September 7, 2022: Texas Educator Preparation Programs Newsletter

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Texas Education Agency

September 7, 2022

Texas Educator Preparation Programs Newsletter

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

Welcome

“Success comes in a lot of ways, but it doesn't come with money, and it doesn't come with fame. It comes from having a meaning in your life, doing what you love and being passionate  about what you do. That's having a life of success. When you have the ability to do what you love, love what you do and have the ability to impact people. That's having a life of success. That's what having a life of meaning is.”  ― Tim Tebow 

Impact is my word for September. Being intentional with choices and decisions knowing that a single choice has the opportunity to impact those around me. The power of Tim Tebow’s statement is that success comes from the ability, that each of us possess, to impact others in a positive manner through our words, actions, and behavior. As the school year begins to ramp up, remember that we all can make a choice to find success by doing what we love and finding intentional ways to have a positive impact on others. 

 


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 

edTPA 101 

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. 

Tuesday 

September 7, 2022, 

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. 

edTPA Handbook and Rubric Deep Dive 

This workshop is intended for faculty, instructors, supervisors, and school partners who support teacher candidates. 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. Furthermore, this session will provide guidelines and best practices for supporting candidates as they prepare for edTPA within participants’ program context. 

Tuesday (Full Day) 

September 9, 2022, 

9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

edTPA Curriculum Inquiry  

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. 

Thursday (Half Day) 

September 16, 2022, 

9a.m. – 12 p.m. 

Supporting the Change Process for Educator Preparation Programs, Part 1: Orientation to edTPA 

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. 

Tuesday 

September 27, 2022, 

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

*Please view the Fall 2022 edTPA Virtual Workshops and Webinars calendar linked here. 

ResultsAnalyzer® Webinars 

To support ongoing access to and understanding of your testing data, Pearson is hosting four webinars in September 2022 focused on orientation to ResultsAnalyzer®. Each of the four sessions will be delivered live (not recorded) and cover the same content.  Attendees will be introduced to the basic features of the three primary data streams in ResultsAnalyzer® (Examinee, Test, and Registration). The sessions will cover tips and tricks for navigation, filtering, sorting, and export. Please note registration is required in advance. The webinars are for persons affiliated with Texas educator preparation programs approved by the State Board for Educator Certification. 

 

 

Monday, September 19, 2022,  

10:00-11:00 a.m. 

  

Thursday, September 22, 2022,  

1:00-2:00 p.m. 

 

Monday, September 26, 2022, 

1:00-2:00 p.m. 

  

Wednesday, September 28, 2022  

2:00-3:00 p.m. 


Upcoming Deadlines

Topic   

Action Item   

Due Date   

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 

(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. 

Countdown to ASEP Reporting

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, 2022.  

Week 8, Final ASEP Task Reminder: Make any final corrections and submit your affidavit. Prior to submitting your EPP’s affidavit, please check for accuracy. Once accurate, submit the affidavit to the Educator Testing and Preparation Programs Help Desk. NOTE: Be sure to name your affidavit according to the instructions on the Affidavit template.

Data Fix Requests 

Please submit any Data Fix requests your EPP may need by noon on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Due to a high volume of requests for assistance of all types during state reporting time, the TEA specialists will not be able to process all Data Fix requests that come in after September 8. We appreciate your cooperation during this busy season.  

Observation Data Set Distribution 

Every year about two weeks before the ASEP reporting deadline, TEA distributes Year-To-Date Observation Reports to EPPs showing all the observation data that has been input for the current academic year so far. These reports allow EPPs to easily review the information and identify if there are any observations or RFEs that you need to enter or submit before the 9/15 deadline. We plan to distribute these data sets on Friday, September 2. The data will be current as of 9/1/2022. Remember, this data is not the final ASEP results, but instead is a tool for you to use in the last 2 weeks before the deadline to ensure data quality. 

 ASEP Webinar and FAQs.  The ASEP webinar presented on August 3, 2022, is posted on the Program Provider Resources page. You can find the webinar and FAQ document under the EPP Training Events and Materials section. We hope you find the information helpful! 

NOTE: If you missed the last six ASEP Task Reminders, you may find the reminders on the Texas Educator Preparation Program Weekly Newsletters | Texas Education Agency page of the website, beginning with the July 19, 2022, EPP newsletter.  

 

Educator Preparation Program Support

Educator Certification 

Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management 

Updated: Clinical Experience Placement Collection for the 2022-2023 Academic Year 

As we previewed at the ASEP reporting webinar, there will be a new data collection related to clinical experiences starting in the 2022-2023 academic year. This new collection will simplify observation reporting (allowing EPPs to report the details about the placement just once) while allowing EPPs to store this required data in ECOS. We have provided you some tools that will help you can start to plan forward. This document, which is published in the Forms and Documents section on the Program Provider Resources page on the TEA website, provides all the information you need about the collection. We will also be hosting a webinar later this fall as we get closer to the collection going live. A registration link will be available in the newsletter.  

 

Updated: Implementation of the Clinical Experience Records update to ECOS has been postponed until December. This decision was made to ensure the admin functions are fully operational to allow TEA to better support EPPs as they use the new features.  

 

Changes in TEA Staff 

The Educator Preparation team at TEA is posting two open positions on our team that supports EPPs and their candidates. If you know interested individuals who are committed to high quality educator preparation and who enjoy an exciting, fast-paced work environment, please encourage them to apply. 

 Changes in EPP Staff 

It is that time of the year again when EPP Legal Authority (LA) and Back-Up Legal Authority (BULA) may need to be updated. If your EPP has a new LA or BULA, please contact your Education Specialist to request a template letter to make the change. Please ensure that TEA also has the EPP current address and phone number by including this information in your request. Once the change request has been completed, please submit it directly to vanessa.alba@tea.texas.gov and copy your assigned Education Specialist. 

 If your EPP has new staff that needs ECOS for Entities access, please direct them to Secure Applications and scroll to ECOS for Entities to download the instructions before submitting the request. The request will go to the EPP’s LA/BULA for approval before being directed to TEA for final approval. After TEA approves the request, the new staff will be added to ECOS for Entities. 

 Remember – the Read Only status does not allow the staff member to make changes in ECOS.  

 To ensure TEA has the most up to date EPP contact information, make sure to send the following information to your assigned Education Specialist: 

  • First and last name, including title (ex: Dr.) 
  • Campus role (if applicable) 
  • EPP role 
  • Email address 
  • Phone number 

Also identify if the contact should be the primary or secondary contact for the following: 

  • EPP Data 
  • Invoices 
  • Accreditation Letters 
  • Title II role 
  • Legislative Budget Board role (for public universities) 

 

August Observations – Report in ECOS Don’t forget to report observations that occur in August in the 2021-2022 reporting year. Though they might be a part of the new academic year, they fall under the 2021-2022 reporting year. Observations that occur on and after 9/1/2022 will be reported in the 2022-2023 reporting year. 

Certificate Deactivation Information  To stay in alignment with TAC, TEA would like to remind EPPs of the certificate deactivation notification timeline found in 19 TAC §228.35(e)(2)(B)(vii). EPPs are required to notify the candidate and employer of the notification time per 19 TAC §228.35(e)(2)(B)(viii). EPPs can determine the best way to communicate the certificate deactivation notification timeline to the internship candidate and the employer.  

 

Educator Standards and Testing 

Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing   

 ELAR 4-8 Representative Examination  

The new representative exam for ELAR 4-8 (217) is now available for purchase. A list of available exams has been updated accordingly on the Texas program website. See the "Ordering Representative Examinations" section. 

Exam Deadline Reminders 

School Counselor #152 and PPR for Trade & Industrial #270 can only be used for certification through September 6, 2022.  The informational one-pagers for both exams are available on the Teacher Certification Redesign webpage 

ELAR #117 can only be used for certification through October 30, 2022.  The ELAR 4-8 (217) informational one-pager is available to address timelines and other frequently asked questions related to the exam launch 

 Purchasing Exam Vouchers

There will be a change to the implementation date. No additional information is currently available. 

Certification exam vouchers are available for purchase by educator preparation programs to provide candidates with codes to be used during registration for a Texas educator certification exam. NOTE: The Exam Voucher Purchase Request Form and FAQs for purchasing certification exam vouchers can be found on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website 

Practice exam codes are available for purchase by educator preparation programs to provide candidates with full or partial credit toward fees for practice examinations. 

 For questions or comments, send an email to texas.support@pearson.com. 

 

DID YOU KNOW? The Teacher Certification Redesign page includes information about content assessments that will be updated. Information will be provided on this page regarding last operational and certificate submission dates. Any amendments will be made on the site. 

Program Spotlight

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

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. 

FAQs

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

Q: What is the difference between an RFC and an RFE? 

A: The Request for Correction is used to request assistance from TEA to correct data that was entered incorrectly or not entered but should have been in a past locked year in ECOS. The Request for Exception is used at state reporting time to request a data point be removed from consideration in the related data set.   

 Q: Does an EPP have to report observations for Superintendent candidates?

A: Yes, formal observations conducted by the field supervisor are reported for all candidates seeking certification in any class of certificate. Remember that observations must be reported in the academic year in which they occur. 

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 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.  

Information regarding the current Texas certification exams can be found on the 2021-2022 Required Test Chart for Texas Certification. 

Educator account setup instructions can be found on the TEA’s Educator Certification Online System website. 

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