Welcome

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Deadlines

Educator Preparation Program Support
Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management

Countdown to ASEP Reporting 

To assist EPPs with completing ASEP Reporting with ease, we have developed weekly reminders for EPP staff who work on ASEP Reporting. Each week, you will receive a weekly reminder in this Newsletter that will include a timely task that will lead to successful completion of data reporting by September 15. Please remember that the Technical Manual published on the Program Provider Resources page on the TEA website is a wonderful ‘how to’ resource for using the various functions needed for reporting in ECOS and contains some useful tips for problem solving, if needed. 

New: Week 2 ASEP Task Reminders 7/19-26/2023 

1. Ensure that TEA has your updated EPP Contact Information.  

2. Each EPP should have one Legal Authority or Primary Point of Contact and at least one Backup Legal Authority. If you have recently had a change in these staff, please contact your Education Specialist assigned and we will send you the template so you can request the changes to be made in TEA records. 

3. Each EPP must have a Primary Title II Pearson and Title II IPRC contact and should have a Secondary contact for each, if possible. Ensure TEA has these current contacts. The following organizations must also have current contact information for your Title II contacts:  

• es-titleii@pearson.com 
• Title2@rti.org 

• Your LBB contact if you are a college or university.  

• The staff that handles your data.  

• The staff that receives your EPP ASEP Invoices. 

• The staff, other than your Legal Authority, that may need to receive Accreditation Letters. 

To verify and/or update contacts with TEA, please contact your Education Specialist. 

Reminder: Week 1 ASEP Tasks 7/12-19/2023:  

1. Know your assigned Education Specialist. This is the TEA staff member that you will need to reach out to when you have questions about ASEP Reporting. The EPP specialist assignment list is published on the Program Provider Resources page under Forms and Documents. Your Education Specialist is one of five staff members: 

• Lorrie Ayers, Director 

• Vanessa Alba 

• Irene Chacon 

• Linda Mott 

• Keena Sandlin 

2. Become familiar with the Help Desk which EPPs should use for all questions related to ASEP Reporting. Your Education Specialist will address your EPP’s questions in the Help Desk. We are in the Help Desk under the Educator Testing and Preparation Programs tile: 

3. Review the 2022-2023 Technical Manual on the Program Provider Resources page. It is located under Forms and Documents. This is a helpful resource as it provides useful information needed to complete ASEP Reporting. 

4. Register for the ASEP Reporting 2022-2023 webinar on Thursday, August 3 at 10:00 am central. The webinar will provide useful information and reminders about state reporting processes and tips to improve the reporting experience. Please find the link in the Upcoming Events section above. 

New: Notice of Closing Charter Schools 

The following charter schools are closing: 

• High Point Academy (220-819) – Closure June 30, 2023 

• Texas Serenity Academy (170-801) –Closure July 31, 2023 

• Lumin Education (057-805) – Closure July 31, 2023 

• Waco Charter School (161-801) – Closure July 31, 2023 

Candidates will not be placed on these campuses in 2023-2024; however, the campuses will remain on the organization drop-down list in ECOS until 9/16 after state reporting closes in case EPPs need them to create or edit clinical experience records for the 2022-2023 academic year. 

Educator Standards and Testing
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing

Reminder: The last day to submit an order form for reimbursable vouchers related to the Critical Shortage Area Certification Exam Reimbursement Opportunity is Friday, August 1, 2023. Beginning August 2, 2023, the website and order form will be updated to remove the reimbursement opportunity. Please plan accordingly to submit order forms no later than EOD 8/1/2023.  

Educator Preparation and Certification
Updates related to Educator Preparation and Certification 

New: Superintendent Certification Applications to Substitute Managerial Experience 

EPP Advisors, as you recommend individuals to complete the application to substitute managerial experience in lieu of the principal certification requirement to be enrolled in the superintendent certification program, please be certain to confirm that the individual has three years of experience as a district employee in the following areas: 

• Supervising and/or appraising personnel (direct supervision or appraisal, not simply taking part in the appraisal process) 

• Leading district-wide (not campus-wide) projects or initiatives 

•  Managing and/or creating a budget 

Also, please ensure that you are using the most recent application from the TEA website found at this link. 

Reminder: Incorrect Applications and Fee Transfers 

TEA staff in Educator Preparation and Certification are processing a high volume of help desk ticket requests to transfer fees to new applications due to candidates selecting incorrect applications.  When the incorrect application is submitted, TEA staff cannot edit or remove the submitted application. The Educator Preparation Program (EPP) must remove the incorrect application and the candidate must re-apply.  TEA staff will then need to transfer the fee from the old to the new application.  To help reduce the number of these requests, please ensure that candidates are well informed of the correct applications to select during the application process.  We appreciate your assistance with this matter. 

Updates about SBEC, Rules, and Legislation   
Updates related to actions by the State Board for Educator Certification, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature.

Reminder: The July SBEC work session and meeting will be held Thursday and Friday, July 20th and 21st.   More information about the SBEC meeting, including the meeting agenda and access to view the meeting virtually, can be found on the SBEC webpage.  

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

Q: Our EPP has a School Counselor candidate who is seeking certification and heard the requirements have changed. What are the requirements for issuance of the School Counselor certificate? 

A: The requirements for issuance of a School Counselor certificate are in 19 TAC §239.20. The current requirements are 1) Complete a School Counselor preparation program; 2) Pass the School Counselor certification exam (currently 252); 3) Hold, at minimum, a 48-hour master’s degree in counseling from an accredited IHE; and 4) Have two creditable years of teaching experience as a classroom teacher (as defined in 19 TAC Chapter 153, Subchapter CC). 

Due to recent legislation the certificate issuance requirements will change effective 9/1/2023. After 9/1/2023, issuance of the School Counselor certificate will no longer require two creditable years of teaching experience as a classroom teacher. All other issuance requirements will remain the same. 

Q: My candidate could not register for the approved certification exam and TEA told her she has two educator accounts in ECOS. Is this ok?   

A: No, an individual may have only one Educator account in ECOS. If a duplicate account exists, it disrupts the testing and certification processes. If a duplicate account exists, the individual must notify TEA so that the accounts can be merged. To do so, the individual must submit documentation that is proof of the correct identity (scanned Driver’s license or passport and scanned social security card) to Certification at TEA via the Help Desk. 

To minimize the number of duplicate accounts, TEA strongly encourages EPP staff to have applicants set up their own Educator accounts in ECOS (if they do not already have an account) and then provide the TEA ID number to the EPP at admission. 

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, please submit a Help Desk ticket to Preparation Programs.   

• 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.