Upgrade from Initial to Professional ESA

This application is for those Educational Staff Associates (ESA) who hold or held an Initial ESA Certificate for the school social worker, school occupational therapist, school physical therapist, school nurse, school speech-language pathologist or audiologist, or school behavior analyst role and have completed the below requirements to upgrade their certificate.

The Continuing ESA Certificate is for those who have completed the requisite schooling and work experience.

Requirements for School Social Workers

• Must have completed all requirements for the Initial ESA Certificate as a school social worker
• Must have completed 150 continuing education credit hours related to the role of school social worker or education, since the first issuance of the Initial ESA Certificate
• Must have completed two years full-time equivalency (FTE) experience in the role in Washington with a school district, state-approved private school, state-tribal compact school, state authorized charter school, or state agency that provides educational services for students Form 4020F
• Must attest to completion of a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students. For more information see WAC 181-79A-200. This course MUST be entered into the 'PD Hours' section of your E-Certification account prior to applying
• Must have completed a suicide prevention training approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) Form 4020S

Requirements for School Occupational Therapists

• Must have completed all requirements for the Initial ESA Certificate as a school occupational therapist
• Must have completed 150 continuing education credit hours related to occupational therapy, other health sciences, or education since the first issuance of the Initial ESA Certificate
• Must have completed two years full-time equivalency (FTE) experience in the role in Washington with a school district, state-approved private school, state-tribal compact school, state authorized charter school, or state agency that provides educational services for students Form 4020F
• Must attest to completion of a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students. For more information see WAC 181-79A-200. This course MUST be entered into the 'PD Hours' section of your E-Certification account prior to applying
• Must hold a valid Department of Health license as an occupational therapist in Washington State

Requirements for School Orientation and Mobility Specialists

• Must have completed all requirements for the Initial ESA Certificate as a school orientation and mobility specialist
• Must have completed 150 continuing education credit hours related to orientation and mobility or education since the first issuance of the Initial ESA Certificate
• Must have completed two years full-time equivalency (FTE) experience in the role in Washington with a school district, state-approved private school, state-tribal compact school, state authorized charter school, or state agency that provides educational services for students Form4020F
• Must attest to completion of a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students. For more information see WAC 181-79A-200. This course MUST be entered into the 'PD Hours' section of your E-Certification account prior to applying
• Must hold a valid Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) certificate from the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP), or a valid National Orientation and Mobility Certification (NOMC) from the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB)

Requirements for School Physical Therapists

• Must have completed all requirements for the Initial ESA Certificate as a school physical therapist
• Must have completed 150 continuing education credit hours related to physical therapy, other health sciences, or education since the first issuance of the Initial ESA Certificate
• Must have completed two years full-time equivalency (FTE) experience in the role in Washington with a school district, state-approved private school, state-tribal compact school, state authorized charter school, or state agency that provides educational services for students Form 4020F
• Must attest to completion of a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students. For more information see WAC 181-79A-200. This course MUST be entered into the 'PD Hours' section of your E-Certification account prior to applying
• Must hold a valid Department of Health license as a physical therapist in Washington State

Requirements for School Nurses

• Must have completed all requirements for the Initial ESA Certificate as a school nurse
• Must have completed 150 continuing education credit hours related to education, nursing, or other health sciences since the first issuance of the Initial ESA Certificate
• Must have completed two years full-time (FTE) experience in the role in Washington with a school district, state-approved private school, state-tribal compact school, state authorized charter school, or state agency that provides educational services for students Form 4020F
• Must attest to completion of a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students. For more information see WAC 181-79A-200. This course MUST be entered into the 'PD Hours' section of your E-Certification account prior to applying
• Must have completed a suicide prevention training approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) Form 4020S
• Must hold a valid Department of Health license as a registered nurse (RN) in Washington State

Requirements for School Speech-Language Pathologists or Audiologists

• Must have completed all requirements for the Initial ESA Certificate as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist
• Must hold a master's degree in speech-language pathology or audiology
• Must have completed 150 continuing education credits hours related to speech-language pathology, audiology, other health sciences, or education since the issuance of the Initial ESA Certificate
• Must have completed two years full-time equivalency (FTE) experience in the role in Washington with a school district, state-approved private school, state-tribal compact school, state authorized charter school, or state agency that provides educational services for students Form 4020F
• Must have successfully completed a written comprehensive exam, relevant to speech-language pathology or audiology.
• Must attest to completion of a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students. For more information see WAC 181-79A-200. This course MUST be entered into the 'PD Hours' section of your E-Certification account prior to applying

Exam Note: Applicant must have successfully completed a written comprehensive examination of the knowledge included in the course work for the required master's degree. This examination shall be a proctored, written examination of an accredited institution of higher education which may be verified by the institution on form Form 4099E. If you did not complete such an exam as part of your master's degree or educator preparation program, you may submit a copy of your valid Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech Language Pathology or Audiology, issued by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), or submit documentation of one of the following Praxis tests:

• Praxis II specialty area test (code 5331) with a passing score of 162 (SLP)
• Praxis II specialty area test (code 5342) with a passing score of 170 (Audiologist)
• Praxis II specialty area test (code 0330) with a passing score of 600 (SLP)
• Praxis II specialty area test (code 5330) with a passing score of 600 (SLP)
• Praxis II specialty area test (code 0342) with a passing score of 170 (Audiologist)
• Praxis II specialty area test (code 0340) with a passing score of 170 (Audiologist)

Requirements for School Behavior Analysts

• Must have completed all requirements for the Initial ESA Certificate as a school behavior analyst
• Must have completed 150 continuing education credit hours related to the behavior analyst role or education since the issuance of the Initial ESA Certificate
• Must have completed two years full-time equivalency (FTE) experience in the role in Washington with a school district, state-approved private school, state-tribal compact school, state authorized charter school, or state agency that provides educational services for students Form 4020F
• Must attest to completion of a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students. For more information see WAC 181-79A-200. This course MUST be entered into the 'PD Hours' section of your E-Certification account prior to applying
• Must hold a valid Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Certificate from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)

Apply

If you have all necessary documentation to apply for this certificate, log in to: E-Certification