Educational Staff Associate (ESA)-Other Roles

This page explains how to apply for your first Educational Staff Associate (ESA) certificate in Washington state. It covers both the Initial and Professional ESA certificates, who qualifies for each, and the requirements you must meet.

Washington Offers Two Types of ESA Certificates

• Initial Certificate is the first-tier full credential for individuals who are new to ESA certification in Washington.

• Professional Certificate is the second-tier full credential for ESAs who hold or previously held an Initial or Residency ESA certificate in one of the roles below and have completed the required education and work experience to advance their credential.

The following roles require an ESA Initial or Professional certificate:

Initial ESA

This application is for educators seeking their first-tier certification in the available roles listed above. Please see below for all requirements. 

General Requirements for All Role Types

• Complete one of the options below:
  • Option 1: A 15-clock-hour or one semester-hour course approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) before or within one year of application.
  • Option 2: Complete any state's approved preparation program leading to PK–12 certification for the role (Other ESA Roles Program Completion Verification Form 4099E)
  • Option 3: Three years of out-of-state experience in the role (Experience Verification Form 4020F-1)
• Complete the additional requirements by role type below
• Submit fingerprints for a background check if you don't already have a valid Washington certificate on record

Temporary Permit Available

A one-year temporary permit may be issued if you meet all other requirements (such as fingerprinting, degree, and license, if required) but have not yet verified:

• Completion of an ESA course
• Completion of an out-of-state program
• Appropriate out-of-state experience

You must submit verification of one of these three options to the OSPI Professional Certification Office within the one-year period.

Additional Requirements by ESA Role Type

School Behavior Analyst

• Master's degree or higher (must submit official transcripts showing degree conferral)
• Hold and submit a valid Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certificate from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)
• Passing score on the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) exam from the BACB

School Nurse

• Bachelor's degree or higher in nursing from a program accredited by the National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (must submit official transcripts showing degree conferral)
• Hold a valid registered nurse license issued by the Washington State Department of Health or the Nurse Licensure Compact

School Occupational Therapist

• Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from an American Occupational Therapy Association-approved institution (must submit official transcripts showing degree conferral)
• Hold a valid occupational therapist license issued by the Washington State Department of Health or the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact

School Orientation and Mobility Specialist

• Bachelor's degree or higher (must submit official transcripts showing degree conferral).
• 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).

School Physical Therapist

• Bachelor's degree in physical therapy from an American Physical Therapy Association-approved institution (must submit official transcripts showing degree conferral)
• Hold a valid physical therapist license issued by the Washington State Department of Health or the Physical Therapy Compact Commission

School Social Worker

• Master's degree in social work (must submit official transcripts showing degree conferral)

School Speech Language Pathologist/Audiologist

• Master's degree in speech-language pathology, audiology, or communication disorders from a college or university program accredited by the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). Must submit official transcripts showing a degree.
  • Please Note: If the master's degree has not yet been conferred, you may still be eligible with:
    • Option 1: Completion of all required coursework (except for a special project or thesis) for a master's degree in the majors listed above from a program accredited by ASHA through an accredited college or university.
    • Option 2: A written, signed verification letter from the head of the speech-language pathology/audiology/communication disorders department or the registrar's office of the college or university.
• Completion of a written comprehensive exam in the coursework required for the master's degree (Other ESA Roles Program Completion Verification Form 4099E). If you did not complete such an exam as part of your program, complete one of the following options:
  • Option 1: 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)
  • Option 2: Submit a copy of your score report of one of the following Praxis tests:
    • Praxis II SLP code 5331 | Passing score 162
    • Praxis II SLP code 5330 | Passing score 600
    • Praxis II SLP code 0330 | Passing score 600
    • Praxis II audiologist code 5343 | Passing score 162
    • Praxis II audiologist code 5342 | Passing score 170
    • Praxis II audiologist code 0340 | Passing score 170
    • Praxis II audiologist code 0342 | Passing score 170

Professional ESA

This application is for ESAs who hold or held an Initial or Residency ESA Certificate for the school social worker, school occupational therapist, school physical therapist, school orientation and mobility specialist, school nurse, school speech-language pathologist or audiologist, or school behavior analyst role and have completed the requirements below to upgrade their certificate.

General Requirements for All Role Types Below

• Complete all requirements for the Initial ESA certificate by role type.
• Complete 150 continuing education credit hours related to the ESA role type since the first issuance of the Initial or Residency ESA certificate.
• Complete 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 (Professional Experience Verification Form 4020F).
• Attest that you have completed a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students
  • Enter this requirement into your E-Certification account under "Clock Hours" or submit the Issues of Abuse Course Verification Form 4020G.
• Submit fingerprints for a background check if you do not already have a valid Washington certificate on record

Additional Requirements by ESA Role Type

School Nurse and School Social Worker

• Attest that you have completed a suicide prevention training approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) or Washington State Department of Health within the previous five years (Suicide Prevention Training Verification Form 4020S).