Professional Certificate Program

The Professional Certificate (ProCert) is the 2nd tier certificate for Washington State teachers. ProCert is a job-embedded performance-based certification process that emphasizes personalized professional growth. ProCert can and should be deeply connected to your teaching context, school, and district activities. In the ProCert program, you will further develop and refine your professional skills and habits. The key question you will ask as you gather evidence, reflect on your practice, and develop professional growth goals will be ‘what is the impact on student learning?’ Within five years of full time teaching with a Residency Certificate, teachers are expected to enroll in a program to earn this advanced certificate.

The Professional Certificate sequence at The Evergreen State College starts with a 9 credit course, How All Students Learn: Supporting Diverse Learners. This course if offered in the summer and runs concurrently with the M.Ed. schedule. The Pre-Assessment Seminar (3 credits) is scheduled in the fall of year 1 of the M.Ed. sequence. The ProCert sequence concludes in the winter of year 2 with a Culminating Seminar (3 credits). The majority of work for all three components of the ProCert program takes place on Evergreen’s Olympia campus.

Summer Diversity Seminar (9 graduate credits)

In the Summer Diversity Seminar, How All Students Learn: Supporting Diverse Learners (9 credits), the candidate will engage in a core coordinated studies program encompassing the needs of diverse learners in multicultural settings. Students will consider the latest research on the brain, culture and language development. Included in the core will be topics such as culturally responsive teaching, funds of knowledge, teaching for diversity and social justice and their impact on student learning.

Pre-Assessment Seminar (3 graduate credits)

During the Pre-Assessment Seminar, you will study the standards for Professional Certification in Washington State. You will work collaboratively with your colleagues in the seminar to share ideas and work through challenges in your practice. You will pre-assess yourself against the 3 standards and 12 criteria, reflecting on your previous experiences, education, content knowledge, strengths and challenges. Based on this assessment, you will develop a Professional Growth Plan (PGP).

Culminating Seminar (3 graduate credits)

The Culminating Seminar is centered on developing and refining evidence about your teaching through an electronic portfolio containing video and printed support material. The evidence in the portfolio serves to verify that you have met the goals of the Professional Growth Plan (PGP).

For information contact Loren Petty.