- Oak Harbor Public Schools
- Employee Resources
- Paraeducator Training Information
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The Paraeducator Certificate Program is a required two-part training provided to all paraeducators in Washington State with three optional certificates. This webpage will serve as a place to share information and updates about the certificate program.
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Step 1- Am I required to do this training?
- A paraeducator is defined as “a classified public school or school district employee who works under the supervision of a certificated or licensed staff member to support and assist in providing instructional and other services to students and their families.” This includes all our K-12 paraeducators in general or special education.
- Paraeducators who meet the above definition are required to complete the Fundamental Course of Study (“FCS”; 28 hours) and the General Certificate (70 hours). These are explained in more detail in the other tabs on this website. There are some exceptions to the training requirement as follows.
- The training requirement only applies to K-12 employees.
- If you hold a valid education certificate (Teacher, CTE, First People's Language/Culture, Educational Staff Associate (ESA) or Administrator), you do NOT need to complete the General Certificate program, but you still need to complete the FCS. If you hold a limited certificate, you are not eligible for this exemption.
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Step 2- Fundamental Course of Study (FCS)
- The FCS is 28 hours of training on required modules/subjects. This is REQUIRED for everyone who meets the above conditions (regardless of post-secondary degree or experience) and must be completed within the first 2 years of employment.
- Paraeducators may complete the training modules during their contracted/paid time on early release Wednesdays or conference days as scheduled on the district calendar.
- The FCS is 28 hours of training. Some of the modules will be in-person in the District and the remainder will be through the Northwest ESD’s FCS online training program. The FCS includes the following modules:
- FCS 01: Intro to Cultural Identity and Diversity (4 clock hours)
- FCS 02: Methods of Educational and Instructional Support (4 clock hours)
- FCS 03: Technology Basics (2 clock hours)
- FCS 04: Using and Collecting Data (1 clock hour)
- FCS 05: District Orientation of Rules & Responsibilities (3 clock hours)
- FCS 06: Equity (3 clock hours) o FCS 07: Behavior Management Strategies including de-escalation techniques (3 clock hours)
- FCS 08: Child & Adolescent Development (2 clock hours)
- FCS 09: Emergency & Health Safety (1 clock hour)
- FCS 10: Positive & Safe Learning Environment (3 clock hours)
- FCS 11: Communication Basics (2 clock hours)
- FCS 12: Communication Challenges (1 clock hour)
- You will create your account in the Northwest ESD’s program.
- After you have registered for the FCS course, you can access the login page for Canvas here.
- After Completing the 28 hours of training you need to complete the following:
- FCS clock hour form and submit a copy to the HR department. Please leave section 2 blank.
- Create an e-Cert account and document completion of the FCS. Here is the e-Cert instruction document for completing this step.
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Step 3- General Certificate
- If you hold a valid education certificate (Teacher, CTE, First People's Language/Culture, Educational Staff Associate (ESA) or Administrator), you do NOT need to complete the General Certificate program--you are considered to have met the requirement for 70 continuing education credit hours. Limited certificates are not eligible for this exemption.
- The General Certificate is an additional 70 clock hours of training beyond the FCS (the 28 hours completed for the FCS do NOT count towards the 70). The 70 hours must be completed within 5 years after completing the FCS (14 clock hours per year).
- 1 Quarter College Credit= 10 Clock hours
- 1 Semester College Credit= 15 Clock hours
- Any clock hours or credits earned (100 level or above) after July 1, 2019 can count towards the General Certificate.
- Paraeducators may complete the training modules during their contracted/paid time on early release Wednesdays.
- You can complete clock hours or credits for the General Certificate while you are completing the FCS. However, you may not apply for the General Certificate until you have completed the FCS.
- Complete online training for Special Education or ELL through the Paraeducator Standards Board. Scroll down to the appropriate location on the website. These training sessions are free. Please note that while these courses can count for the General Certificate they also count for the Subject matter certificates.
- Professional development opportunity for paraeducators to earn free clock hours that can count towards their General or Advanced Certificate. The training is being offered by OSPI in partnership with Glean Education.
- Complete other training through college courses or other clock hour provider that relates to improving the instructional practice of a paraeducator.
- Paraeducators are responsible for registering for the courses or training you are using to satisfy the 70 hours and meeting all attendance and evaluation requirements. You also need to keep the clock hour records and record your courses in e-Cert. Here is an instruction manual for e-cert.
- When you have completed the 70 hours, you need to apply for the General Certificate through e-Cert (see links in the previous bullet).
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Step 4- Subject Matter Certification (OPTIONAL)
- After you have completed the General Certificate, you can complete the subject matter certificates. These certificates are only valid for 5 years. There is a $54 fee for obtaining the certificate and is NOT reimbursed by the District.
- Subject matter certificates are for paraeducators who wish to further their skills in English Language Learner (ELL) or special education instruction. These certificates are optional and are not requirements. To earn a subject matter certificate, a paraeducator must complete 20 hours of professional development in the subject area of the certificate (See forms and links). The certificate expires after five years, and it is not a prerequisite to work in any program. A paraeducator can only earn a subject matter certificate if they have completed their FCS training. A paraeducator may allocate completed subject matter certificate hours towards their general certificate hours. The subject matter certificates have specific standards, learning objectives, and course outlines that must be met to receive the certificate.
- Here is the link to the Special Education and ELL subject matter programs. Scroll down to the appropriate location on the website.
- You may complete the courses and NOT pay for the certificate and the hours will still count for the General Certificate. The Subject Matter Certificates are not required for any positions in the District.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I need to go through the training if I hold a bachelor's degree or higher?
Posted by:For the Fundamental Course of Study - ALL K-12 paraeducators must complete the 28-hour course regardless of certification or education.
For the General Certificate - If you hold a valid education certificate (Teacher, CTE, First People's Language/Culture, Educational Staff Associate (ESA) or Administrator), you do NOT need to complete the General Ed or Subject Matter Certificate programs. If you only hold a limited certificate (such as conditional, emergency substitute, intern substitute teacher, transitional or substitute), you DO need to complete the General Ed certificate program. All other K-12 paraeducators must complete the General Certificate within 5 years of obtaining the FCS.
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If I am hired from another school district, will my training hours transfer?
Posted by:Yes, completion will be tracked in the EDS/eCert system; completed courses and certificates will transfer with the employee.
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Are training requirements different if I work less hours than a colleague?
Posted by:No, the training is required for all K-12 paraeducators regardless of work hours per day.
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Will there be any tests?
Posted by:No tests will be given. Paraeducators need to attend the training to receive the clock hour credit. If you take college courses to count towards the General Certificate, there may be tests.
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How do I complete the online training if I don't have a computer at home?
Posted by:You may be able to access and/or check-out a Chromebook from your school. Check with your building administrator.
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How is my progress tracked?
Posted by:The FCS completion is tracked by the district office. Please submit your Paraeducator FCS Outline form to the district office at the end of each month. When you have completed all the modules and the required in-person training (for those starting in 2022-23), you need to fill out the FCS clock hour form and enter it into the EDS system (see the FCS section and/or the Forms section). Submit your original copy to the district office.Clock hours or credits that apply to the General Certificate must be provided by an approved clock hour provider. For courses in the District, the paraeducator must sign up for the course in ProDev, ensure you document attendance, and complete the evaluation. Following training completion, the paraeducator will need to input the completed clock hours/credits in the e-Cert system (see the forms section for the e-Cert instructions).
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When do I complete the FCS and General Certificate?
Posted by:Paraeducators may complete the training modules during their contracted/paid time on early release Wednesdays or conference days as scheduled on the district calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions - General Certificate
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How do I enter college credits towards the General Certificate?
Posted by:Any college credits (100 level or higher) taken on/after July 1, 2019 can be used towards their general certificate. Paraeducators must enter their credits into the e-Cert system similar to entering clock hours and should maintain transcripts showing credits earned.
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Does the General Certificate expire?
Posted by:No. Once a paraeducator completes their General Certificate, it is valid for life.
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What if I resign my position to work in another school district before I complete the program?
Posted by:It is the responsibility of the paraeducator (with the help of the school district) to track and record training completions in their e-cert account--if recorded in e-cert, the training will follow the paraeducator.
Frequently Asked Questions - Subject Matter Certificates
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What are the Subject Matter Certificates?
Posted by:Subject matter certificates are for paraeducators who wish to further their skills in English Language Learner (ELL) or special education instruction. These certificates are optional and are not requirements.
To earn a subject matter certificate, a paraeducator must complete 20 hours of professional development in the subject area of the certificate (See forms and links). The certificate expires after five years, and it is not a prerequisite to work in any program. A paraeducator can only earn a subject matter certificate if they have completed their FCS training. A paraeducator may allocate completed subject matter certificate hours towards their general certificate hours.
The subject matter certificates have specific standards, learning objectives, and course outlines that must be met to receive the certificate.
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Do Subject Matter certificate completions count towards the General Certificate?
Posted by:Yes! Each Subject Matter Certificate equals 20 hours of training and counts towards the 70 hour requirement for the General Certificate. The paraeducator will then only have to complete 50 hours of training for the General Certificate. If the paraeducators completes both Subject Matter Certificate programs (ELL and Special Education - a value of 40 hours), they will only need to complete 30 hours of training for the General Certificate.
Embedding the certificates is an excellent opportunity to meet the required hours AND receive focused training in a subject area. Note! Each course is 20 hours -- the modules are time-driven. If you rush/skip through, you will only receive credit for the time you spent in the program.
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Is there a cost associated with the Subject Matter Certificate?
Posted by:The courses are FREE. To get the actual certificate, there is a $54 fee for each certificate ($108 if you complete both); once the hours have been earned, the fee is assessed through the EDS/e-Cert account when the paraeducator applies for a certificate. Subject Matter Certificate fees will not be reimbursed by the District.
Note-- If you complete the training for the subject matter certificates, you do not need to get the certificate. The hours will still apply to the General Certificate.
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Are there different documentation requirements for the Subject Matter Certificates?
Posted by:The clock hours are documented just like other clock hours for the General Certificate. If you would like the actual certificate, you apply through e-Cert.
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Do Subject Matter certificates expire?
Posted by:Yes - they are valid for 5 years; the application for renewal must be submitted during the last year of the currently valid certificate. Expired certificates may be renewed with completion of 20 clock hours within the previous five years from the date of the renewal application.
Forms & Links
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- FCS clock hour form.pdf (FCS)
- E-Cert Instructions
- E-Cert Login page
- FCS Canvas Login
- Special Education and ELL clock hour courses (Subject Matter Certificate Program)
- Professional Educator Standards Board (info about training requirements)
