Paraeducator Certificate Program

In January of 2018, the State of Washington instituted a Paraeducator Certificate Program for Instructional Paraeducators, which first includes the Fundamental Course of Study (FCS).

• FCS Information Packet 2025-26

The FCS outlines completion of 28 hours of professional development surrounding state-adopted knowledge and skill competency standards to be completed within the first school year of employment. It is the responsibility of the school district to provide the 28 hours of the Fundamental Course of Study (FCS) to their paraeducators and Cheney Public Schools has worked diligently to develop a thoughtful plan for implementing this training each school year. Paraeducators should not independently seek out training to meet FCS training requirements.

The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) has mandated that newly-hired instructional paraeducators complete the 28 hours of training within their first school year of employment. Failure to complete the required 28 hours within the stated timeframes of the program may lead to termination of employment. There is no substitution for the Fundamental Course of Study; it is a requirement of all instructional paraeducators, regardless of college degree, certificate held, or prior experience. 

As a requirement of your employment as an Instructional Paraeducator, it is imperative that you participate in these sessions. Please anticipate for these required trainings to be held during November and March conference days.

Once you have completed the FCS training, you will need to create your Washington State OSPI E-Certification (e-cert) account and move on to the General Paraeducator Certificate programs. This account allows employees to track clock hours and apply for each certificate.

• OSPI E-Cert Login: https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/OspiSts/identity/login?signin=050eadc6d2842f56457675ae0b4b6612
• OSPI Paraeducator E-Certification User Guide

For user-friendly support, OSPI has created a user guide for paraeducator’s account creation and navigating the e-cert system. This user guide will be attached separately by Human Resources (it is 42 pages). For your convenience, here is a “breakdown” of OSPI’s E-Certification user guide:

• Page 3: Registering/Claiming your OSPI E-Certification Account
• Pages 4-19: Navigating the E-Certification System
• Pages 20-26: General Paraeducator Application
• Pages 26-32: Subject Matter Paraeducator Application - English Language Learner
• Pages 32-38: Subject Matter Paraeducator Application - Special Education
• Pages 38-44: Advanced Paraeducator Application

Please note, it is the responsibility of the paraeducator to track their general certificate training in e-cert. The district cannot do this for you. Paraeducators should record clock hours as they earn them, upload clock hour documentation in the form of transcripts or in-service registration forms. Clock hour transcripts can be found in an employee's pdEnroller account.
 

Looking for your clock hours transcripts, or missing clock hours?
Clock hour transcripts can be found in an employee’s pdEnroller account. Please see the pdEnroller "how-to" guide below for information from ESD101 on your pdEnroller account, tracking clock hours, etc. Please read this information carefully, as it also covers information on how to claim clock hours that you completed in the past.

• pdEnroller Clock Hours and Certification
• pdEnroller: https://www.pdenroller.org/

Once you have completed the FCS training, and created your OSPI e-cert account, it is time to begin working on the General Paraeducator Certificate. 

How do I earn the General Paraeducator Certificate?
You must complete 70 clock hours of professional development with focus on improving instructional practice. These clock hours are provided over multiple school years by the district. Cheney School District provides mandatory training hours during district Professional Learning Development days (PLD). The PLD days are reflected in a paraeducator’s normal work calendar (August PLD, October PLD, and February PLD). The mandatory PLD days are currently applicable to the clock hour requirements toward the General Paraeducator Certificate.

Can college credits be used toward the General Paraeducator Certificate?
Any college credit taken on or after July 1, 2019 may count toward the general certificate. Similar to the way you enter clock hours into e-cert, you have the same ability to enter earned college credits. In the e-cert panel labeled “educator professional development hours”, there is a drop-down menu where an employee can choose “credits” or “clock hours”. Please note, an employee should maintain record or college credits as they would maintain record of their clock hours forms.

Do I have to finish my FCS before working on General Paraeducator Cert hours?
No – paraeducators may begin working on their general certificate hours prior to the completion of the Fundamental Course of Study.

I have earned the 70 clock hours; how do I receive the General Paraeducator Certificate?
Once you have completed the general certificate, you will complete and submit your General Paraeducator Certificate application via the e-cert system. The cost for this certificate is $74 and is not eligible for reimbursement by the district.

It is your responsibility to log into your OSPI account and create a single entry for your 28 FCS hours. This is a requirement, even if your pdEnroller classes are automatically transferring to your OSPI account. The single entry is what triggers OSPI’s system to recognize you’ve completed the FCS prerequisite and are now eligible to apply for your general certificate (once your 70 PD hours are completed).

*Please note: this is a lifetime certificate; therefore, this is a one-time cost and you are not subject to renewal.

Once you have completed the FCS training and the General Paraeducator Certificate, you can move on to the optional Subject Matter Certificate(s).
There are two subject matter certificates available to you; English Language Learner (ELL) and Special Education. These are optional certificates and are not a pre-requisite for employment or the Advanced Paraeducator Certificate.

How do I earn the Subject Matter Certificates?
To earn each subject matter certificate, a paraeducator must complete an additional 20 hours (each certificate) of professional development. There are online courses available to support paraeducators to meet the requirements of each certificate.

*Online Courses: https://www.pesb.wa.gov/resources-and-reports/online-learning/

I have completed the online courses; how do I receive the Subject Matter Certificate(s)?
Once you have completed the online courses, you will complete and submit your Subject Matter Certificate application(s) via the e-cert system. The cost for each certificate is $54 and is not eligible for reimbursement by the district.

*Please note: each certificate is valid for five years. To renew each certificate, you must complete 20 clock hours during the validity period of the certificate. The application for renewal must be submitted via your OSPI e-cert account during the last year of the valid certificate.

Once you have completed the FCS training and the General Paraeducator Certificate, the Advanced Paraeducator Certificate is an additional professional development opportunity available to you.

How do I earn the Advanced Paraeducator Certificate?
You must complete 75 clock hours of specialized professional development. The duties of an advanced paraeducator include; assisting in highly-impacted classrooms, supporting specialized instruction, mentoring other paraeducators, and acting as a short-term emergency substitute teacher*. These clock hours include time spent in any of these areas, or through verified mentoring of other paraeducators.
*For questions regarding the Emergency Substitute Certificate, please reach out to our Human Resources Department at hr@cheneysd.org.

I have completed the 75 specialized professional development clock hours; how do I receive the Advanced Paraeducator Certificate?
Once you complete the necessary clock hours, you can complete and submit your application for the Advanced Paraeducator Certificate in e-cert. The cost for the advanced certificate is $54 and is not eligible for reimbursement by the district.

*Please note: the advanced certificate is valid for five years. To renew this certificate, you must complete 30 clock hours during the validity period of the certificate. The application for renewal must be submitted via your OSPI e-cert account during the last year of the valid certificate.

Certificate Fees Summary 
HB 1115 (2017) authorizes the use of certificate fees in the Paraeducator Certificate Program. These fees must be paid when a paraeducator applies for a certificate in e-cert. These fees are not eligible for reimbursement by the district.

These are the OSPI fees associated with receiving the certificates and are subject to change by OSPI: 

• General Paraeducator Certificate (lifetime) - $74
• ELL Subject Matter Certificate (valid for five years) - $54
• Special Education Subject Matter Certificate (valid for five years) - $54
• Advanced Paraeducator Certificate (valid for five years) - $54

There is no cost to file the completion of the FCS because it is not a certificate. 

Paraeducators that hold a valid Title 181 Certificate (e.g., a teaching certificate) 
All paraeducators, regardless of whether or not they hold a Title 181 certificate (e.g. a teaching certificate), are required to complete the FCS training (first 28 hours of training). 

Paraeducators that hold a Title 181 Certificate (e.g., a teaching certificate) are considered to have met the general certificate requirement. These paraeducators are still responsible for completing filing requirements with OSPI e-cert to attain their general certificate. Limited certificates, such as Emergency Substitute Certificates, do not qualify. 

In addition, paraeducators who hold a valid Title 181 certificate (e.g., a teaching certificate) and one of the following endorsements meet the requirements to attain the subject matter certificates: 

• ELL and/or bilingual, meet the requirements to earn the ELL Subject Matter Certificate;
• Special education and/or early childhood special education, meet the requirements to earn the Special Education Subject Matter Certificate.

• Cheney SD Paraeducator Certificate Program Employee User Guide