April 19, 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 Deadlines

 

Topic   

Action Item   

Due Date   

Feedback on the Current EPF Draft  Provide input on the current draft of the EPF
(see below)
 
Thursday May 11, 2023 
Title II Report  Complete this federally required annual report at https://title2.ed.gov  May 19, 2023 

2023 Vetted Teacher Residency Application 

2023 Vetted Teacher Residency Application Window closes

(See below) 

Friday June 9, 2023  

Educator Preparation Program Support 

Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management  

New: Input on the Current Draft of the SBEC’s Effective Preparation Framework 

The SBEC’s Effective Preparation Framework (EPF) aims to define the highest leverages practices effective Texas educator preparation programs strive to implement daily. The EPF has been developed in response to a desire from the SBEC and the field to define a Texas vision for high-quality educator preparation and support EPP continuous improvement. 

In December 2023, the SBEC provided feedback to TEA staff to further refine the draft framework to ensure continuous improvement and performance management practices were clearly articulated and to ensure stronger alignment to the state's Effective District and Effective School Frameworks. As a result of the need for further refinement, a wide range of stakeholders have worked to update the current draft of the EPF over the past few months.  

To further inform this development process, we are soliciting feedback on the current draft of the EPF. The deadline to submit feedback is 5:00 pm on May 11, 2023.  Please email comments to TexasEPF@tea.texas.gov. 

New: Zendesk (Help Desk) Offline Friday 4/28/2023 at 6 PM 

The Help Desk will be offline and not accepting tickets beginning Friday 4/28/2023 at 6 PM CST. The NEW Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Help Desk will be live beginning Monday 5/1/2023 at 7 AM CST. You will access the Help Desk in the same location and it will look the same to end users. 

Reminder: Action Required- Title II Reporting 

The Title II website is now available for all EPPs to complete their required federal reporting. All EPP Title II representatives should have received notification via email. If your EPP’s Title II reporting lead did not receive an email, please reach out to title2@rti.org.  

To begin, please log in to the system. Go to https://title2.ed.gov/ and select "Submit Reports" in the upper righthand corner of the webpage. Your username and password remain the same. To recover a username or password, select "Forgot your username or password?" and enter your email. 

For support in completing this report, please visit https://title2.ed.gov/Public/TA.aspx for links to a Glossary of Key Terms and Reporting Requirements. Instructions are included in the reporting instrument. If you have specific questions, please email title2@rti.org. 

This reporting is due May 19. As a reminder, TEA does not provide technical support for this required federal reporting. We do, however, monitor EPP completion to ensure that all EPPs are in compliance with this requirement. 

Pro Tip: In the past, responses from the Title II Help Desk have been delayed during high volume times. We suggest doing this reporting as soon as possible, so that you can avoid any challenges with their Help Desk. 

Educator Standards and Testing  

Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing

DID YOU KNOW?  

2023–2024 score report dates for the Texas educator certification exams are now available. 

FAQs   

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

Q: My EPP offers Trade and Industrial Education (T&I) 6-12 certification and we have had a standard certified educator ask for exam approval. Will we be charged the ASEP Technology fee if we admit the educator for testing and certification only? 

A: If an EPP admits an educator for T&I certification as Certification by Exam, you will admit him/her as a Route 44 candidate. You must create an admission record and give approval to test once admitted. TEA does not charge an ASEP Technology fee per 19 TAC §229.9(7) for T&I educators admitted by your EPP through Route 44. The program is responsible for verifying the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ), licensure, and certification per 19 TAC §233.14(d)(2) prior to admission and providing test approval. 

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.