Download the Washington State micro-credential report (PDF)
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) has explored micro-credentials as one option within Washington’s professional learning ecosystem. Micro-credentials can provide educators choice, adding to our flexible and rigorous development system and contributing to classroom growth.
What is a micro-credential?
Micro-credentials are a portfolio assessment of a specific competency used to develop educators and improve their practice.
PESB pilot overview
Since 2016, PESB has offered three iterative micro-credential pilot grants, each with increasing scale and purpose.
- Pilot one, testing micro-credential technology, 2016-17
- Pilot two, creating micro-credential content, Spring 2018
- Pilot three, implementing in diverse contexts, 2018-19
PESB discovered several lessons to address in future micro-credential structures and to consider in other professional learning innovations. PESB’s lessons learned align with best practices in educator professional learning. Participants tended to do better when the following were in place: support structures; incentives; and the professional learning was connected to existing initiatives.
