Clock hours

The board has adopted provisions for flexibility and access for educators across our state.

• The minimum time for which a clock hour course may be offered is one hour. (181-85-030)
• Continuing education units (CEUs) from accredited colleges or universities, whether in-state or out-of-state, are accepted as clock hours. Other non-credit bearing units, such as Professional Development Units (PDUs), are also accepted. Credits from these same institutions are accepted. (181-85-025)
• All educators who hold specific Department of Health (DOH) licenses, not just educational staff associates (ESAs), can use hours that satisfy the DOH licensure requirements as clock hours for continuing education. (181-85-077)
• Continuing education hours (STARS hours) from the Washington Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) are accepted as clock hours. (181-85-025)

Clock hours may not be offered for:

• Individuals serving as the instructor for a course for which that individual is the only participant. (new)
• Routine staff meetings to discuss or explain operational policies or administrative practices
• Business meetings of professional associations to discuss operational policies or practices
• Social hours or actual mealtime. (181-85-030)

Before offering a course, the provider’s clock hour committee must approve:

• Date of course
• Number of clock hours being offered
• Course objectives and program agenda
• Instructors and their qualifications
• Relation of course to clock hour standards (181-85-200, 181-85-202)

Clock hours may not be issued retroactively.

• Approval by the clock hour committee must happen prior to the course. (181-85-045)
• Participants must register prior to taking courses. Providers must keep records of this. (181-85-205)

When partnering with another organization, an approved clock hour provider cannot provide blanket approval of all courses from that organization. The approved clock hour provider must follow all relevant policy for approving each individual course from another organization. (181-85-200)

Clock hour providers are subject to audit. Providers found not to be in compliance with WAC chapter 181-85 will no longer be eligible to provider clock hours. (181-85-220, 181-85-225)

Standards for clock hour courses

The following standards are used by in-service educators to align their professional growth plans (PGP) for certificate renewal, and by clock hour providers to align their clock hour offerings.

Cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion (CCDEI) standards.
Or, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) standards, benchmarks, and indicators
Or, the professional educator role standards.

(181-85-202)

• Clock hour providers must provide course evaluations to the participants, and, to the extent possible, collect these evaluations.
• The designated administrator must periodically report summaries of evaluations to the clock hour committee. Summaries of evaluations must be available to OSPI staff for review. (181-85-200)
• Course evaluations must address the following. Local providers can also add items.
  • The extent to which the written objectives have been met;
  • Participant perception of relevance and quality of the course;
  • The extent to which the activities identified in the clock hour standards addressed by the course have been met;
  • The extent to which the course provided the opportunity for participants to reflect on next steps or implementation of the learning in their practice; (new in WAC)
  • Suggestions for improving the course if repeated. (181-85-200)

Each clock hour provider must have a designated administrator and a clock hour committee. The designated administrator and clock hour committee members must be identified in the annual application to become an approved clock hour provider.

The committee will be composed of individuals who may include:

• Teachers
• Educational staff associates (ESAs)
• Administrators
• Paraeducators
• Community members, or
• Representatives from colleges and universities.

An organization’s board of directors may serve as its clock hour committee. (181-85-045)

The following organizations may apply to serve as clock hour providers (181-85-045):

• Accredited colleges or universities
• Non-profit or not-for-profit organizations. These organizations must provide documentation of non-profit or not-for-profit status.
• ESDs
• State-approved private schools
• Local, state, or federal agencies
• Educator preparation programs approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board
• School districts are considered to be approved clock hour providers and do not need to apply, but do need to follow regulations in WAC.

View lists of present and past clock hour providers on the OSPI website.

Clock hour providers must apply annually for approval. Providers submit an application to the OSPI certification office. Visit the OSPI website for application details.

In the annual approval process:

• Clock hour committee members, the designated administrator, and the website must be identified.
• Applicants must describe how they will meet the program standards and recordkeeping requirements.
• Applicants will provide other information as requested by OSPI. (181-85-210)

Questions on the clock hour provider approval process should be directed to the OSPI Certification Office at cert@k12.wa.us or (360) 725-6400.

For providers

Providers must keep the following for seven years:

• Documentation that the clock hour committee approved a course’s date, number of hours, objectives, relation to clock hour standards, instructors & their qualifications before the course being offered
• Summary of course evaluations, and minutes showing that the committee reviewed these evaluations.
• Participant registration list.

The clock hour form must provide a space for the participant to indicate they are requesting fewer than the total number of clock hours offered due to partial attendance.

Upon request, providers must provide clock hour documentation to participants for seven years following the course. (181-85-205)

Clock hour providers will give participants specific instructions regarding the need to retain clock hour documentation. (181-85-205)

For educators

Clock hours serve in two main ways:

• Obtaining and renewing a certificate.
• Salary advancement. Salary advancement through clock hours is not part of PESB policy.

Educators themselves retain their own records of continuing education hours for any audit conducted by OSPI. Intentional misrepresentation subjects the holder to revocation of their certificate. Educators retain records to address possible disputes, and for verification for a current or prospective employer. (181-85-085)

Documents to retain include:

• Clock hour forms
• College and university transcripts
• Official correspondence from clock hour providers verifying completion of clock hours
• Professional Growth Plan (PGP) documents including plans, required signatures, and evidence collected. (181-85-107)

Documents must be retained by the educator for one year after the lapse date of the certificate, or until audited by OSPI, whichever is earlier. (181-85-108, 181-85-109)