Professional Development

The FCS is a state-wide requirement for all paraeducators above and beyond the requirements of “highly qualified.”  Paras have ONE year to complete the 28 hours of training within the FCS courses. 

The General Paraeducator Certificate is earned by a paraeducator who completes 70 hours of professional development training.

Any training that will assist the instructional skills of a paraeducator may count. For example, any training that is already provided to teachers can be provided to paraeducators to meet the requires of this certificate. 

Training for this certificate must be clock hour trainings. Paraeducators must receive training from PESB-approved clock hour providers.

Additional Information: 

• Any college credits completed on or after July 1, 2019 can count toward a General Paraeducator Certificate. 
• Professional Growth Plans (PFP) are job-embedded, self-directed professional development.

How Do I Complete the Training?

Step 1:  Richland School District must provide Fundamental Course of Study (FCS) training to all K-12 paraeducators. Once paraeducators complete the 28 hours, email Tammi Trimm and request verification that you have completed the requirements for all 28 hours. If you have all the hours completed, the district will issue a signed clock hour form.  You will then need to create an E-Cert account in the Education Data System (EDS) through OSPI to upload the clock hour form. If you need help setting up your EDS account, OSPI has created this User Guide. For additional help, contact Tonya Bartlett in OSPI's certification office.

Step 2:  Paraeducators must earn an additional 70 hours of training to earn their General Paraeducator Certificate. This is started after completing the FCS training.