Welcome
This newsletter compiles the most up-to-date information concerning what EPPs need to know to best support their faculty/instructors, staff, and candidates. Please thoroughly read all the sections for reminders, upcoming events, To Dos, and FAQs.
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Educator Preparation Program Listserv Registration
Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
New: Chapter 228 Informational Webinar and Next Steps
Thank you for attending yesterday’s Chapter 228 Informational Webinar, which provided an overview of recently adopted updates to the rules. TEA staff plan to post the recording to the Program Provider Resources page for those unable to attend. In addition, during the webinar, TEA staff collected questions from attendees and will use those questions, and others shared by the field, to develop a Frequently Asked Questions document. Links to the posted webinar and FAQ document will be shared in upcoming newsletters once the postings are live. Finally, in a previous newsletter, registration links were also shared for EPP office hours. Those office hours will be rescheduled for an upcoming date, which will also be shared in an upcoming newsletter.
Thanks to all of you for the questions you have been submitting and for your continued collaboration in this work. We look forward to interacting with you again soon.
New: Reminder - ASEP Reporting 2023-2024 Mid-Year Data Set Availability
The Mid-Year Data Sets for 2023-2024 will be put into the ShareFile file locker available to Legal Authorities or Primary Points of Contact in early April. The Legal Authority or Primary Point of Contact will receive an email when the data is available in ShareFile, including documentation of the data.
New: Updated Completed Studies and New Hires Dashboards
Several reports created and maintained by the EDRS-EPCE team at TEA have been updated to reflect employment data from the 2023-2024 school year. These reports can be found on the Educator Reports and Data page. Reports that have been updated include but are not limited to:
Reminder: Updates to the TEA EPP Staff Contact List
The list of EPPs and their assigned Education Specialist on the Program Provider Resources page was updated effective on March 1, 2024. Rebecca Bunting has joined the Educator Preparation (EP) team, and we are happy to have her. Rebecca has been working informally with the EP team for the past year. She communicated with her assigned EPPs on March 11th via email and is eager to get to know and work with her EPPs.
Updates related to Educator Preparation and Certification
Reminder: New Provisions for Military Members and First Responders
House Bill 621 and Senate Bill 544, passed during the 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, required the SBEC to create temporary certifications for certain members of the military community and first responders. Updates to SBEC rules, Chapter 234 are complete and effective as of March 7, 2024, to issue a three-year temporary certificate for Career and Technology Education to eligible military veterans, peace officers, fire protection personnel, and emergency medical services personnel; and a one-year temporary certificate to certain instructors for the Community College of the Air Force.
Upon successful completion of the review of credentials by TEA staff, military veterans, peace officers, fire protection personnel, and emergency medical services personnel are issued a three-year temporary certificate to allow them to teach in Career and Technology Education assignments. To obtain the standard certificate, these individuals would need to enroll in and complete the requirements of a Texas-approved educator preparation program.
Instructors for the Community College of the Air Force who hold a bachelor’s degree and have at least two semesters of experience as a full-time instructor for the Community College of the Air Force may be issued a one-year, temporary certificate to be placed in an assignment. To qualify for the one-year, temporary certificate, the individual must first enroll in a Texas-approved educator preparation program. After program enrollment, they will submit a completed application, copy of credentials to serve as an instructor for the Community College of the Air Force, an official transcript showing their conferred degree and date, and verification of at least two semesters’ experience as a full-time instructor for the Community College of the Air Force to the Texas Education Agency staff for review and issuance of the certificate.
More information and guidance, including detailed checklists can be found at the Texas Education Agency website Military Community/First Responders webpage found at this link.
If you have questions or need clarification on any of the information provided, you may submit a help desk ticket to Educator Certification at this link. In the subject line, please include Attn: Trenton Law.
We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from .
Q: What is the best way for my EPP to reach TEA if we need assistance?
A: There are multiple ways that educator preparation programs (EPPs), candidates, and districts may contact TEA for assistance. EPPs should:
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reach out directly to the assigned Education Specialist for the program via phone or email. EPPs can view a list of EPPs and their assigned Education Specialist, and
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use the Help Desk system for requests such as certificate corrections, deactivations, or reactivations, Data Fix requests, and any other requests where secure candidate information is submitted.
For the most efficient service for EPP candidates and districts, submitting a Help Desk ticket is highly recommended. Using the Help Desk, candidates will be able to connect with the Educator Preparation team via the Educator Testing & Preparation Programs tile as well as TEAL Support, Testing, Certification, and Fingerprinting. For the most efficient responses, candidates should include their TEA ID number.
To speak with TEA staff, EPPs, candidates, and districts may call (512) 936-8400 and select one of the options listed below.
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Option 2: Educator Preparation and Certification
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Option 3: Fingerprinting
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Option 6: Investigations
To speak with a team member in Educator Testing, call (512) 463-9039.
To ensure prompt and effective support, submitting a Help Desk ticket under the Preparation Programs tile is highly recommended.
Q: What is the expected response time after contacting TEA?
A: Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) should anticipate the Education Specialist assigned to an EPP to initiate contact within two business days. If the assigned Education Specialist is unavailable, TEA advises the EPP to submit a Help Desk ticket. A member of the Educator Preparation team will ensure assistance is provided as soon as possible.
Please keep in mind that the Help Desk at TEA is monitored from 8 AM to 5 PM on standard workdays and the operational hours for other departments might differ.
Your best source for information and support at the TEA.
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As an Educator Preparation Program, your main point of contact is your Education Specialist.
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View a list of EPPs and their assigned Education Specialist.
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For most efficient assistance, please submit a Help Desk ticket to Preparation Programs.
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EPPs may contact their assigned Education Specialist directly via phone or email.
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Candidates may call (512) 936-8400 and select Option #2: Educator Preparation and Certification for assistance.
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Updated: If EPPs (and candidates) would like to speak to a representative from another area(s), they may call (512) 936-8400 and select one of the options listed below.
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Option 2: Educator Preparation and Certification
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Option 3: Fingerprinting
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Option 6: Investigations
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