There has been a recent change to the TEA department that oversees educator certification, standards, testing, and preparation. The Educator Leadership and Quality department is now named the Educator Preparation, Certification, and Enforcement 
(EPCE) Department. The EPCE department continues to be part of the Office of Educator and System Support. Please be advised of updates to TEA documents, presentations, organizational charts, etc. that will reflect the new department name.  

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Educator Preparation Program Listserv Registration  

Upcoming webinar: Certificate Correction & Deactivation  
During this webinar, TEA will review the certificate correction and deactivation processes, including how to submit a correction or deactivation request and what documents are required. TEA will also provide suggested processes that can be implemented by the EPP. The intended audience for this webinar is EPP staff who are responsible for recommending certificates and who support candidates during the internship process. 
Please click here to register for this webinar.  

Contact List Confirmation 
Contact information emails were sent out on Monday, February 1st, 2021, to each 
program’s Legal Authority and/or Primary Point of Contact. Programs will need to verify that the contact information is correct and revise if needed. Programs can edit the information within the table and respond to the email with an updated contact information table (if needed). If the contact information is correct, please verify so with a response to the email.  

Programs should include staff that are responsible for program processes, such as the program’s certification officer. Since TEA refers to program contact information daily and uses the information to send out important reminders, it is imperative that we have the correct contact information on file. Please contact your assigned program specialist if you have any questions about this.  

Test Approval for 291 Core Subjects EC-6 TExES and 391 Core Subjects: EC-6 TExES 
As a reminder, when approving candidates for either the 291 Core Subjects EC-6 or the 391 Core Subjects EC-6 TExES exams, please be sure to clearly communicate to candidates which exam they have approval for. Candidates may only register for the exam they have been approved to take. For further information regarding the transition period and guidance on which exam to approve candidates to take, please visit the 
Teacher Candidate STR Exam Page. Slides 13-14 of the posted webinar deck, provide additional context as well. 

Clinical Teaching and Professional Development Clarification 
At the Texas Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (TACTE) winter meeting, TEA staff were asked if days spent in professional development, including the days in the summer before students come to school, could be counted for the purposes of clinical teaching requirements. We have reviewed what TAC says constitutes a school day for clinical teaching. As described in 19 TAC 228.2(31), a school day “shall be at least seven hours (420 minutes) each day, including intermissions and recesses.” As described in 19 TAC §228.35(e)(2)(A)(i)(II), a clinical teaching assignment shall not be less than an average of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level sought, and this average includes intermissions and recesses but does not include conference and duty-free lunch periods.  

Outside of these TAC references, other days such as professional development days are not expressly described in TAC as to whether they can be considered a school day for the purposes of clinical teaching. If the day meets the requirements listed above, there is nothing in TAC that would require an EPP to exclude it from a count of clinical teaching days. As always, it is up to the preparation program to ensure that clinical teaching allows teachers to be able to demonstrate proficiency in each of the educator standards for the assignment. 

If you have any questions about edTPA or the upcoming workshops and webinars, please reach out to DeMarco Pitre (demarco.pitre@tea.texas.gov). 

Lesson Study Gateway Resources  
The Lesson Study Gateway lesson resources are developed by Texas educators and may be useful resources when supporting candidates to complete field-based experience hours. The Gateway Lessons are TEKS-aligned, research-based lessons designed and tested by Texas classroom teachers then reviewed and approved by trained Texas educators. Lesson resources include lesson plans, student assessments and clips of lesson delivery.  These lessons exemplify many best practices in instructional planning and delivery and are aligned with the knowledge and skills represented in our Texas Teacher Standards TAC 149.1001. 

Linked here is a flyer with further context for EPPs, recommendations for lessons to preview, and directions for creating an access account: Lesson Study_Gateway Resources_ EPP Flyer  

DID YOU KNOW? 
The Teacher Certification Redesign page includes information about content assessments that will be updated to include increased content pedagogy to be assessed through both multiple choice and constructed response questions. The dates listed represent the current target launch date, however they may be subject to change. Any amendments will be made on the site. 

The State Board of Education met for their first meeting of the new year on January 26-29. More information about the meeting, including the agenda, is available here. 

The 87th Legislature Regular Session gaveled in on January 12, 2021. For your reference, here is information on the House Committee on Public Education and the 
Senate Committee on Education.  

Q: What is the STR exam “introductory period”? 
A: During the STR Exam introductory period, an initial cut score has been established to support the transition into the new exam. During the 8-month introductory period, candidates must meet a minimum threshold of items correct in order to pass the exam. That threshold is established in 19 TAC §151.1001(b)(1) under Commissioner’s rulemaking authority. A standard setting committee composed of Texas educators will make recommendations this spring on the passing standard to be implemented under Commissioner’s rulemaking authority in September 2021 for all teacher candidates who take the exam on or after September 6, 2021. 

Q: Specifically relating to the EC-3 certificate, if an educator already holds a standard teacher certificate and wishes to obtain a second certification at an institution other than where the initial certificate was obtained, is a transfer form required?  
A: A transfer form is not required. The educator must be admitted and must receive training specific to the EC-3 certificate, but a transfer form is not required because the educator is not transferring from one EPP to another. Reference 19 TAC §228.35(I)(3). 

Q: If a candidate took the 291 Core Subjects: EC-6 TExES but needs to transition to the 391 Core Subjects: EC-6 TExES, how many test attempts are they allowed with the 391 exam? 
A: The candidate will be allowed five attempts since the 391 exam is a new exam, with a new exam number. Candidates are allowed five attempts per exam. Please note, though, that as the 291 and 391 are separate exams, passing scores on subject exams of one exam cannot be combined with passing scores on subject exams of the other exam. In addition, candidates can continue to submit Test Limit Waivers for 291 through 12/1/21. 

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

To view a list of EPPs and their associated Program Specialist, please click here.    

For easiest assistance, file a HelpDesk Ticket.