June 28, 2022: Texas Educator Preparation Programs Newsletter

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Texas Education Agency

June 28, 2022

Texas Educator Preparation Programs Newsletter

Three young students on the floor, sharing a book called Ovals, from Donna ISD

Welcome

“I wanted to show that something that wasn't an illusion. Something that was real. Something that they could see and touch. Creation is an act of sheer will. Life will find a way.” Hammond, Jurassic Park 

The ability to create is a powerful skill to hold. The creator can make whatever they desire but needs to be able to justify why it was created and have a plan to sculpt/train the being that they created. Educators hold the power of creation. Educators have a hand in the creation of every profession, almost every person comes through a school door at least once in their life. This quote resonates in the teaching profession because we are in the business of creating adults that will be contributing members of society, real life people that will impact others in the world.   


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 

Description 

Event Date& Time 

Secondary ELAR Professional Learning Series 

Secondary ELAR learning series [virtual] for teacher educators in Texas to build skills and knowledge to prepare teacher candidates seeking ELAR certification. Please see the program overview  and the content below for more information. 

6/1/22-7/1/22 

Application window 

Texas Educator Residency Summit  

Save the date! The inaugural Texas Educator Residency Summit will be held this summer! Please join Texas Educator Preparation Programs, LEAs, and other experts in the Residency Field to learn & network. Register here for the Texas Educator Residency Summit.  

6/29-6/30  

6/29: 8:30-4:00 pm 

6/30: 8:30- 12:00 pm (Virtual)  

Webinar Series: edTPA Implementation, Support for the Change Process  

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. 

Pt. 2 6/30/22 

3-4 p.m. 

Additional edTPA Workshops and Webinars: To find information about the workshops and webinars that will be offered between June and 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. 


Upcoming Deadlines

Topic   

Action Item   

Due Date   

PASL 

Resubmission Scores updated in ECOS 

June 29, 2022 

Title II IPRC 

Complete annual Title II IPRC Reporting at https://title2.ed.gov/ 

June 30, 2022 

ELAR 4-8 #217 

New Introductory Passing Standard  

(Below committee recommendation) 

September 2, 2022 

School Counselor Certification 

Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #152 

September 6, 2022 

Trade & Industrial Education 6-12 Certification 

Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #270 

September 6, 2022 

ELAR 4-8 Certification 

Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #117 

October 30, 2022 

Core Subjects EC-6 

Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #291 

December 30, 2022 

LOTE Spanish #613 

New Passing Standard 

January 9, 2023 

ELAR 4-8 #217 

New Passing Standard 

(At committee recommendation) 

September 1, 2023 


Table Of Contents

EPP Points of Contact

Your best source for information and support at the TEA.   

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

  • Or, EPPs (and candidates) may call (512) 936-8400 and select Option #5: Educator Preparation Programs. If an Education Specialist is not available to answer the call at that time, please leave a voicemail. An Education Specialist will promptly return the call.  

If EPPs (and candidates) would like to speak to a representative from another area(s), they may submit a Help Desk Ticket or contact (512) 936-8400 and select one of the options listed below. 

  • Option 2: Educator Certification  
  • Option 3: Fingerprinting  
  • Option 6: Investigations 
  • Option 8: General Office Information 

The Teal Account Access team and Educator Testing team are available through the Help Desk. Links to both teams are below. 

Educator Preparation Program Support

New: Principal and Teacher Survey Roster Reviews 
The Principal and Teacher Surveys closed for responses as of June 15. As we have done in prior years, TEA will provide rosters of respondents to EPPs for your optional review, to confirm that the respondents were associated with your EPP. TEA cleans these data and compares the rosters to ECOS and to the K-12 data but based on EPP request in prior years, we also provide for this optional review by EPPs. Rosters will be sent to EPPs at the beginning of July. Any RFE forms for these surveys are due by August 1. 

New: Survey for Texas’ Virtual Education 
At the Texas Virtual Education Commission’s meeting in July, topics of discussion will be: teacher training, professional development, and support for the virtual teaching and learning environment. The Commission has asked for EPPs who are currently leading the way, and we are excited to share a spotlight on EPPs who are doing great work in this area! To this end, if your EPP has made programmatic adjustments to better prepare teachers for teaching in a virtual or blended environment, please fill out this Virtual Education: Teacher Preparation Survey by July 15, 2022.  

New: Digital Literacy Instruction 
With the recent EdWeek article about teacher preparation and digital literacy instruction, TEA would like to encourage EPPs to reflect on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) aligned instruction they provide to candidates in comparison with the elements of the ISTE EPP pledge to prepare candidates for digital equity. As we prepare for the upcoming academic year, EPPS are encouraged to sign the ISTE pledge and commit to providing high-quality digital literacy instruction to your candidates! Reminder: EPPs are required to provide digital literacy instruction to candidates per 19 TAC §228.30(c)(8). 

Updated: Secondary ELAR Professional Learning Series: Opportunity for Informational Session Next Week [Applications due this Friday 7/1/2022] 
In response to program feedback, from September through November 2022, the TEA and Teaching Works will provide a series of virtual professional learning opportunities for teacher educators in Texas with the following goals:   

  • Support participants to continue building their own content knowledge for teaching English Language Arts with a focus on the new Texas Research Based Instructional Practices;  
  • Support participants to continue building their understanding of and skill with teaching high-leverage teaching practices that are required to teach English Language Arts to children; and  
  • Support participants in building their ability to help teacher candidates develop curriculum literacy, or capability with analyzing and adapting published curriculum materials to meet the needs of students, contexts, and purposes. 

Please see the program overview for more information and apply here if interested in participating. As this is a commitment of time and effort, all accepted applicants will receive a course release stipend; please see the above application for details. All applications are due by end of the day on July 1, 2022. Please email Ebony.Love@TEA.Texas.gov and Melissa.Yoder@tea.texas.gov if you have questions about the program or need support with the application.  

Title II IPRC Reporting: Complete your Title II Report Now! 
The Title II website is available for all EPPs to complete their required federal reporting. This reporting is due June 30. Please plan on completing this report as soon as possible to avoid any last-minute issues. Congratulations to the 19 programs which have already certified their report! 

To complete your report, go to https://title2.ed.gov/ and select "Submit Reports" in the upper righthand corner of the webpage. For support in completing this report, please visit https://title2.ed.gov/Public/TA.aspx for links to a Glossary of Key Terms and Reporting Requirements. A new user manual will be added soon. Instructions are included in the reporting instrument. If you have specific questions, please email title2@rti.org. 

If your EPP has both a traditional and an alternative certification route, you will need to complete both reports. Even if you did not certify any candidates through that route this year, if you have approval from TEA for the route, you must complete the report. 

To recover a username or password, select "Forgot your username or password?" and enter your email. To add a user, email title2@rti.org with Name, Title, Institution, Phone, and Email. 

This reporting is due June 30. As a reminder, TEA does not provide technical support for this required federal reporting. We do, however, monitor EPP completion to ensure that all EPPs are in compliance with this requirement.  

Texas Educator Residency Summit

Reminder: Texas Educator Residency Summit Begins Tomorrow: June 29- June 30 
Please join us for the first ever Texas Educator Residency Summit! During the Summit, you will have the opportunity to learn from local partnerships and other experts in the field about residency practices that not only prepare our Texas teachers with the tools they need but also support local teacher pipeline development. All EPPs and school partners are welcome and encouraged to attend. Whether you are planning for the next phase of scaling your residency implementation or looking to get started, there will be opportunities to learn for all. The Summit will be held virtually from June 29 – June 30. Register here for the Texas Educator Residency Summit. 

Below, are details for the keynote sessions:  

Wednesday, June 29, 2022, from 8:30 to 9:40 am CDT 
Summit Welcome from Commissioner Morath and Ector County ISD’s Residency Journey 

  • The Honorable Mike Morath, Texas Commissioner of Education 
  • Leaders from Ector County Independent School District in Odessa, Texas 

Thursday, June 30, 2022, from 8:30 to 9:30 am CDT 
It Takes A Village: Leveraging Partnerships to Create Change 

  • Leaders from Socorro Independent School District in El Paso, Texas 
  • Leaders from the University of Texas at El Paso, College of Education 

If you have already registered, you should have received communication for how to access the event and select breakout sessions. Once registered, you may select “Agenda” and bookmark the sessions you plan to attend.  

 

Educator Standards and Testing

Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing   

DID YOU KNOW? 
For purposes of the test-limit waiver application, a list of TEA-approved providers is available to show candidates all of the vendors who are approved to offer educational activities. 

Clock-hours may be completed online or in person. All educational activities must be completed after the last unsuccessful attempt and must be directly related to the competencies on the exam. 

Updates about SBEC, Rules, and Legislation  

Updates related to actions by the State Board for Educator Certification, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature.   

New: State Board of Education (SBOE) Update 
At the June SBOE meeting, the Board took no action on the adoption of 19 TAC Ch. 231 regarding public school personnel assignments and 19 TAC Ch. 250 regarding the petition procedures for rulemaking. Changes in these chapters will go into effect on July 21, 2022.  

The SBOE took action on (i.e., rejected) the adoption of 19 TAC Ch. 230, which resulted in no changes to Ch. 230. One change that was proposed in Ch. 230 was the adoption of edTPA to replace the PPR as Texas’s pedagogical assessment for standard certification. An additional change would have established a one-year timeline between exam launch and the last day candidates may use passing scores on the expired exam for certification.  

NOTES: (1) For the 2022-23 academic year, the edTPA will remain an optional pedagogical exam for standard certification alongside the PPR. EPPs may continue to support their candidates to complete the edTPA during the 2022-23 academic year. (2) The last day that a certificate may be recommended by the EPP using the ELAR 4-8 (117) exam results remains October 30, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact DeMarco Pitre: demarco.pitre@tea.texas.gov. 

 

Program Spotlight

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

New: We are excited this week to feature a group of programs working together to strengthen community partnerships to ensure the best possible outcomes for both candidates and students in their area. Please join us in celebrating the El Paso Community of Practice which includes The University of Texas at El Paso, Region 19 ESC, and El Paso Community College! The El Paso Community of Practice meets quarterly to: 

  • Align on teacher supply and demand goals, 
  • Establish data sharing practices, and 
  • Norm on a shared vision for good teaching in their region. 

Additional stakeholders involved in this community include the El Paso Community Foundation, CREEED, El Paso ISD, Canutillo ISD, Clint ISD, Socorro ISD, Ysletta ISD, Anthony ISD, Fabens ISD, and San Elizaro ISD. This group of educator preparation programs and local school districts have gone above and beyond to leverage their community connections, ensuring both students and candidates benefit from the collective expertise and experience of this community. Please join us in congratulating the El Paso Community of Practice for their leadership in this area!  

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. 

FAQs

Every newsletter we take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from EPPs. 

Q: My EPP is getting a lot of candidate questions about when we should recommend intern and probationary certificates for the 2022-23 academic year. When is the best time to make those recommendations?
A: Intern (INT) and Probationary (PRO) certificates may be recommended after candidates meet pre-service coursework and training requirements, testing requirements, and all other requirements identified for INT and PRO certificates. It is recommended that EPPs identify effective dates on recommended certificates that align with internship start dates. Reference 19 TAC §230.97(a)(1-4) pertaining to Effective Dates of Certificates. 

Q: Our EPP has an applicant that already holds a standard teaching certificate in another state. Can we admit the applicant to our teacher program? 
A: Yes, as long as the applicant is not attempting to transfer credentials to Texas through the Out of State Credential Review at TEA. A candidate cannot be enrolled in an EPP and participating in the Out of State review of credentials process with TEA at the same time. 

 

TEA Updates

Additional updates on initiatives and opportunities from the TEA.  

TEA is Hiring – Senior Analyst for Instructional Support 
The Educator Data, Research, and Strategy division is hiring a new Senior Data Analyst. This role will lead the team doing program evaluation and other analytical work to support the Instructional Support department. This department houses several initiatives, including: 

This is a great career opportunity for folks who have a rich understanding of K-12 education policy and practices, solid analytical and technical skills, and skills in supporting and leading a team. 

The position posting is here: https://bit.ly/3MDwMCY  

 

Resources at a Glance

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   

PASL 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.   

PASL Video One: https://vimeo.com/user127014634/download/669946029/6aa375f585 

TEA Dyslexia Training 

TEALearn has a new dyslexia training, TEA Dyslexia, that has been made available (at no cost) to candidates who are seeking an initial certification for all certification classes. Information about the training and how to enroll can be found on the TEA Learn platform. NOTE: For candidates who have not yet been issued an intern, probationary, or standard certificate, please follow the steps noted on the webpage, Dyslexia Requirements for Educator Preparation Programs, to enroll in the course.   

If you need technical assistance please submit a TEALearn Help Desk ticket. For dyslexia course content questions, please send an email to specialeducation@tea.texas.gov. 

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.  

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