On April 24, 2019, Governor Inslee signed HB 1621, a bill to help admit more candidates into the teaching profession by removing the requirement of meeting a specific score on the WEST–B (WA Educator Skills Test - Basic) exam.
Candidates will still be required to take a basic skills assessment for admission to a preparation program and for teacher certification, but candidates will no longer need to achieve a specific passing score. The WEST–B is a basic skills assessment in reading, writing, and mathematics. The basic skills assessment will now be used as one of multiple measures that gauge a candidate's skills upon entry.
For questions regarding teacher certification options, individuals must contact the OSPI Certification Office at cert@k12.wa.us or (360) 725-6400.
For program admission questions, please contact your preparation program directly.
For questions regarding this legislative change, please contact us at pesb@k12.wa.us, or visit our website pesb.wa.gov