Teacher Certification
Certification Requirements
Congratulations! You have finished student teaching and are looking for the next steps. The first official certificate you are eligible for is the Residency Teaching (first issue) Certificate. When all of your requirements are received by the Teacher Certification Program, we will initiate your recommendation to OSPI and inform you of your next steps.
Certification Requirements
- Full admission to the Teacher Certification Program.
- Degree Checkout has awarded your degree
- Logged over 450 hours in MyCWU field experience log
- Passed the appropriate WEST-E and/or NES tests
Certification Process
Please do not apply for any certificates in OSPI until you are told by the Teacher Certification Program your recommendation has been processed. If you apply early for your teaching certificate, there is a potential of applying for the wrong certificate, not having your application fee refunded, or require contacting customer service at OSPI to restart the process.
CWU has awarded your degree
The Teacher Certification Program cannot move forward on your certification until your degree has been awarded by CWU. After grades are due, our program checks for degree status several times a day to ensure we catch new awards. We appreciate your patience.Teacher Certification reviews all certification requirements
If you meet all certification requirements above we will move forward. If you are still missing items we will contact you with your missing items typically a month after the end of the quarter.
Recommendation to OSPI
The Teacher Certification Program will submit to OSPI that you have met all requirements and send your CWU e-mail instructions on how to apply for your certificate.
Your file will stay active with us, until the day you meet all the requirements, and we can recommend you! Whether it is a few months or a few years, it won't matter, as soon as you meet the requirements, we will recommend you for your teaching certificate (barring any changes at the state level)!
Job Searching
You are encouraged to apply for jobs after student teaching, even if you haven't met the certification requirements. You just need to communicate with the school districts you are applying to. CWU has nothing to do with this process. They may be interested in hiring you with a Conditional Certificate or Emergency Substitute Certificate but please note that each district is allowed to have their own requirements.
Also check out the Wildcat Career Network in your MyCWU Dashboard as our district partners regularly post job opportunities there.
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Questions? Contact Us.
Teacher Certification Program
Black Hall 208-9