Fundamental Courses of Study

The Paraeducator Certificate Program offers statewide standards-based training for all paraeducators, and supports a career growth ladder for those who wish to advance their career as a paraeducator or pursue a teaching profession.

During the 2020-21 school year, school districts are required to provide 14 hours of training on the Fundamental Course of Study to their paraeducators.

Training components:

The training begins with the 28-hour Fundamental Course of Study (FCS), a course focused on the new paraeducator standards of practice.
Following the completion of the FCS, a paraeducator has three years to complete an additional 70 hours of training to earn the General Paraeducator Certificate. – More info to come in Fall 2021.
A paraeducator may choose to earn a Subject Matter Certificate by completing 20 hours of training. There are two Subject Matter Certificates: English Language Learner and Special Education. These certificates expire after five years (may be renewed), and are not prerequisites for employment. A paraeducator may use their Subject Matter Certificate towards meeting the requirements of the general certificate. The state has developed online courses to meet both of these certificates. These courses are free and upon completion, the paraeducator meets the requirements of the certificate.
Finally, a paraeducator may earn the Advanced Paraeducator Certificate once they complete the general certificate and an additional 75 hours of advanced professional development. The advanced certificate expires after five years (may be renewed) and it is not a prerequisite for employment.

The FCS Courses are as follows:

COURSE	HOURS
FCS 01 – Intro to Cultural Identity & Diversity	4
FCS 02 – Methods of Educational and Instructional Support	4
FCS 03 – Technology Basics	2
FCS 04 – Using and Collecting Data	1
FCS 05 – District Orientation of Roles & Responsibilities	3
FCS 06 – Equity	3
FCS 07 – Behavior Management Strategies Including De-escalation	2
FCS 08 – Child and Adolescent Development	2
FCS 09 – Emergency and Health Safety	1
FCS 10 – Positive and Safe Learning Environment	3
FCS 11 – Communication Basics	2
FCS 12 – Communication Challenges	1
TOTAL	28

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

COMPLETION DEADLINES

Completion dates are determined by when you began your Paraeducator position. To find your specific due date & completion status, access the “FCS Comple” link under Custom Forms in your Skyward Employee Access (see screenshot below).

Note, the checkboxes for Extra Hours Processed & In Person Training are marked for the following:

Extra Hours Processed: Extra Hours have been submitted to payroll on your behalf.
In Person Training: the training was completed in person or via a synchronous method such as zoom.

We encourage you to complete your courses prior to the end of the school year, to allow time for processing & submission to OSPI.

Access Path: Skyward Employee Access > Custom Forms > FCS Comple > View:

COURSE COMPLETION

RSD offers FCS trainings through Canvas, accessed by logging in through the RSD Login Portal. Any units that a Paraeducator still needs to complete will be assigned to them. Watch the Navigating Canvas video for help with getting started in Canvas and completing the available courses.

Please note, FCS09 is offered through Vector Solutions, formerly Safe Schools for this current school year.

Additionally, at least 7 of the 28 hours must be completed through synchronous instruction. If you have not completed any FCS courses synchronously, FCS 01 & 06 will be offered to you to complete through live instruction. More information about courses offered through RSD will be available soon.

SUBMITTING DOCUMENTATION

You do not need to submit any additional documentation to HR if you are completing FCS trainings through Canvas, Vector Solutions, or if you attended an in-person training facilitated by RSD.

If you completed an FCS training through an outside agency (like WEA), you do not need to complete the trainings with RSD. Please send HR documentation confirming completion, such as a transcript, to be processed and added to your Personnel file. Outside trainings earned while employed by RSD may be eligible for Extra Hours and Training Hours, we recommend working with your HR Generalist for processing.

Coursework completed with RSD will be entered into Skyward and processed for Training Hours and Extra Hours on rosters. You do not need to submit a Training Hours Log or Extra Hours Form to be compensated for completion of these courses.

Skyward will be updated on a monthly basis; please check your FCS Completion and Training Hours custom forms after the 10^th of the month. Extra Hours will be paid on the following month’s payroll and Training Hours will be paid according to the quarterly payout schedule.

SUBMISSION TO OSPI

Once you have completed all the required courses, HR will send you an email with your Fundamental Course of Study OSPI Clock Hour Form partially filled out. You will then need to:

Create an account with OSPI by starting here.
Add your FCS courses under Professional Development.
Complete the remaining fields on the clock hour form and email it to OSPI (cert@k12.wa.us) to show that you have met the requirements of your position. See the OSPI E-Certification Paraeducator User Guide for more information.

Please keep a copy of the clock hour form for your records. You may need to submit this documentation as proof of completion if you transfer to another district.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Please contact your Human Resources Generalist if you have any questions.

Contact information can be found on our Human Resources Department webpage, under HR Contact Info.

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