Candidates who are prepared and/or certified out-of-state applying for a Washington state residency or professional teaching certificate under WAC 181-79A-257 or 181-79A-260 have up to one calendar year from issuance of the temporary permit to meet the content knowledge assessment requirement, provided they are eligible for a temporary permit under WAC 181-79A-128.

(1) Meeting the content knowledge assessment requirement under this chapter is required for issuance of a Washington state residency or professional teacher certificate.

(2) Individuals who hold a certificate through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards are exempt from the content knowledge assessment requirement if there is a direct equivalency between the endorsement sought and the national board certificate, or the individual has a second tier certificate from a state as approved by the professional educator standards board and published by the superintendent of public instruction. The equivalent National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and Washington endorsement table approved by the professional educator standards board may not be changed without prior professional educator standards board approval.

(3) Candidates applying for a Washington state residency or professional teaching certificate under WAC 181-79A-257 who have taken and passed equivalent content tests from other states as approved and published by the professional educator standards board, are considered to have met the content knowledge assessment requirement unless applying for a new endorsement.

The board will approve other content area tests either as alternatives or replacements. On the scheduled dates of board approval, tests previously approved that were taken before the scheduled changes will be accepted as meeting the requirements, including subsections that substantially meet the content area requirements as published.

(1)(a) The Washington professional educator standards board may permit exceptions from the content knowledge assessment requirements under RCW 28A.410.220 (3) and (4) on a case-by-case basis.

(b) Consistent with the discretion accorded to the professional educator standards board under RCW 28A.410.220(4), the equivalent assessments, exemptions, and extensions provided for under this chapter are the sole exceptions to the content knowledge assessment requirements.

(2) Preparation program providers approved in a specific endorsement area by the professional educator standards board may recommend a candidate as meeting the content knowledge assessment in that endorsement area through the case-by-case exception process under this section.

(a) Candidates must take the content knowledge assessment once.

(b) Program providers may recommend a candidate for certification if they determine the candidate has the requisite knowledge and skills for that content knowledge assessment.

(c) The candidate must meet all other requirements for the endorsement and/or the certificate.

(d) Candidates adding an endorsement on a test-only basis under WAC 181-82A-204 (2)(c) are not eligible for a case-by-case exception for the content knowledge assessment.

(3) The preparation program provider must establish and convene a committee of at least three individuals for review of case-by-case exceptions for candidates not meeting the passing score on a content knowledge assessment.

(4) Alternative evidence.

(a) Preparation program providers must review at least two forms of evidence for meeting the content knowledge requirement.

(b) Preparation programs may use the following alternative forms of evidence for their review:

(i) Evidence submitted by candidate to demonstrate expertise in content knowledge;

(ii) Coursework; or

(iii) Other forms of evidence as determined by the program provider.