Case-by-Case (CBC) Exception for Undergraduate Students

Case-by-Case (CBC) Exception for Undergraduate Students

Current WSU undergraduate teacher candidates who have completed all certification requirements (except for passing the content exam(s) and completing their internship) may request a CBC exception during their student teaching semester.  Elementary education students will need to attempt both subtests twice prior to requesting a CBC exception. Previous WSU undergraduate teacher candidates are also eligible to request a CBC exception so long as all certification requirements have been met with the exception of the outstanding content exam(s).

As a reminder, candidates must attempt their endorsement-affiliated content exam(s) at least twice before being eligible for the CBC exception.

Candidates must submit separate exception requests for each exam or subtest they have not passed.

Teacher candidates will be asked to submit the following documents for each content exam exception:

• A 1-2 page response to the following questions:
  • Reflect upon your overall performance and experience with the content exam. What challenges did you experience? How is your score not indicative of your ability to teach this content to K-12 students? (No more than 1/2 page)
  • What tools or resources will you use to further improve your content knowledge in these specific areas moving forward? (No more than 1/2 page)
• Diagnostic and Competency Chart: Make a case that you have the necessary content knowledge to teach every level of your teaching endorsement. Using the competency chart affiliated with the non-passing exam you are requesting a CBC review for, describe how you have met the specific PESB content standards in ways other than the test. Your chart must include compelling evidence linked to coursework, such as descriptions of assignments, projects, and/or portfolios, and your instructor-evaluated performance on them. Here is a link to an example of a diagnostic chart.
• NES or WEST-E Score Reports and Diagnostic Reports for each test date of the non-passing exam you are requesting a CBC review of.

• Transcript(s) (unofficial is acceptable)

Once you have the above required documents ready to submit, please complete the following form. You will be prompted to upload your documents during the submission process:

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Field Services and Certification.

To be considered, candidates must have all other certification requirements completed and submitted by November 1 or March 31.

Failure to submit a complete packet will slow down the process and be returned for resubmission.

* If your request is not submitted correctly by the deadline, then your request will not be reviewed until the next review date. *

• Competency Charts

• Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) competencies

• Common CBC Errors, Concerns, and Helpful Tips

WSU will take a holistic approach when reviewing the teacher candidate’s request. The CBC Review Committee will include a minimum of three members representing faculty, field/certification, and equity and inclusion. The committee will receive an electronic copy of students’ requests prior to meeting. The committee will meet via Zoom to review all candidates at one time.

Member roles:

• Faculty member(s) – responsible for assessing student’s coursework to confirm the student is adequately prepared. Committee members will receive student requests prior to the committee member meeting. Faculty may want to seek out colleague’s input if they are not comfortable deciding on the specific content.
• Field and Certification member(s) – will confirm that the student was successful in the field (may need to reach out to student teaching supervisor if necessary) and that Washington State certification requirements are being met.
• Equity and Inclusion member(s) – will advocate for underrepresented candidates and understand inherent cultural and linguistic bias in the standardized system.

How students will be notified and certification:

• CBC Review Committee reviews the request and supporting materials
• Student is notified by the Certification Office of the decision
• If approved, pre-service candidate is recommended if all certification requirements are met
• If not approved, the review committee will make recommendations. After fulfilling the recommendations, the pre-service candidate may resubmit by the next deadline. The candidate may also continue exam attempts until a passing score is received.