Paraeducator Certificate Program

Once you have completed the Fundamental Course of Study (FCS), you will need to set up your eCert account:

1. Go to the Paraeducator Certificate page on OSPI.
2. Select First Time Applicant; create login/password (Instructions)
3. Enter FCS information under PD Hours tab.
4. This system will also be used to document clock hour completions for the General and Subject Matter certificates. It is the paraeducator’s responsibility to update and maintain their eCert account.

Watch the eCert Account Instructional Video

• How to enter PD Hours for General Certificate: Log into your eCert Account; Have your clock hour form in front of you to fill in the boxes from the drop down menus.
• Select PD Hours tab
• Select Clock Hours
• Under Comments – enter course title

If you signed up for a course through HRMplus Professional Development, follow the steps below to locate and record your clock hours in your eCert account:

1. Log into your HRMplus professional development account.
2. Sign up for class under Course Registration – Click on the pdf icon in the Info column for the course to view the course detail; be sure to enable ‘pop-ups’ in your browser if it doesn’t open
3. Attend the class (whether in person or online)
4. Following the class, complete the course evaluation in order to receive credit.
5. Complete the course evaluation within the indicated time period (14-day window) — the evaluation can be completed in My Records, My Courses. If you completed an evaluation, a green icon will appear for that course in the EVAL column.
6. How to access/print Clock Hour transcript:
   • Go to My Records, Reports
   • Click the drop-down box and select Bellingham Professional Development Transcript
   • Click on the course you completed
   • Select Preview
     • If your attendance has not been verified by the instructor yet and/or you have not completed the evaluation for the course, you will not see the course in the list.
     • If you do not complete the evaluation by the required due date, you will not be eligible to receive clock hours for the course.

Next: Enter the information from your clock hour transcript in your eCert account

1. Select the PD Hours tab in the top menu bar
2. Select ‘Click Here to Add Professional Development Hours“
3. Select or Enter the following:

• • Credit Type: Clock Hours
  • Approved Provider: Bellingham Public Schools
  • Class: enter Course title
  • Clock Hours: enter # clock hours earned
  • Begin date: starting date of class
  • Completed date: date course ended
  • Type of Study: General Study
  • Skip the small boxes (Suicide Prevention, STEM, Issues of Abuse, CTE related content) unless they apply
  • Comments: Enter any comments to help you recall the course or information
  • Save (or cancel if you want to start over)

Clock hours may only be applied from approved clock hour providers as determined by OSPI.

The General Paraeducator Certificate (GPC) is the only required certificate, if funded, in the Paraeducator Certificate Program. To earn this certificate a paraeducator must complete an additional 70 clock hours of training. The district is responsible for ensuring all employed paraeducators meet the requirements of the certificate (as of 10/12/21, the Paraeducator Board removed the requirement that paraeducators must earn the general certificate within three (3) years of completing the Fundamental Course of Study).

Note: If you hold a valid education certificate (Teacher, CTE, First People’s Language/Culture, Educational Staff Associate (ESA) or Administrator), you do not need to complete the General Ed or Subject Matter Certificate programs. You are considered to have met the requirement for 70 continuing education credit hours. If you hold a limited certificate (such as conditional, emergency substitute, intern substitute teacher, transitional or substitute), you do need to complete the General Ed certificate program (and Subject Matter Certificate program, if interested).

While working on your GPC, you may, as an option, also choose to work on the Subject Matter Certificates (ELL and/or Special Education). Each course, ELL or Special Education, is a 20-hour course and count towards the General Certificate. These are optional courses.

How to Attain:

Training to meet the requirements of the GPC is broadly conceived: any training that will assist the instructional practice of a paraeducator may count towards the completion of this certificate.

• A great source of training might be training which is already provided to teachers. You are welcome and encouraged to attend BPS offered trainings which offer clock hours. Please let your building principal know if you would like to participate. Any credits or clock hours completed after July 1, 2019, may be applied to the General Certificate, however, any course taken to satisfy any part of the Fundamental Course of Study (FCS) may not be used towards the GPC. HRMplus Professional Development site for course completion documentation.
  • 1 Quarter credit = 10 clock hours
  • 1 Semester credit =15 clock hours

• If you choose to take courses outside of the district, please refer to OSPI’s approved clock hour provider list. All clock hour eligibility courses must be through an approved clock hour provider and requires the employee complete the evaluation form for course credit.
• If you attend a district training, you must register for the course through HRMplus. Be sure to sign in each time you attend and fill out the online evaluation form at the conclusion of the course. Once you have submitted the evaluation, you can download the Clock Hour form for that course in HRMplus (under My Records/My Reports). Send a copy of the Clock Hour form to the Human Resources Department. Retain the original and upload the information into your eCert account under PD Hours.
• If you are interested in completing one or both of the Subject Matter courses, please contact Human Resources for the link to the online training program. This training program is self-paced and free.
  • ELL Subject Matter Certificate Course
  • Special Education Subject Matter Certificate Course

Once the 70 General Certificate hours have been earned, the following fees will be assessed when a paraeducator applies for a certificate in eCert — do not apply for the certificate until you complete the required hours. (The certificate processing fee is the responsibility of the paraeducator and not the district.)

• General Paraeducator Certificate – 70 clock hours (lifetime) $74
• ELL Subject Matter Certificate – 20 clock hours (valid for 5 yrs) $54
• Special Education Subject Matter Certificate – 20 clock hours (valid for 5 yrs) $54
• Advanced Paraeducator Certificate (Optional) – earned after General Certificate/additional 75 clock hours (valid for 5 yrs) $54

Support Contact

• If you need help with HRM+ or have general questions related to accessing courses being offered, please contact ParaRequirementsBPS@bellinghamschools.org.
• As another option, you can contact the instructor for your course directly via email. Since they might be attending professional development sessions themselves, or facilitating another session when you email, their response time might be delayed.

HRM+ Reminders

• Review & Update HRM+ Profile: Please review your HRM+ profile and update if needed.
• Register: It is important to register for courses in HRM+ prior to the course start date.
• Sign In & Out: For in-person professional development, you are responsible for signing yourself in & out on the HRM+ course sign-in sheet. For Virtual PD, the facilitator or instructor will handle marking attendance for you.
• Evaluation: Remember you have a limited time from the course end date to complete your evaluation, so please complete it as soon as the course is finished. Without a completed evaluation, you will not have access to the clock hours.
• Clock Hour Form: Select My Records/Reports; from the drop-down menu, select Bellingham Clock Hour Transcript; then select Course from the drop-down menu, Preview. (If your course does not appear in the drop-down menu, click on the My Courses tab to complete the course evaluation).