“Always remember people who have helped you along the way, and don’t forget to lift someone up.”  ― Roy T. Bennett 

It’s graduation time! Although chaotic and stressful at times, this is a time of thanks. Former students return and reach out to offer thanks as they successfully complete their programs and move on to the next stage of life. Graduation becomes a time of reflection and remembering. Hopefully, we take time to thank those that have helped mold us into the people we have become and continue to lift each other up on our journeys. As we wrap up our last few weeks, remember those that have supported you as well as reflect on the accomplishments of those that you have supported. Our hope is that this newsletter serves as a support by compiling 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. 

Educator Preparation Program Weekly Newsletter Feedback Survey (Spring 2021) 
With a focus on continuous improvement, our team has developed a survey to gather feedback from EPP faculty and staff on their experience with the EPP Weekly Newsletter, in order to refine communication supports and processes going forward. Your perspective and feedback are greatly appreciated. 

The survey is anonymous and should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Click here to provide us your feedback. 

If you are not currently subscribed to the newsletter, please sign up at the link below.  
Educator Preparation Program Listserv Registration  

New: The Educator Preparation Improvement and Innovation Center (EPIIC) Launches in Texas 
TEA staff is pleased to announce the launch of the Educator Preparation Improvement and Innovation Center. The center, which will provide technical assistance to the TEA, is housed in Region 13 Education Service Center. The purpose of the EPIIC is to support TEA in connecting Texas EPPs and LEA partners with high-quality training and capacity building resources to support EPP continuous improvement practices. We will provide more information about the EPIIC and related opportunities in upcoming newsletters. 

EPP Opportunity: Vetted Teacher Residency Program List Application [Application Due 6/9/21] 
With the impact of COVID-19 on student learning, the urgency to support learning acceleration for Texas students is a critical priority. TEA aims to leverage future grant funding to target implementation of high leverage, research-based approaches to learning acceleration, including teacher residency models.  

To support this effort, TEA is opening an application to develop a vetted list of Educator Preparation Programs that are actively implementing high-quality teacher residency models with existing district partnerships. If designated as a vetted teacher residency program, your partner districts may have the opportunity to apply for grant funding to support residency implementation (i.e. funding to pay residents, strategic planning support for residency model scaling, etc). Only districts with vetted teacher residency partner EPPs included on this list would be eligible for grant funding.  

The Vetted Teacher Residency Program List application will open today, May 18, 2021 and close Wednesday, June 9, 2021. 
Interested EPPs must complete an application to demonstrate that they have an established teacher residency model for inclusion on the list. Please note that this application process will be brief in nature, given the urgency to launch grants as soon as possible. With this in mind, we anticipate the application taking between 1-2 hours to complete for those EPPs that have an established teacher residency program. We plan to open the Vetted Teacher Residency Program List application on an annual basis to include additional programs that move to implement teacher residency models. Additional information will be shared in upcoming newsletters. 

Application Timeline: 

Certificate Deactivation and Reactivation Letter Templates and Process Documents 
Certificate deactivation and reactivation letter templates and process documents are now available on the TEA’s Program Provider Resources page. While TEA has provided the letter templates as a resource, EPPs may use their own documents to submit certificate deactivation and reactivation requests. EPPs can find the certificate deactivation requirements in 19 TAC §228.35(e)(2)(B)(vi)-(vii) and certificate reactivation requirements in 19 TAC §230.36 and §230.37. If a candidate with an inactive certificate finds a new internship assignment that meets TAC requirements, the EPP will submit a reactivation request. Please submit deactivation and reactivation requests to the 
Preparation Programs tab in the Help Desk.  

EPP Data Dashboards - Invitation to Collaborate 
TEA is developing data dashboards for Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) across Texas. These online dashboards will be constructed with user-friendly access to actionable data about EPP programs and candidates. This data will help EPPs make program adjustments so they can more effectively train teachers. The ultimate goal is to ensure Texas teachers are classroom ready to inspire and serve all students from day one. 

To that end, TEA is launching a new phase of research to learn directly from EPPs what should be included in these dashboards. Through this outreach, TEA will engage a diverse group of EPPs drawn from the wide variety of programs in the state. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Kacy.Williams@tea.texas.gov. Watch for more information on the program in the coming months. 

New: Scorer Recruitment: Science of Teaching Reading 
Our testing vendor, Pearson, is always seeking experienced educators and administrators to work on a temporary basis as professional scorers on the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES). At this time, remote scoring is available and there are flexible scoring opportunities that take into account educators' schedules. 

In particular, they are seeking additional scorers for the new Science of Teaching Reading (293) exam that launched in January 2021. For information on scorer qualifications and the application for current opportunities, including Science of Teaching Reading as well as all other exams being scored, please share this link with colleagues and alumni who might be qualified and interested. 

New: Educational Diagnostician (253): Exam in Focus Webinar 
Thank you to all the programs that attended the Educational Diagnostician Exam in Focus Webinar hosted by Pearson on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. We will share out the training deck and the training FAQ in an upcoming newsletter. As always, we enjoyed the opportunity to engage with you and look forward to future collaboration and learning. 

New: 291 – 391 Core Subjects: EC-6 TExES Exam Transition 
We have continued to receive questions from candidates, programs, and districts regarding the transition from the 291 – 391 Core Subjects: EC-6. As a reminder, the updated 391 Core Subjects: EC-6 was developed to remove duplicative content from the ELAR subtest that is now assessed on the 293  STR exam. To ensure that candidates were not caught in the transition to the updated exam, the SBEC implemented a one-year transition period, during which both exams are operational (Jan. 2, 2021 – Dec. 31, 2021). First time test takers are encouraged to take the 391 Core Subjects: EC-6, and 
candidates who have already taken the 291 Core Subjects: EC-6, and still need to pass specific 291 subtests, are encouraged to continue to take the 291 exam.  

The 291 Core Subjects: EC-6 will be operational until Dec. 31, 2021. A passing score on the 291 Core Subjects: EC-6 can be used for recommendation of the Core Subjects with STR: EC-6 certificate up to but no later than Dec. 31, 2022. EPPs can recommend candidates with a passing 291 Core Subjects: EC-6 score for an additional year after the exam is no longer operational. 

In addition to this clarification, TEA staff will post an updated FAQ and visual to the Educator Testing webpage. We will notify programs when it is posted in an upcoming newsletter. 

Updated: Principal as Instructional Leader (PAIL) Training Resources  
Please see the follow link for participant’s guide, one- pager and a recording of the May 13 PAIL training  If you have not already done so, please complete the feedback survey. 

Updated: Special Education Standards Overview Resources 
Included here are the training materials and the slide deck from the Special Education Standards Overview on May 5, 2021.  We have gathered your feedback and will be sharing a Special Education FAQ in an upcoming newsletter. 

293 STR Exam and Reading Academy Requirements Reminders 
We have continued to receive questions from programs and districts about the differences between the HB 3 STR exam requirement and the Reading Academy requirement. As a reminder, the STR exam requirement and the Reading Academy requirement are separate requirements. Candidates who pass the STR exam and are issued an intern, probationary, or standard certificate in an HB 3-impacted certificate field are still required to complete the Reading Academies once hired by a Texas LEA, if teaching in grades K-3. New teachers, if teaching in K-3, will need to enroll in the Reading Academies prior to starting the first day of school in that position. 

Please reference the Science of Teaching Reading Initiatives One-Pager for additional information.  

DID YOU KNOW? 
A certificate may be issued based on a passing score on the Core Subjects EC–6 #291 
TExES examination no later than December 31, 2022. The Texas Administrate Code can be referenced here.  

DID YOU KNOW? [EDTPA EDITION]  
All Texas programs are invited to learn with the edTPA community. Each month Texas’s edTPA partners, Pearson and SCALE, offer development opportunities for all Texas programs. This month, if you are interested in learning more about how edTPA 
supports teacher candidates during instruction and implementation, or if you are interested in learning more about edTPA in general, be sure to register for the webinars listed in the “Upcoming Events” section of the newsletter. Hope to see you there! 

Q: Does my EPP have to require Intensive Pre-Service Training (IPS)? 
A: Intensive Pre-Service (IPS) is a training option for candidates that the EPP must apply to offer. IPS requires an application and approval prior to implementation. There is no fee for the IPS application. IPS rules can be found in 19 TAC 228.33 in its entirety. The candidates must also meet the coursework requirements in 19 TAC 228.30 and 19 TAC 228.35, as well as field supervision requirements in 19 TAC 228.35(g)(1-6). 

Q: During the recent Principal as Instructional Leader webinar, some participants left the training with the impression that the 268 PAIL exam needed to be taken prior to a principal taking the 368 PASL. This does not appear to be in TAC. Can you please clarify?  
A: There is no specified order in which the 268 PAIL exam and 368 PASL must be completed. Principal candidate test approval and timelines are determined by the principal preparation program and candidate. Both the 268 and 368 are required exams for issuance of the standard Principal as Instructional Leader certificate.  

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.  

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

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.  

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

Resources at a Glance...