“It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.”  —  Claude Bernard. 

As we prepare for new semesters and a new school year, I challenge us all to remember the lessons we have learned, but to also be eager to increase our knowledge and try new things. 

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.   

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Educator Preparation Program Listserv Registration   

Science of Teaching Reading (STR) Certification Requirement Clarification – EPP Policies  
The STR exam is an exam requirement for candidates certifying in one of the five certificate categories listed below:  

• Early Childhood: PK-3  
• Core Subjects with the Science of Teaching Reading: EC-6  
• Core Subjects with the Science of Teaching Reading: 4-8  
• English Language Arts and Reading with the Science of Teaching Reading: 4-8  
• English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies with the Science of Teaching Reading: 4-8  

Please note, if your EPP has created a local policy requiring the STR exam for certificates that include all-level grade bands, it is important to ensure candidates are aware of this additional exam requirement, and the additional exam cost.   

Declaration of Disaster Update  
As of June 12, 2021, Governor Abbott has extended the COVID-19 Disaster Declaration. 
Currently, the disaster declaration is evaluated every month by the governor to decide to either extend or end the declaration. If the declaration is active at the start of the Fall 2021 semester, EPPs will be able to utilize the 20% duration reduction found in 19 TAC §228.1(d) if necessary for candidates participating in clinical teaching, internships, or practicums during the Fall 2021 semester. The declaration must be active at some point during the candidate’s clinical teaching, internship, or practicum for it to be applicable for that candidate.   

Updated Program Provider Resources page - Coming Soon!   
TEA is working on an updated look for the Program Provider Resources page. Currently, all outdated trainings have been removed in preparation for the update. With the update, 
we hope to make the Program Provider Resources page more user-friendly and accessible, while still including the content you rely on.    

Updated: Principal Survey and Teacher Survey Roster Review  
On July 1, TEA distributed the list of candidates for whom a Principal Survey was completed. This survey was collected between April 1 - June 15 from principals who reported about teachers working as teachers of record for the first time during the 2020-2021 academic year. This includes teachers on intern certificates.  

Also on July 1, TEA distributed the list of teachers who completed a Teacher Survey. This survey was collected between April 1 – June 15 from teachers working as teachers of record under a standard certificate for the first time during the 2020-2021 academic year. Please note that in many cases this is not the same population as the Principal Survey, as candidates on an intern certificate do not complete the Teacher Survey during their intern year. Rather, they complete this survey in the first year they teach with their standard certificate.   

The purpose of these roster reviews is to allow EPPs to identify any individuals associated with the incorrect EPP in the data. The data sets have been cleaned using the PEIMS and ECOS databases, and incorrect associations are rare. The data sets were emailed to EPP contacts. To request any changes, please complete the appropriate Request for Exception form, which are available on the Program Provider Resources page. This form is due by August 1, 2021. Any completed forms must be submitted via the Help Desk system. Please note – EPPs are not required to complete these forms or to review these sets. This is an optional review period that TEA provides for EPPs.  

TExES Certification Exam Updates – What are EPPs required to do?  
The updated School Counselor and Trade and Industrial PPR exams will launch in September 2021 and updated ELAR 4-8 and ELAR 7-12 exams in January 2022 and 
September 2023 respectively. The implementation of these updated certification exams does not impact the names of the associated certificates themselves. This means that 
EPPs do not have to reapply to offer these certification fields when the updated certification exams go into effect. EPPs are required, though, to ensure that their curriculum is aligned with the updated test frameworks. TEA will verify updated coursework during the EPP’s next continuing approval review.   

EPPs are required to apply to offer new certificates, including certificates with updated names and/or grade levels that replace old certificates for which the program is currently approved. Please see 19 TAC §228.10(d) for rules regarding additions of certificate categories and classes.  

ASEP Observation Bulk Upload – Helpful Tip!  
With the recent switch to a new ECOS server, apostrophes that are a part of educator or field supervisor names can generate an error during observation uploads. The server recognizes the apostrophe as a command and does not allow the upload to go through, though all observation upload information is correct.   

For example, if you are uploading observations for a candidate with the last name O’Brien, the apostrophe in the candidate’s last name will generate an error. For observation purposes, the candidate’s last name should be entered as “OBrien”.   

Please contact your assigned program specialist or submit a Help Desk ticket to Data Reporting for assistance.   

ECOS Updates   
The June release of ECOS updates occurred June 24. This release included updates for reporting observation data and admission records. We also posted an updated Technical Manual that reflects these changes, sent an email to programs, and will plan to include support around these changes at our August ASEP webinar.  

As a reminder, here is a high-level summary of the changes:  

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.   

The document linked here provides the new assignment types to use when reporting observations. You do not need to go back and edit records that you have already entered. However, you now need to use the new assignment types in your reporting. Additional information for what to do if you do need to update an existing record is available here.  

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.  

Updated: Admission Record Update   
EPPs will soon 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. This update was delayed from the original release but should be implemented by the end of July.  

Please direct questions about these updates to the Education Specialist assigned to work with the EPP. Thank you for your support as we continue to improve our ECOS!  

Texas Educator Certification Examination Program: ResultsAnalyzer® Webinars 
To support EPP faculty and staff’s ongoing access to and understanding of testing data, Pearson is hosting three upcoming webinars focused on ResultsAnalyzer® and recently launched exams in the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program.  

These 90-minute intermediate-level sessions assume participants already have basic familiarity with the three primary data streams and the filter and data export features in ResultsAnalyzer®.  

DID YOU KNOW?  
Beginning July 17, 2021, enhancements to the search tool used for scheduling appointments and checking availability prior to registration will become available to candidates. These enhancements include displaying only sites where available appointments exist, presenting an option to see “first available” or appointments near a specific date, and providing access to a calendar with more date options for a specific site without leaving the page. All enhancements are available while scheduling/searching via mobile phone. 

Q: I cannot sign the principal or teacher survey requests for exceptions (RFE). Why can I not do so? 
A: When you open the RFE from the Program Provider Resources page, you first need to download the document to your computer and save it there. Once you completely fill it in, sign the document. After signing, you will need to save the signed version to your computer before submitting it to the Help Desk. If you are still having difficulty, check to verify that you have the most current version of Adobe. 

Q: When a candidate has an unsuccessful attempt on a TExES exam and cannot register for 30 days, when does the 30 days start? Is it from the date they took the exam or the date that the unsuccessful score was received by the candidate? 
A: The 30-day retake period starts from the actual day of the exam. Reference 19 TAC §230.21(a)(1)(D). 

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

• To view a list of EPPs and their associated Education Specialist, please click here.   
• For easiest assistance, file a HelpDesk Ticket. 

The TEA’s Department of Educator Preparation, Certification, and Enforcement (EPCE) is seeking to hire an experienced and highly effective staff members for the following roles:  

• Director of Educator Preparation  
• Analyst for Campus and District Learning Acceleration