Courses for Washington State Teachers

Washington State educators holding a Residency, Professional, or Continuing Certificate must earn 100 clock hours during each 5-year certificate cycle to renew. You can satisfy this requirement through approved clock hour courses, equivalent college credits (1 semester credit = 15 clock hours), Professional Growth Plans (PGPs), or a combination of all three. Beginning July 1, 2023, at least 15 of those clock hours must be focused on equity-based school practices from a legislature-approved provider.

Yes. Under WAC 181-79A, graduate-level college credits from regionally accredited institutions are accepted as clock hour equivalents (1 semester credit = 15 clock hours). All of CFT's university partners — University of Massachusetts Global, Valley City State University, CSU Pueblo, and Adams State University — hold regional accreditation. Courses must be relevant to your role as an educator, and documentation (official transcript) must be recorded in OSPI eCertification.

The Residency Certificate is the initial certificate issued to new Washington educators. It is valid for 5 years and requires 100 clock hours (or equivalents) to renew. The Professional Certificate is the advanced certificate that educators upgrade to after meeting additional requirements — typically including a master's degree or equivalent, demonstrated teaching effectiveness, and completion of a Professional Growth Plan. Both certificates require the same 100 clock hours every 5 years for renewal. The Professional Certificate is considered the career-level credential for Washington educators.

Washington State uses a lane-based salary schedule where your pay is determined by your degree level and graduate credits earned. Common lanes include: BA (Bachelor's degree), BA+45, MA/BA+90 (Master's degree or equivalent), MA+45/BA+135, and Doctorate. To advance lanes, you submit official transcripts to your district HR department showing the additional graduate credits earned. Many districts process lane changes at the start of the school year or semester, though policies vary — check with your HR department for your district's specific timeline and requirements.

Many Washington districts accept graduate credits from regionally accredited universities for salary lane advancement, but policies vary. We recommend verifying with your district HR department that credits from our university partners will count toward your salary lane advancement. Use our District Credit Approval Tool to check your specific district. Most Washington districts recognize credits from HLC-, CAEP-, and WSCUC-accredited institutions like our university partners.

Yes — this is one of the most powerful aspects of earning graduate credits through CFT. The same official transcript from your university partner can be submitted through OSPI eCertification for clock hour documentation and to your district HR department for salary lane advancement. You earn the renewal clock hours and the lane advancement simultaneously from a single course investment.

All Washington educators must record professional learning and submit renewal applications through OSPI eCertification, accessed via the Education Data System (EDS) portal at eds.ospi.k12.wa.us. Log in, navigate to your certificate, and record your clock hours with supporting documentation (official transcript for college coursework). The On-Time Application Date is January 1 of your certificate's expiration year; the Uniform Expiration Date is June 30. Applications submitted after January 1 are subject to a late processing fee.

Yes. All Credits for Teachers courses are 100% online and self-paced. There are no set class times, no live sessions to attend, and no commuting. Most teachers complete a 3-credit course in 4–8 weeks while continuing to teach full-time. You can work on coursework during evenings, weekends, or summer break — entirely on your own schedule.