are two ways a Residency Teacher Certificate may be renewed:
- A teacher registers for the ProTeach Assessment.
- A teacher completes for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Assessment
The ProTeach Assessment is a portfolio assessment that consists of three areas. Candidates’ portfolios are examined from professional growth, curriculum and instruction, and community building levels to show the candidate is working toward improvement.
During the NBPTS Assessment, candidates are asked to demonstrate their content knowledge through six exercises designed for their endorsement areas.
Renewing a Residency Teacher Certificate allows a candidate another two years before they must apply for a Professional Teacher Certificate. This gives them enough time to complete either the ProTeach Assessment or NBPTS certification required to earn their Professional Teacher License.
Professional Teacher Certification seekers have three options when upgrading from a Residency Teacher License:
- Complete the ProTeach Assessment
- Receive certification from the NBPTS
- Hold a Washington Continuing Teaching License, in addition to completion of coursework on Issues of Abuse.
Both the Residency Renewal and Professional Teacher Certification application may be found here. Teachers seeking renewal or professional licenses should complete all applicable forms and send their completed application to their local Educational Service District.
Reinstatement of Certification
Teachers who meet the requirements for the ProTeach Assessment but whose licenses have expired may apply for reissuance. A reissued residency teacher certificate is valid for three years, and requires completion of a Residency Teacher Reissuance form.
Teachers seeking reinstatement should complete the form and mail it with a $33 processing fee to:
Fiscal OfficeSuperintendent of Public Instruction
Old Capital Building
PO Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
