March 16, 2023
Texas Educator Preparation Programs Newsletter

Welcome

This newsletter compiles the most up-to-date information concerning what EPPs need to know to best support their faculty/instructors, staff, and candidates. Please thoroughly read all the sections for reminders, upcoming events, To Dos, and FAQs. If you are not currently subscribed to the newsletter, please sign up at the link below.    

Educator Preparation Program Listserv Registration 

Upcoming Events 

 

Topic 

Description 

Event Date & Time 

New Certification Officer Training 

New Certification Officers are invited to attend the New Certification Officer training in person at the TEA.  

Tuesday, March 28 

9 AM-4:00 PM 

(Registration guidance below) 

Insight to Impact Data Dashboard Launch Event 

Join us for the launch of the Insight to Impact EPP Dashboards. This in-person event will feature demonstrations, technical support, and the launch of the Insight to Impact Academy – support materials for getting the most out of these dashboards. Please note that limited funding will be available to support EPP representatives in attending this event.  

Wednesday, April 5 

12pm-5pm 

Register Here

Educator Preparation Program Support 

Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management  
 

New: 2023 Vetted Teacher Residency Application Coming Soon  

TEA will open the next cycle of the Vetted Teacher Residency Program application for EPPs that are actively implementing high-quality teacher residency models with existing district partnerships. The application window opens 3/21/23 and will remain open through 6/9/23. 

Currently, 28 approved programs are supporting over 90 districts across Texas in the Texas Covid Learning Acceleration Support (TCLAS) Grant Decision 5: Residency Program Support. These programs and their partner districts are working together to build sustainable residency programs throughout the three-year grant cycle (Fall 2021-Spring 2024). EPPs designated as vetted teacher residency programs during the Spring 2023 application cycle are eligible to partner with districts awarded with residency support incentives.  

Please see timelines below for anticipated application activities:  

Key Information  

Timelines and notes  

Application Window  

3/21-6/9/23 

Application will be posted to the TEA Program Provider Resources page and shared through the EPP newsletter.  

Application Q & A Window:  

3/21-4/7/23 

Written questions can be submitted to TEAteacherresidency@tea.texas.gov and responses will be shared in the 4/11/23 EPP newsletter, as well as posted to the program resources page.  

Review of Application and Notification:  

Summer 2023 

Notification will be sent no later than early September 2023 


 

Reminder: New Certification Officer Training 

The EPP Team is hosting New Certification Officer Training on March 28, 2023 from 9 AM-4:00 PM in PDC7 at TEA. Please submit a Help Desk ticket to Preparation Programs to register for the training. Space is limited so please register soon.  

Reminder: Register Today! Insight to Impact Data Dashboards Launch 

Please join us for the launch of the Insight to Impact Data Dashboards! TEA and the Educator Preparation Improvement and Innovation Center (EPIIC) are hosting all EPPs for a half day launch event on Wednesday, April 5. This in-person event will feature demonstrations, technical support, and the launch of the Insight to Impact Academy – support materials for getting the most out of these dashboards. Please note that limited funding will be available to support EPP representatives in attending this event. Register here today!

Educator Standards and Testing   

Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing  

New: Critical Shortage Area Exam Voucher Reimbursement Opportunity   

Recently, the Teacher Vacancy Task Force published a set of recommendations for the legislature, the TEA, and school systems (find the report linked here). One recommendation included providing funding for candidate certification exams particularly in hard to staff areas. In alignment with this recommendation, the TEA is providing a limited reimbursement opportunity for exams required for certification in federally designated critical shortage areas. The Critical Shortage Area Exam Voucher Reimbursement Opportunity is available to all eligible educator preparation programs certifying candidates in the Approved Shortage Areas for the 2022-2023 academic year. TEA will provide eligible programs the opportunity to receive reimbursements that cover the cost of exam vouchers that are used for teacher candidates’ content certification exams aligned to one of the federally designated critical shortage areas. TEA staff will provide the following information to each eligible program’s legal authority, certification officer, and primary contact by Friday, March 17th:  

  • additional details related to the reimbursement opportunity including an overview and timeline  

  • amount of funds the program will receive based on the number of candidates certified across all areas listed in the linked resource above 

  • information related to an informational webinar scheduled for Friday, March 24th and Friday, March 31st.  

  • information related to the reimbursement process and its timeline. 

For FAQs and additional information related to this opportunity, please review the information posted to the Program Provider Resources page. 
 

Reminder: Updated ELAR 7-12 (331) and Physical Education (258) Exam One-Pagers 

During the February SBEC meeting, TEA staff provided an update on the ELAR 7-12 (331) and Physical Education EC-12 (258) redesigned exams and their respective launch dates. Both the ELAR 7-12 (331) and Physical Education EC-12 (258) exams will be launched in September 2024. Please find important information for each redesigned exam in the updated one-pagers linked here: ELAR 7-12 (331) and Physical Education EC-12 (258). As we prepare for the launch of these exams, more information regarding the exams and aligned capacity opportunities will be shared in the upcoming months. 

Reminder: Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186) Framework Now Available   

At the September 30th, 2022, SBEC meeting, TEA discussed with SBEC the move to a non-grade banded Special Education Specialist EC-12 certificate and exam based on the Special Education EC-6 and 6-12 grade-banded standards and stakeholder feedback. Those changes discussed during the board meeting are now reflected in the updated Special Education Specialist EC-12 exam framework, which includes a redline version detailing updates to the framework. Click here to view the updated framework.

DID YOU KNOW?  

Candidates are responsible for ensuring that the name shown in their testing account matches (excluding suffix, middle name or initial, spaces, and special characters such as hyphens, accents, and apostrophes) the first and last name on the ID documents that will be presented at the test center. 

If their ID documents do not match the first and last name used when they registered, they will be prohibited from testing and their exam fees will be forfeited. 

A name change request can be submitted via the TEA Help Desk at least 12 business days before their exam date. 

Educator Certification 

Updates related to Educator Certification  

Reminder: Superintendent Certification Application 
The Superintendent Certification Application for the substitution of managerial experience in lieu of the principal certification requirement has been updated.  Please ensure that you are no longer providing the old form with the orange and red TEA logo and provide the new form with the blue and orange logo.  Along with the link above, you may also access the form at https://tea.texas.gov/texas-educators/certification/additional-certifications/becoming-a-principal-or-superintendent-in-texas.

FAQs   

We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from EPPs. 

Q: Can a Field Supervisor who is a certified Principal provide field supervision to Teacher candidates? 

A: Yes, a Field Supervisor who is a certified Principal may supervise Teacher Candidates and Principal candidates. The Field Supervisor must meet the qualification requirements of current certification and three or more years of experience in the class supervised and must be an accomplished educator as shown by student learning. Additionally, the required TEA-approved training will be different for Field Supervisors who provide supervision to Teacher candidates vs. those who provide supervision to non-teacher candidates. 

  

Q: Who can or should attend the New Certification Officer Training on March 28, 2023 at TEA? 

A: The New Certification Officer Training is open to any Certification Officer or EPP staff member who would like to attend. It is not limited to new Certification Officers. In fact, in previous years EPP staff who have been with an EPP for many years attended to get a “brush-up” on various new features of the system. There are currently two seats available for the training, but if we get more people that register, TEA will put the names on a waiting list for future trainings.  

For More Information...   

Information regarding educator certification testing can be accessed at the Texas Educator Certification Exam website.   

Information and updates regarding the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) can be accessed at the Important Updates link.   

Updated information related to the COVID-19 response can be accessed here.   

To view previous editions of the weekly newsletter, please see the Texas Educator Preparation Program Weekly Newsletter webpage.  

Information regarding the current Texas certification exams can be found on the 2021-2022 Required Test Chart for Texas Certification. 

Educator account setup instructions can be found on the TEA’s Educator Certification Online System website. 

EPP Points of Contact   

Your best source for information and support at the TEA.   

As an Educator Preparation Program, your main point of contact is your Education Specialist.   

  • View a list of EPPs and their associated Education Specialist. 
  • For easiest assistance, file a HelpDesk Ticket.  
    • Or EPPs (and candidates) may call (512) 936-8400 and select Option #5: Educator Preparation Programs. If an Education Specialist is not available to answer the call at that time, please leave a voicemail. An Education Specialist will promptly return the call.  

Updated: If EPPs (and candidates) would like to speak to a representative from another area(s), they may call (512) 936-8400 and select one of the options listed below. 

  • Option 2: Educator Certification  
  • Option 3: Fingerprinting  
  • Option 6: Investigations
  • Option 8: General Office Information 

The Teal Account Access team and Educator Testing team are available through the Help Desk.
The Texas Education Agency will improve outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.