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Texas Educator Preparation Programs Newsletter
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Welcome
“I've always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings.” - Jenny Han
As we begin to gear up for a new academic year, let this quote serve as a reminder that firsts are best because of the new beginnings they offer. Try not to dwell on the struggles of the previous academic year or what you wish you would have done, but instead look to the future and the opportunities you are going to provide for educators. First days of school hold promise, excitement, joy, and an endless possibility of what may come next!
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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.
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edTPA Implementation Series (Part 4)
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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.
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This workshop is intended for faculty, instructors, and supervisors who support teacher candidates. In this collaborative workshop, a member of the edTPA National Academy (affiliated with a Texas Educator
Preparation Program) will provide opportunities for
participants to review their programs’ scope and
sequence and course syllabi to identify areas in which the constructs, measured by edTPA, are already embedded and could naturally be embedded.
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Friday (Half Day)
July 29, 2022
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This webinar will provide information and guidance pertaining to submission of 2021-2022 data that is due September 15. Information in this webinar will be important for EPP staff engaged in the annual ASEP reporting process for the EPP.
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New Introductory Passing Standard
(Below committee recommendation)
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School Counselor Certification
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Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #152
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Trade & Industrial Education 6-12 Certification
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Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #270
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Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #117
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Last day to apply and recommend for certification using #291
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(At committee recommendation)
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Your best source for information and support at the TEA.
As an Educator Preparation Program, your main point of contact is your Education Specialist.
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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.
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Option 2: Educator Certification
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Option 3: Fingerprinting
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Option 6: Investigations
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Option 8: General Office Information
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Updates related to Accountability System for Educator Preparation (ASEP) Reporting
To assist EPPs with completing ASEP Reporting with ease, we have developed weekly reminders for those staff working on ASEP Reporting at each EPP. Each week, you will receive a reminder in this EPP Newsletter that includes timely tasks to successfully complete reporting for 2021-22 by September 15.
Week 2 ASEP Task Reminders (5):
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Verify that each candidate admitted in 9/1/2021-8/31/2022 has an accurate admission record. Verify all required admission data has been included in the record. If you need to update a record, you can do so manually or by bulk upload (see the Technical Manual for more information on bulk uploads.
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EPPs can download admission data in ECOS into a spreadsheet to help verify the admission data that has been reported to date.
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Remember: Admission records for candidates admitted in 2021-2022 cannot be created after 8/31/2022 except for candidates admitted in the last week of August.
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Be sure to review the 2021-2022 ASEP Reporting Manual on the Program Provider Resources page. It is located under Forms and Documents. This is a helpful resource as it provides useful information needed to complete ASEP Reporting.
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Register for the ASEP Reporting 2021-2022 webinar (the registration link is in Upcoming Events) and place it on your calendar to ensure you are at the webinar. Be sure to invite anyone from your EPP that you believe needs to participate in the webinar.
Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
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 has provided rosters of respondents to EPPs for your optional review, to confirm that the respondents were associated with your EPP. TEA has cleaned these data and compared 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. EPPs have now been provided access to these rosters via email. Any RFE forms for these surveys are due by August 1 at 5 PM CST. Exceptions submitted after that date/time will not be reviewed or accepted.
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing
Deafblind (#185) Exam Framework Update
Please view the updated Deafblind (#185) exam framework here. Updates to the framework include additions in language to better reflect practices in the field. Please contact Kelly Torrey (kelly.torrey@tea.texas.gov) if you have any questions.
Reminder: ELAR 4-8 Exam Transition and Certification Communication
The last day that a certificate may be recommended by the EPP using the ELAR 4-8 (#117) exam results remains October 30, 2022. TEA staff sent direct email communication (including a one-pager FAQ linked here) to candidates who have passed ELAR 4-8 (#117) but have not been issued a standard ELAR 4-8 certificate and additional email communication to EPPs with candidates who have passed test #117 but have not been issued a standard certificate in ELAR 4-8. Both emails contain more information about this upcoming deadline.
Updates related to Educator Certification
Certification Waivers
A teacher certification waiver allows a district to employ an individual to serve as a teacher without the necessary certification requirements. Teacher certification waivers cannot be approved for individuals to serve in special education or bilingual education assignments. Certification waivers are not recommended for Educator Preparation Program (EPP) candidates because it does not count towards program requirements, is not issued, or supervised by the EPP, and can prolong the certification process. However, given the ongoing vacancies across the state, districts are submitting requests to place EPP candidates on certification waivers.
When a teacher certification waiver request is submitted by a district for an EPP candidate, TEA staff in Educator Certification contact the district to ensure that the EPP candidate is not currently eligible for an SBEC-issued credential and confirms that a conversation has occurred with the candidate and their EPP. TEA staff in Educator Certification continue to encourage districts to maintain open and ongoing communication with EPPs so that both parties can actively support candidates in transitioning to an SBEC-issued certificate as soon as all requirements are met.
Updates related to actions by the State Board for Educator Certification, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature.
New: July 2022 SBEC Work Session and Meeting
The July SBEC work session and meeting were held Thursday and Friday, July 21-22, 2022. More information about the SBEC meeting, including the meeting agenda and access to view the meeting recording, can be found on the SBEC webpage.
In each newsletter, we aim to celebrate the great work from EPPs around Texas.
New: This week we are excited to feature a program that has done incredible work to impact candidate recruitment with excellent results! Following low enrollment for the Fall 2020 semester, The University of Texas at Austin’s UTeach College of Natural Science program overhauled their recruitment efforts, including:
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Current student participation during virtual recruitment events throughout Freshmen Orientation
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Weekly email campaign highlighting benefits of the UTeach program (scholarships, internships, transferable skills, etc.)
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Daily UTeach virtual hangouts, providing prospective candidates with an informal space to ask questions and learn more about UTS101 (Secondary Teacher Education Preparation Step One) from current students, staff and Master Teachers, and
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Implementation of formal Discover UTeach sessions built into each orientee’s schedule, including Flipgrid presentations featuring video testimonials from current students at various points in the program.
These efforts resulted in an over 200% increase in enrollment prior to the first day of class in the Fall 2020 semester.
Going into the Fall 2021 semester, additional recruitment efforts continued, including:
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Development of UTeach Student Ambassadors, responsible for carrying out existing recruitment efforts (virtual hangouts, emails, etc.)
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Qualtrics-based student interest surveys to allow students to opt-in to receiving calendar invitations to their chosen event during their respective sessions
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Sending tailored and personalized follow-up emails to students: “Thank you for attending” and “Sorry we missed you” subjects to their respective audiences, and
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Ambassadors increased social media presence by hosting Q&As and “Day in the life of a UTeach student” videos on the @UTeachAustin Instagram page.
These additional efforts resulted in enrollment increasing by 136% entering the Fall 2021 semester, and additional recruitment strategies continue into 2022, including 1,883 incoming freshman receiving information about UTeach through the efforts of Get to Know YoUTeach, Discover UTeach, "Walk and Talks," and Student Organization Fair tabling. The summer email campaign included seven weekly emails to 4,000+ incoming College of Natural Sciences, Cockrell School of Engineering, and Jackson School of Geosciences students. These efforts combined have put undergraduate enrollment on track for a record high in the Fall of 2022!
Please join us in celebrating the amazing efforts of UTeach College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin! We are grateful for your innovation and hard work in the area of candidate recruitment, and your commitment to preparing the next generation of exemplary Texas educators! More information on this program and their Student Ambassador program can be found here: https://uteach.utexas.edu/student-ambassadors .
Reminder: Do you know of exemplar educator preparation work happening in Texas? We want to spotlight this excellent work in our great state! 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 Kelly Torrey (Kelly.Torrey@tea.texas.gov) or your Education Specialist.
Every newsletter we take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from EPPs.
Q: Does TEA have an example of an EPP formal admission letter that meets TAC requirements?
A: Yes, TEA has provided an admission letter example in the EPP Data Reporting manual. See Appendix 1: Sample Letters and Forms (p. 49) for the example.
Q: Our EPP has a Principal program and an Educational Diagnostician program, and an applicant is seeking to pursue both certificate areas at the same time. Can we enroll a candidate in these two programs at one time?
A: Yes, there is nothing in TAC that prevents a candidate from pursuing two non-teacher certificate areas concurrently as long as all requirements for admission, preparation, and certification for each certificate area are met. The candidate would have to qualify for admission into both programs and would have two admission records, one for each program. The candidate would be required to complete all standards-based coursework and training for each certificate. Additionally, a standards-based practicum would be required for each certificate area. For practicum requirements for non-teachers, reference 19 TAC §228.35(e)(8)(A-E). For field supervision requirements for non-teachers, reference 19 TAC §228.35(h)(1-3).
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Lesson Study Gateway Resources
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Practice based preparation resources for virtual field-based experience: Provides model lessons and video of instructional delivery.
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Texas Teach Like a Champion (TLAC)
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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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PASL Videos
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TEA
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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.
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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.
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The Texas Education Agency will improve outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.
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