“It’s not about ‘what can I accomplish?’ but ‘what do I want to accomplish?’ Paradigm shift.” – Brené Brown”
This quote rings true for so many. Society sometimes makes it seem like our worth is placed in how much we can accomplish in a day. I challenge you to be intentional in your day-to-day activity and pause to ask yourself “what do I want to accomplish” today? 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.
| Topic |
Description |
Event Date |
Event Time |
EdTPA Handbook and Rubric Deep Dive
|
A member of the edTPA National Academy will guide participants through a close examination of the edTPA tasks and rubrics, providing a deeper dive into what candidates are asked to think about, do, and write for each task as well as how candidate portfolios will be evaluated.
|
June 11, 2021
|
9:00 am- 3:00 pm CST (Full day)
|
| Topic |
Action Item |
Due Date |
Waiver Probationary (WPRO) or Waiver Intern (WINT) Certificate
|
Complete all Testing Requirements
|
Before the WPRO or WINT certificate expires
|
Principal and Teacher Survey Distribution
|
Principals complete this survey in ECOS and provide feedback regarding the preparation of the eligible teachers on their campus. Supporting information is available on the Principal Survey
webpage.
Teachers are informed about the survey via email and supporting information is available on the Teacher
Survey webpage.
|
Complete by
June 15, 2021
|
Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
New: ECOS Updates
The June release of ECOS updates, scheduled for June 24, will have some exciting updates for reporting observation data. The goal of these updates is to make it easier to report observations and to correct an issue in the system that restricted the reporting of observations in July and August. Below is a high-level summary of the upcoming changes; we will also include information about these updates in an updated Technical Manual and at our annual ASEP webinar in August. Here are the updates:
Observation Assignment Types
The assignment types have been simplified, which means fewer and broader assignment types. For example, the INT assignment type will be used to upload observations for any teacher candidate holding an Intern certificate. The NONTCH assignment type will be used to upload all nonteacher practicum observations whether or not the candidate held an intern or probationary certificate while completing the practicum. Please note, you do not need to go back and edit existing observation records.
The document linked here provides the new assignment types to use when reporting observations, starting after June 24. Users will find a link in the Upload Observations screen that will take them to this page with expanded detail about the assignment types, including a summary of the minimum number of required observations for each assignment type. Again, you do not need to go back and edit records that you have already entered. However, you will need to use the new assignment types in your reporting beginning on June 24.
An updated Technical Manual will also be posted at that time reflecting the changes.
Summer Observation Data Validation Update
The 7/1 date for identifying the start of a new year for observation uploads has been updated to align with the reporting year start date of 9/1. This means if any observations are completed on dates in the summer between 7/1 and 8/31, they can now be uploaded in the current year. Please remember to always report observations in the reporting year in which they occur.
Admission Record Update
Starting after June 24, EPPs will be able to update the editable fields in existing admission records using the Upload Admissions feature in ASEP. Previously, editing the admission record was only accomplished manually. More information will be included in the updated Technical Manual.
Please direct questions about these updates to the Program Specialist assigned to work with the EPP.
Again, these changes are scheduled to be live as of June 24. This scheduling is deliberate, as these changes should reduce the number of observation records that are rejected due to validation errors.
Final Reminder: EPP Opportunity: Vetted Teacher Residency Program List Application [Application Due 6/9/21, Q &A posted]
The Vetted Teacher Residency Program List application opened May 18, 2021 and closes tomorrow, Wednesday, June 9, 2021. The application’s Question & Answer period closed on Friday, May 25th. The full Q&A document is currently posted to the Program Provider Resources Page and can be accessed here.
As a reminder, 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.
EPP Vetted Provider Application Submission Window
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final Application Submission
|
|
Application Review Window
|
|
|
|
|
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 (EPIIC). 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.
Principal Survey Support for LEAs
If principals or HR administrators reach out to you for assistance in adding a candidate to the 2020-2021 principal survey roster, please advise them to send an email to
principalsurvey@tea.texas.gov with the following information:
-
Full legal name (name on certificate)
-
TEA ID OR last 4 digits of SS# (please DO NOT send complete SS#)
-
District/campus name (where the educator should be added)
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing
New: School Counselor (252) and PPR for Trade and Industrial Education (370)
Preparation Manuals Now Available
Preparation manuals for the two redeveloped exams are now available on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website.
Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities for Trade and Industrial Education (370)
Each preparation manual includes:
-
The examination framework
-
Approaches to answering different question types
-
Sample selected-response questions
-
In-depth rationales for correct and incorrect responses
-
A sample constructed response question
-
Sample strong and weak constructed-responses and rationales
-
A list of preparation resources
Please share this information with candidates and colleagues as needed. Candidate assistance is available through the Contact Us page on the program website at
http://www.tx.nesinc.com/Contacts.aspx.
New: ELAR 4-8 Framework Overview
Thank you to all of you who joined us in the webinar last Thursday. We appreciated the opportunity to review the exam framework and collaboratively discuss the critical candidate knowledge and skills exemplified in the framework. In a future newsletter, we will share out the participant materials, training deck, and a recording.
Scorer Recruitment: Science of Teaching Reading
Pearson is 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 Science of Teaching Reading (293) exam. For information on scorer qualifications and the application for current opportunities, please share this link with colleagues and alumni who might be qualified and interested.
DID YOU KNOW?
Candidates who register for the PASL and do not submit any tasks by the submission deadline will receive a zero as a score and the attempt will count towards the five-time test limit. Please ensure candidate support is provided when completing and submitting tasks. If schedule conflicts or unforeseen circumstances occur, these individuals may need to reschedule their submission window or cancel their registration prior to the deadline.
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!
Updated: 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. As a reminder, WPRO candidates must meet requirements for standard certification. In addition, 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.
The attached communication was directly emailed to candidates on a WPRO certificate on March 5, 2021. District-level leadership has also been notified of and received the candidate communication.
Updates related to actions by the State Board for Educator Certification, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature.
The 87th Legislature Regular Session gaveled in on January 12, 2021 and closed on May 31, 2021. Please reference this section of the newsletter in the coming weeks for additional information on legislation relating to educator preparation.
Every newsletter we take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from EPPs.
Q: Since face-to-face field-based experiences cannot occur in the summer, can field-based experiences in a virtual setting occur in the summer?
A: No. Candidates are required to meet the field-based experience requirement during the school year. Though a virtual setting is not tied to an actual school setting, candidates are required to meet this requirement during the school year.
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.
-
For easiest assistance, file a HelpDesk Ticket.
TEA is Hiring!
The TEA’s Department of Educator Preparation, Certification, and Enforcement (EPCE) is seeking to hire an experienced and highly effective Director of Educator Preparation. The Director of Educator Preparation will work directly with Texas’s EPPs to shape the future of educator effectiveness in Texas. For more information about the role, please visit this link.
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.
|
|
Practice based preparation resources for virtual field-based experience: Provides model lessons and video of instructional delivery.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Full scope and sequence of upcoming edTPA training opportunities.
|
|
