Bachelor Degree
Candidates with a Bachelor’s Degree can Choose a Teaching Certificate or Master’s Degree
Pathway 3: Earn your teaching certificate
Candidates with a bachelor’s degree who would like to pursue a teacher certification can pursue the City University: Special Education with K-8 Elementary or English learners with K-8 Elementary pathway.
City University teacher certification : Special Education (SPEDSpecial Education) with K-8 Elementary or English Learners (EL) with K-8 Elementary pathway.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements : Bachelor’s degree, passing scores on all subtests of WEST-B and NES for both ELL and Special Education endorsements
Coursework : Four quarters
Placement during internship : Any school in SPSSeattle Public Schools
Degrees awarded : Teaching Certificate
Endorsements : Special Education with K-8 Elementary or ELL with K-8 Elementary
District support available : Up to $12,000 per year plus release time for student teaching (if required)
Additional employee benefit : Upon successful completion of the program, candidates receive a special education or ELL teaching positions in SPSSeattle Public Schools.
For more information , please reach out to the following points of contact:
City U: Steve Brown, brownsd@cityu.edu
Pathway 4: Earn Your Teaching Certificate and Master’s Degree
SPSSeattle Public Schools staff with a bachelor’s degree who would like to pursue a teacher certification AND master’s degree have two options:
Seattle Teacher Residency at University of Washington : Special Education (SPEDSpecial Education) with K-8 Elementary or English Learners (EL) with K-8 Elementary
Minimum Eligibility Requirements : Bachelor’s degree, passing scores on all subtests of WEST-B
Coursework : Five quarters and two credits in fall first year of teaching
Placement during internship : SPSSeattle Public Schools Title 1 Schools
Degrees awarded : Masters in Teaching, Teaching Certificate
Endorsements : Special Education with K-8 Elementary or ELL with K-8 Elementary
District support available : Up to $12,000 per year in tuition supports (fall-summer quarter) plus release time for coursework (every Friday and one Tuesday per month)
Additional employee benefit : Upon successful completion of the program, candidates receive a teaching position at a Title 1 school in SPSSeattle Public Schools.
Seattle Teacher Residency: Michael Nguyen, michaeln@alliance4ed.org
University of Washington Special Education High Incidence Program : Special Education with reading endorsement option.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements : Bachelor’s degree, passing scores on all subtests of WEST-B
Coursework : Six quarters
Placement during internship : Placed in classrooms with identified mentor teachers in SPSSeattle Public Schools
Degrees awarded : Masters of Education, Teaching Certificate
Endorsements : Special Education with reading endorsement option
District support available : Up to $15,000 tuition support per year for two years (total of $30,000) plus access to SPSSeattle Public Schools special education trainings
Additional employee benefit : Upon successful completion of the program, candidates receive a teaching position in SPSSeattle Public Schools
UW: Dr. Selma Powell, selmap@uw.edu
Become an ARE Future Educator
How to apply:
- If you work as an SPSSeattle Public Schools staff member, communicate with your supervisor and the teachers with whom you work regarding your intent to apply for the ARE program(s). You will need letters of recommendation from those who have seen your work with students.
- Take the Washington Educator Skills Tests:
- WEST-B and
- WEST-E/NES tests and
- Consider a WEST-B test preparation session
- Apply to the university pathway that matches your qualifications and desired certification area(s).
WEST-B Equivalent Tests
- SATScholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is the most widely used college admission test and ACT cut score equivalents
- Out of state tests may eligible to be submitted in lieu of the WEST-B
Check this website to see if you have taken a WEST-B equivalency test. More information on the WEST-B Alternatives.
Financial Aid
Seattle Public Schools provides tuition support for qualified ARE candidates contingent on which ARE Pathway you are enrolled in. If you will need financial support outside of what the district provides, explore the Federal Student Aid website.
Please use the following resources for additional information about financial aid.
- Contact the Financial Aid office at the university/pathway you want to pursue.
- WashBoard connects Washington students with scholarship providers for free.
- The Washington Student Achievement Council has grants for those who are interested in becoming teachers.
Transcripts from Schools Outside the U.S.
If you have foreign transcripts, have them evaluated for equivalency. One agency is Foundation for International Services.