Introduction
“When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness." - Malcolm Forbes
As we work to prepare future educators, keep this quote in mind. Although it may get tough at times and we experience the stress of helping candidates reach certification, remember that we are guides for them to reach happiness in their career. Below you will find the most up-to-date information concerning what you need to know that impacts your candidates in the coming weeks. Please thoroughly read all the sections for reminders, upcoming events, to dos, and FAQs.
We hope that this newsletter provides clarity and platform for access to all the important updates.
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Description |
Action Item |
Due Date |
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edTPA Statewide Webinar
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Academic Language in edTPA
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March 12, 2021
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9:00-12:00 pm
(more information below)
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ASEP Mid-Year Update
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Data Reporting Mid-Year Reminders
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March 24, 2021
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10:00-11:00 am
(more information below)
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Hosted by Westat to review the IPC report process
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10:00-11:00 am
(more information below)
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| Topic |
Action Item |
Due Date |
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Deadline for PASL Task submission
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April 13, 2021,
1:00 PM CT
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Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
ASEP Mid-Year Update Webinar
Please join us for the ASEP mid-year webinar on Wednesday, March 24th at 10:00 am. This webinar is for educator preparation programs (EPP) and will cover mid-year reminders about data reporting. TEA will also provide information about mid-year data sets during this webinar, which will be distributed in late March. The intended audience for this webinar is those who report program data for ASEP. Once you register for the webinar, you will receive an email confirmation.
Upcoming ECOS Outage
Due to an update in the system, the Educator Certification Online System (ECOS) will be unavailable for programs and candidates from Friday, March 26, 2021 through Sunday, March 28, 2021. During this time the system will not be available for any actions, including a candidate’s ability to register for an exam. Please complete any necessary actions in ECOS by the end of the day on Thursday, March 25, 2021, and log out of the system to ensure that all your work has saved.
Save the Date: Title II Webinar
On Thursday, April 1st, at 10:00am there will be a webinar hosted by Westat to directly support Texas EPPs in the completion of the IPRC Title II report. This report is due April 30th. This training webinar is designed for individuals at EPPs who complete the IPRC report. If you would like to learn more about the reporting process, you may register for the webinar. Once you register for the webinar, you will receive an email confirmation.
Certificate Deactivation Reminders (19 TAC §228.35(e)(2)(B)(vi)-(viii))
TEA is currently working on rescheduling the certificate correction and deactivation webinar. In the meantime, TEA wanted to highlight a couple of certificate deactivation process reminders for intern or probationary certificates. A certificate deactivation would occur due to:
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A candidate’s resignation, non-renewal, or termination from the internship placement
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A candidate’s discharge or release from the program
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A candidate withdraws from the program; or
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If the internship assignment does not meet requirements
To submit an intern or probationary certificate deactivation request, programs will submit a Help Desk ticket to the Preparation Programs tab. If the certificate deactivation request is submitted to another TEA team, it can delay the deactivation process. Please note that all deactivation documents must be received before the deactivation process can start. The following are required to process a certificate deactivation:
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TEA Deactivation Letter on EPP letterhead and signed by the program’s Legal Authority that includes the following information:
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Date of notification (Letter date)
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Name of educator
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TEA ID
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Type of certificate (Intern or Probationary)
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Effective date (the candidate’s last day with students in the classroom or the certificate's effective date)
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District/School system of employment (ex: Houston ISD)
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Reason for deactivation (ex: resignation, termination, assignment issue, withdrew from program, released from the program, etc.)
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Status of educator in program (ex: released)
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Evidence of the EPP notifying the candidate of the deactivation
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This can be “CC’ed” evidence on the TEA deactivation letter, a candidate deactivation letter, email notification to the candidate, or a notification method of the program’s choosing.
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Evidence of the EPP notifying the employing district of the deactivation
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This can be “CC’ed” evidence on the TEA deactivation letter, a district deactivation letter, email notification to the district, or a notification method of the program’s choosing.
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Candidate's resignation letter (if applicable)
Update to TEA EPP Support Team
The EPP Support team has shifted reporting structures within TEA as of March 1. Dr. Tam Jones, formerly the Director of Educator Preparation Program Management, is no longer with the agency. The EPP Support team will now join the Educator Standards and Testing team, overseen by Jessica McLoughlin. For EPPs, your primary point of contact remains your program specialist.
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing
Upcoming ECOS Outage: 3/26/2021 - 3/28/2021
Candidate test eligibility and demographic updates will be unavailable during this outage. This means candidates will not be:
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able to register, cancel, or reschedule exams
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able to create new Pearson accounts
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able to confirm test approvals
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able to submit last minute name change requests on Friday, March 26th
We recommend that you review your candidate Test Registration Report in
ResultsAnalyzer and confirm your candidates have the correct first and last name in ECOS. Name change requests can be submitted here.
STR Webinar Series: Text Comprehension and Analysis Deep Dive
Thank you for attending our most recent STR webinar series training. As always, we appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with you. We will share all relevant training materials in the March 23rd newsletter.
Reminder to Candidates Currently on a WPRO or WINT Certificate to Complete Testing Requirements
Candidates who were issued a waiver probationary (WPRO) or waiver intern (WINT) certificate, under the Governor’s waiver of certification exam requirements in Spring and Summer 2020, will need to complete all testing requirements before the certificate expires. Since the validity of the WINT and WPRO certificates cannot be extended,
TEA encourages all programs to proactively communicate with WINT and WPRO candidates to remind them of these requirements well in advance of their certificate’s
expiration date. WPRO candidates must meet requirements for standard certification.
Remember, candidates are allowed one 12-month intern certificate (which the WINT certificate takes place of) and two 12-month probationary certificates for a total of 3 years to work on preliminary certificates.
In particular, those candidates who were issued a WPRO or WINT principal certificate should be made aware that the deadline for PASL registration (a requirement for standard principal certification) is fast approaching. For additional information around PASL registration and submission deadlines, please see below.
The attached communication was directly emailed to candidates on March 5, 2021.
District level leadership has also been notified of and received the candidate communication.
PASL Spring Registration Window and Upcoming Training Please note the following important dates for the Spring 2021 administration window for the PASL Assessment.
Registration opened August 4, 2020 and closes April 2, 2021. Task submission began on January 5, 2021 with the deadline to have all tasks submitted closing on April 13,2021 at 1pm CT.
ETS will be offering a PASL webinar to provide guidance for programs to support candidates with their upcoming submission. Mark your calendar for March 10, 2021 from 2:00-3:00 pm CT.
You may access the webinar through this zoom link (passcode: webinar1!).
STR Exam Frequently Asked Questions Document Update
The recently updated STR Exam Requirement FAQ document includes answers to frequently asked questions on the following topics:
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The HB 3 STR Exam Mandate
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STR Exam Introductory Period
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Scoring, Reporting, and Retakes
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Preparing for the Exam
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Preparation Materials
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Constructed Response Questions on the STR Exam
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Impact on Core Subjects: EC-6 TExES Exams
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Testing Centers
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STR Exam and Reading Academy Requirements
edTPA Statewide Webinars
In partnership with Pearson, Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity, and Texas’ edTPA Regional Coordinators, a series of edTPA virtual workshops and webinars have been scheduled for 2021. These workshops and webinars are open to all Texas educator preparation programs (not limited to pilot programs) and are a great way to learn more about edTPA and to engage more deeply with edTPA practitioners and explorers. The full scope and sequence of state-wide workshops and webinars accessible to Texas EPPs here.
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Academic Language in edTPA: Supporting Learning and Language Development: March 12, 2021, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Register HERE. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the workshop.
If you have any questions about edTPA or the upcoming workshops and webinars, please reach out to DeMarco Pitre (demarco.pitre@tea.texas.gov).
Preparation materials for the Performance Assessment for School Leaders include a PASL Candidate and Educator Handbook (PDF) that is a valuable resource for completing the assessment. It includes a basic overview and test-taking strategies.
Additionally, a PASL Overview (PDF) is available, which is a self-guided presentation containing in-depth information about the assessment including a review of the three tasks.
Information and updates related to Educator Certification
There is no new information to share currently.
Updates related to actions by the State Board for Educator Certification, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature.
Every newsletter we take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from EPPs.
Q: Is it possible for our WPRO candidates to get an extension on the WPRO that was issued at the end of the 19-20 academic year?
A: The WPRO was for candidates who completed all EPP requirements, were finishers in 19-20, and only lacked passing exams to be standard certified. It allowed candidates to continue to be employed while they were taking and passing exams. The WPRO is valid for one year from the date that it was issued. Candidates were asked to complete their testing during that year so that they could be standard certified. There are no extensions for a WPRO. Candidates need to pass their exams and apply for and obtain their standard certificate in order to prevent a gap in certification and employment eligibility.
Reference the COVID-19 Forms and Documents on the Program Provider Resources
page for more information.
Your best source for information and support at the TEA
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.
Information regarding the Science of Teaching Reading Exam can be accessed at
tea.texas.gov/str.
Information regarding edTPA 2020-2021 information opportunities can be accessed here.
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.
Texas Educator Preparation Program Weekly Newsletter webpage.
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Practice based preparation resources for virtual field-based experience: Provides model lessons and video of instructional delivery.
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Practice based preparation resources for virtual field-based experience: Provides content neutral pedagogical skill building through observing a model of and practicing the same high leverage skill.
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Full scope and sequence of upcoming edTPA training opportunities.
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We want to make you aware of an opportunity that is being provided by the Center for Transforming Alternative Preparation Pathways (CTAPP) to be a part of their first cohort this spring and discussed at an upcoming informational webinar on March 11th. The webinar will provide an introduction to CTAPP’s Transformation Fellowship to grow ACPs in implementing high-quality programming and support in the preparation of teacher . For more information, see the informational flyer on the CTAPP website.
US PREP seeks new education preparation program partners in Texas-- US Prep has been working since 2015 alongside a coalition of universities to better attract, train, and retain high-quality, racially diverse teachers for underserved communities across the country—and to ensure their candidates are ready to teach effectively.
They recently held two information sessions (March 4th, 2021 from 9:00-10:00 pm CST or March 5th, 2021 from 11:00 – 12:00 pm CST) to provide EPPs with information on their innovative work in educator preparation and the cohort experience. If you were able to attend the information sessions, we hope you were able to learn about their work and partnerships with EPPs across the state.
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