Career and Technical Educator (CTE) Director Certificate

Initial/Continuing Director Career and Technical Education Application

Initial/Continuing CTE Director

Questions?

Submit a question to OSPI.

The application that needs to be submitted for the CTE Director Certificate will depend on the current or most previous certificate held.

Requirements for an Initial CTE Director Certificate
  • Hold a Residency, Continuing or Professional Administrator Certificate OR Three years of experience as a certified CTE teacher, CTE administrator, CTE counselor, or CTE occupational information specialist, or CTE career guidance specialist.
  • And complete a state authorized CTE administrator training or complete a state approved college program for CTE administration.
  • First Initial CTE Director Certificate is issued for five years.

CTE Program Contacts

  • For the City University program, please contact Melissa Myers or Teri Poff for more details.
  • For the Eastern Washington University program, please contact Karene Duffy for more details.
  • For the WA-ACTE CTE program, please contact Tim Knue for more details.
Requirements for Renewal of an Initial CTE Director Certificate
  • Hold or have held a CTE Initial Director Certificate
  • In order to renew the initial career and technical education administrator certificate completion of at least ten quarter hours of college credit or one hundred continuing education credit hours or four professional growth plans in five years since the initial certificate was issued or renewed is required. Individuals completing fewer than four annual professional growth plans must complete the necessary continuing education credit hours needed to be the equivalent of one hundred clock hours.
  • Renewed Initial CTE Director Certificates are valid for five years.
  • House Bill 1426 (2021) issued new certificate renewal requirements beginning July 1, 2023.

In addition to the current renewal requirements, all teachers, CTE teachers, administrators, and CTE director certificate holders renewing on or after July 1, 2023, must meet the following content requirements as part of their 100 clock hours. New requirements are italicized below.

National Board Note: A National Board Certificate may not be used in lieu of the National Professional Standards for Education Leaders (PSEL) or Government-to-Government clock hour requirements.

Requirements for a Continuing CTE Director Certificate
  • Completion of 150 state of Washington approved clock hours or 15 quarter credits since the issuance of the first Initial CTE Director Certificate
  • 2 years of CTE director experience with an authorized employer Form 4074F (i.e., school district or Skills Center in the state of Washington)
  • First Continuing CTE Director Certificate is issued for five years.
  • House Bill 1426 (2021) issued new certificate renewal requirements beginning July 1, 2023.

In addition to the current renewal requirements, all teachers, CTE teachers, administrators, and CTE director certificate holders renewing on or after July 1, 2023, must meet the following content requirements as part of their 100 clock hours. New requirements are italicized below.

  • 10 Equity-based school practices aligned with CCDEI standards from one of the legislature-approved providers:

    • Clock hours

    • Valid National Boards certificate

    • Equivalent college credits

    • At least one goal of an annual PGP

Clock Hour Note: Cannot use the credits obtained from the training director program towards the clock hour requirements. 

Requirements for Renewal of a Continuing CTE Director Certificate
  • Verification of 100 clock hours or 10 quarter credits or equivalent PGPs since the most recent issuance of your CTE Continuing Director Certificate
  • Renewed Continuing CTE Director Certificates are valid for five years.
  • House Bill 1426 (2021) issued new certificate renewal requirements beginning July 1, 2023.

In addition to the current renewal requirements, all teachers, CTE teachers, administrators, and CTE director certificate holders renewing on or after July 1, 2023, must meet the following content requirements as part of their 100 clock hours. New requirements are italicized below.

National Board Note: A National Board Certificate may not be used in lieu of the National Professional Standards for Education Leaders (PSEL) or Government-to-Government clock hour requirements.

Clock Hour Note:
Any person with a valid career and technical education administrator/director certificate issued prior to September 1, 2014, under previous standards of the professional educator standards board shall meet requirements of, and may apply for, the continuing career and technical education administrator certificate by the expiration date of the original certificate held. Upon issuance of the continuing career and technical education administrator/director certificate such person will be subject to continuing certificate renewal requirements, which is 100 clock hours or equivalent during the five year validity of the certificate.

In order to receive the continuing career and technical education administrator/director certificate, in addition to the requirements for the initial certificate, at least fifteen quarter hours of college credit course work or one hundred fifty continuing education credit hours completed subsequent to the conferral of the initial certificate is required; or, the individual may hold a valid national board certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in any certificate area.

Individuals shall provide as a condition for the issuance of a continuing certificate documentation of two years full-time equivalency (FTE) of career and technical administration with an authorized employer (i.e., school district(s) or Skills Center(s)).

May apply 12 months from expiration of CTE certificate.

Apply

Initial/Continuing CTE Director Application

If you have all necessary documentation to apply for these certificates, log in to E-Certification

*IMPORTANT: Please note that application fees are NOT refundable. Ensure that you select and submit the correct application. If you have questions regarding your application, please contact our office.