Endorsement Exams in Washington
Monday, December 15th, 2008
Originally uploaded by jackhynes
In the fall of 2008, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) unveiled a revamped exam for endorsement certification. To earn an ELL or Bilingual Education endorsement, the candidate must complete an accredited education program, and then take the state-mandated exam, followed by an in-class practicum called the Field Experience.
Previously, this exam was known as the Praxis 2 and has been administered by Educational Testing Services. In the 2008-2009 academic year, the Praxis 2 has been joined by the WEST-E. These two tests will be offered until July 2009, when the WEST-E will become the sole qualifying exam for the ELL and Bilingual Education endorsements.
To help clarify the changes that have come about from this innovation, we want to point out some of the key differences between these two exams.