March 30, 2022: Texas Educator Preparation Programs Newsletter

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Texas Education Agency

March 30, 2022

Texas Educator Preparation Programs Newsletter
Three young students on the floor, sharing a book called Ovals, from Donna ISD

Welcome

“Around here, we don’t look backward for very long… We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney 

This is the perfect quote to summarize education. We are always moving forward and blazing new trails. As society and the world around us changes, so do we. Innovation, creativity, and continuous improvement are what educators do day in and day out.  

Our goal is for this newsletter to serve 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.   

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

Upcoming Events

Topic: Understanding Academic Language in edTPA: Supporting Learning and Language Development
Description: In this webinar, a member of the edTPA National Academy and/or representative(s) from a Texas educator preparation program will provide participants with an overview of academic language and demonstrate how academic language is an integral construct in edTPA through the lens of equitable instructional practices. 
Event Date: April 4, 2022
Event Time: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. (Register here) 

Topic: Tools for edTPA Data Analysis: edReports and Results Analyzer 101
Description: This webinar is intended for edTPA Coordinators and edTPA Score Reporting Contacts. In this webinar, a Pearson representative will provide an overview and demonstration of Education Reports (edReports) and ResultsAnalyzer®(RA). Note: RA is an interactive reporting tool to review and analyze performance-assessment data.
Event Date: April 5, 2022
Event Time: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. (Register here) 

Topic: Task 4 Deep Dive (Elementary Education Only)
Description: In this workshop, a member of the edTPA National Academy (affiliated with a Texas Educator Preparation Program) will guide participants through a close examination of the Elementary Education: Task 4 Mathematics and its rubrics, providing a deeper dive into what candidates are asked to think about, do, and write as well as how candidate portfolios will be evaluated.
Event Date: April 15, 2022
Event Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Register here) 

Topic: edTPA 101
Description: This webinar is for faculty, instructors, supervisors, and P-12 partners who support teacher candidates and are new to edTPA. In this edTPA 101 webinar, participants will be provided with an overview of the purpose, development, and design of edTPA. Additionally, participants will examine what candidates provide as evidence for each of the edTPA tasks, engage in a review of the scoring process, and learn how to access key resources.
Event Date: April 20, 2022
Event Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Register here) 

Topic: Part 4 of Implementation Series: Learning from edTPA Evidence
Description: In this webinar series, an edTPA National Academy Member (affiliated with a Texas Educator Preparation Program) will orient participants to the subject-specific, performance-based assessment edTPA; provide examples of best practices to effectively implement edTPA; identify strategies when supporting candidates during instruction and implementation; and describe methods for using and learning from edTPA evidence. This series will be offered three times between January and July 2022.
Event Date: April 21, 2022
Event Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Register here) 

Topic: edTPA Handbook and Rubric Deep Dive
Description: In this workshop, a member of the edTPA National Academy (affiliated with a Texas Educator Preparation Program) 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. Additionally, several instrumental resources will be shared along with best practices from successful implementation.
Event Date: April 25, 2022
Event Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Register here) 

Topic: P-12 Partner Engagement & Support
Description: In this webinar, Texas EPPs and their school partners will share their purposeful, collaborative work to support teacher candidates. Session facilitators will also share how edTPA supports a rigorous and meaningful experience for teacher candidates and P-12 students.
Event Date: April 28, 2022
Event Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Register here) 

Upcoming Deadlines

Topic: Vetted Teacher Residency Program Application
Action: Open Application, not required.
Due Date: March 22, 2022- April 12, 2022

Topic: PASL
Action: Spring Registration Closes 
Due Date: April 5, 2022

Topic: Vetted Principal Residency Program Application
Action: Open Application, not required.
Due Date: April 12, 2022- May 9, 2022

Topic: PASL
Action: Task Submission Deadline
Due Date: April 19, 2022 2 pm ET

Topic: School Counselor Certification
Action: Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #152.
Due Date: September 6, 2022

Topic: Trade & Industrial Education 6-12 Certification
Action: Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #270.
Due Date: September 6, 2022

Topic: ELAR 4-8 Certification
Action: Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #117.
Due Date: October 30, 2022

Table Of Contents

EPP Points of Contact

Your best source for information and support at the TEA.   

As an EPP, your main point of contact is your Education Specialist.   

Educator Preparation Program Support

2022 Vetted Teacher Residency Program List Application [Application Due 4/12/22]  
TEA has opened the next cycle of the Vetted Teacher Residency Program application for EPPs that are actively implementing high-quality teacher residency models with existing district partnerships. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and applicants will receive communication about their application status accordingly.  

Currently, 15 approved programs are supporting over 90 districts across Texas in the Texas Covid Learning Acceleration Support (TCLAS) Grant Decision 5: Residency Program Support. These programs and their partner districts are working together to build sustainable residency programs throughout the three-year grant cycle (Fall 2021-Spring 2024). EPPs designated as vetted teacher residency programs during the Spring 2022 application cycle are eligible to partner with TCLAS Decision 5 awarded districts who may be looking for additional EPP partnerships to leverage current grant funds during Years 2-3 of the grant cycle. Please note: Currently, there are no plans to open additional competitive grant applications for teacher residency funds.  

Key Application Information: 

Title II Reporting Update 
With spring on the way, Title II reporting for EPPs is coming. This annual reporting is due April 30 of each year. This reporting is completed on the website at title2.ed.gov. Per the announcement on the website, data collection will begin in April, and the vendor will send an email to users.  

Principal and Teacher Surveys 
Every year, TEA collects surveys from the principals of first-year teachers (the Principal Survey) and from teachers completing their first year of teaching under a standard certificate (the Teacher Survey). The Principal Survey is distributed via ECOS, and the Teacher Survey is distributed via direct email to eligible teachers. Both the surveys will open on April 4. 

No action is required from EPPs for the collection of these surveys, but if you have principals or candidates reach out to you, please feel free to direct them to the dedicated webpages:  

ASEP Mid-Year Data Sets  
In order to provide data updates to EPPs, TEA will be distributing mid-year data sets to EPP data contacts. We are targeting this data distribution for Thursday, March 31st. As in years past, these data sets will include updated observation data, pass rate data, and data to enable you to update your finisher records list.  

Effective Preparation Framework Development Underway 
Work is currently underway in Texas to develop the Effective Preparation Framework – a framework that distinguishes effective preparation practices that yield improved outcomes for school children, future educators, local school districts, and EPPs.  

In July 2021, the SBEC directed TEA staff to begin the process of developing an Effective Preparation Framework and engage a diverse set of stakeholders in the development processes. Since that time, the Educator Preparation Advisory Committee (EPAC), the SBEC’s standing advisory committee, has provided input on the components of an Effective Preparation Framework. In January 2022, members of the EPAC were asked to bring these draft components to their professional organizations and colleagues to solicit additional specificity and input. The goal of this process is to ensure that the diverse set of educator preparation stakeholders are able to provide meaningful feedback on the content of the framework early in the development process.  

TEA staff has asked EPAC members to provide feedback collected from their professional organizations and colleagues by April 21, 2022. Please see the February 2022 SBEC item for additional information on the development process and the list of EPAC members. There will be additional opportunities to weigh in on the Effective Preparation Framework content over the course of spring and fall 2022, which will be shared via the newsletter.

 

Educator Standards and Testing

Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing   

New: Final Exam Frameworks Available 
All new assessments will have frameworks released about 12-18 months before the scheduled launch date announced on the Teacher Certification Redesign page. This marks the time to begin implementing changes to your internal systems and curriculum. Final exam frameworks are available for the exams below, and one-page informational documents will be available soon.  

ETS PASL Fall 2022/Spring 2023 Submission Dates available 
Upcoming important dates are now available for PASL. Please note the date when scores arrive to EPPs and TEA in ECOS. 

PASL Assessment 

Important Dates 

FALL 2022 ORIGINAL 

  

PASL Registration Open 

Mon 7/18/2022 

PASL Submission System Open 

Thu 9/1/2022 

PASL Registration/Reschedule/Cancellation Deadline 

Tue 11/15/2022 

PASL Task Deadline 2 pm ET 

Tue 11/29/2022 

PASL Scores to Candidates 

Thu 12/29/2022 

PASL Scores to EPPs & TEA 

Wed 1/4/2023 

  

  

FALL 2022 RESUBMISSION 

  

PASL Resubmission Opens 

Thu 12/29/2022 

PASL Resubmission Registration Close 

Thu 1/12/2023 

PASL Resubmission Task Deadline 2 pm ET 

Thu 1/19/2023 

PASL Resubmission Scores to Candidates 

Fri 2/10/2023 

PASL Resubmission Scores to EPPs & TEA 

Mon 2/13/2023 

  

  

SPRING 2023 ORIGINAL 

  

PASL Registration Open 

Mon 7/18/2022 

PASL Submission System Open 

Tue 1/3/2023 

PASL Registration/Reschedule/Cancellation Deadline 

Tue 3/28/2023 

PASL Task Deadline 2 pm ET 

Tue 4/11/2023 

PASL Scores to Candidates 

Tue 5/9/2023 

PASL Scores to EPPs & TEA 

Wed 5/10/2023 

  

  

SPRING 2023 RESUBMISSION 

  

PASL Resubmission Opens 

Tue 5/9/2023 

PASL Resubmission Registration Close 

Tue 5/23/2023 

PASL Resubmission Task Deadline 2 pm ET 

Wed 5/31/2023 

PASL Resubmission Scores to Candidates 

Thu 6/22/2023 

PASL Resubmission Scores to EPPs & TEA 

Mon 6/26/2023 

 

2022 edTPA Virtual Workshops and Webinars 
Are you looking to learn more about edTPA and edTPA implementation? We invite you to join the virtual learning opportunities that have been scheduled in partnership with Texas’ edTPA National Academy members. These learning opportunities range from workshops, to edTPA 101s, to implementation support. Please see the Upcoming Events section of this newsletter for more information. To find information about the workshops and webinars that will be offered from May through July 2022, please see Spring and Summer 2022 edTPA Virtual Workshops and Webinars. Please note: When you access the flyer, you will want to save the flyer locally (rather than open in Google docs) in order to select the registration links.  

Pearson Seeking Scorers  
Pearson is seeking experienced educators and administrators to work on a temporary basis as professional scorers working remotely or in their regional scoring facility located in San Antonio. To accommodate educators’ schedules, there are flexible scoring opportunities. In particular, Pearson is seeking scorers for the following examinations:  

  • Science of Teaching Reading (293)  
  • Educational Diagnostician (253)  
  • School Counselor (252)   
  • Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities for Trade and Industrial Education 6–12 (370)   
  • English Language Arts and Reading 4-8 (217) 
  • Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) Spanish (190)  

For information on scorer qualifications and the application for current opportunities, please go to  Scorer Recruitment.   

PASL resources videos  
ETS and TEA have worked together to create instructional videos to orient faculty, staff, and candidates to the requirements of the PASL test. Video one provides a general overview of PASL, its content, and scoring/reporting procedures. Video two provides a more in-depth overview of the tasks associated with the assessment. Full requirements, descriptions, and resources may be found in the PASL Candidate and Educator handbook.   

NOTE: If you have trouble accessing the videos linked above, please copy and paste the links (see below) in your web browser.  

ETS Seeking Scorers for PASL  
ETS invites school leaders and preparation faculty to participate in the online scoring of the ETS® Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL). This is an excellent opportunity for school leaders and preparation program faculty to become more familiar with this certification exam. Professionals who meet the criteria listed on PASL Scoring Job Opportunities are eligible to be scoring professionals (raters) for the assessment.    

DID YOU KNOW?  
The Early Childhood: PK–3 #292 is not an exam available to be taken under the "Certification by Exam" option. It requires specific coursework and training to be completed with an Approved Educator Preparation Program. Please contact an approved educator preparation program for exam approval. The Early Childhood PK-3 FAQ is now available to address common inquiries. 

 

Program Spotlight

In each newsletter, we aim to celebrate the great work from EPPs around Texas.

New: In this week’s newsletter, we would like to recognize and celebrate the EPPs who were recently recognized for the 2020-2021 Educator Preparation Program Commendations for Category 3, Preparing Educators for Long Term Success. These EPPs who were recognized for Commendations in Category 3 demonstrated exemplary efforts for preparing and supporting educators for employee retention or for growth into other professional roles. Please join us in celebrating each of these EPPs! 

Category 3 Commendations

 

The full list of EPPs who were recognized for each category can be found on 2020-21 Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Commendations | Texas Education Agency.  

Program Spotlight Nomination Form TEA has created a process to gather information about the wonderful practices, partnerships, and initiatives conducted by EPPs. If you would like to nominate your EPP or another EPP you’ve worked with, please complete and submit the Program Spotlight Nomination Form. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Education Specialist. 

 

For More Information...

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 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.  

Lesson Study Gateway Resources  

Practice based preparation resources for virtual field-based experience: Provides model lessons and video of instructional delivery.  

Texas Teach Like a Champion (TLAC)

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.    

Texas TLAC One Pager for EPPs   

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