The Alternative Route to Teacher Certification for School Employees (ARCSE) program builds on comprehensive school-based experience and coursework, with special emphasis on recruiting current public school employees from partner districts. The ARCSE program is a one year (four quarters) all online program to certification that begins in late June. Courses are flexible, but follow the university quarter schedule and typically include weekly modules of content to complete. ARCSE partners include Tacoma Public Schools, Capital Region Educational Service District 113, Puget Sound Educational Service District 121, and Northwest Educational Service District 189.
Candidates eligible to apply to the ARCSE program will be employed within partner districts as paraeducators, instructional assistants (i.e. Route 2), or current teachers employed through limited certification (conditional teacher, i.e. Route 4). The goal of the ARCSE program is to prepare effective teachers for life-long careers as educators in their local schools.