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
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Topic
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Description
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Event Date & Time
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The 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar will guide programs through an overview of the updated Special Education Specialist EC-12 exam framework, closely examine program application requirements and timeline, and provide programs an opportunity to exchange resources and discuss course/curriculum problems of practice. TEA staff will facilitate this webinar several times throughout the Fall semester. Programs are encouraged to attend the webinar that best suits their availability.
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Monday,
September 30, 2024
9:00-11:30 am CST via Zoom
Thursday,
October 24, 2024
2:30-5:00 pm CST via Zoom
Friday,
November 22, 2024
9:00-11:30 am CST via Zoom
Wednesday,
December 11, 2024
2:30-5:00 pm CST via Zoom
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Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
New: The 2024-2025 Technical Manual is Now Posted
TEA has posted the 2024-2025 Technical Manual to the Program Provider Resources page of the TEA website. It is located under Forms and Documents.
Reminder: ASEP Reporting 2023-2024 is Now Closed
Thank you to all our EPP Partners for a successful reporting season 2023-2024! ASEP Reporting is now closed, and ASEP is locked for the 2023-2024 reporting year.
We still have a few EPPs that have not submitted your EPP Affidavits. Please do so as soon as possible. The Affidavit must be electronically completed and electronically signed by the EPP Legal Authority or Primary Point of Contact (ESCs, Districts, and UNT).
Reminder: Reminder Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC) and AskTED Resources
Did you know that TEPSAC and AskTED are valuable resources for EPPs? They can be used as a source to locate TEA-approved sites for candidates completing field-based experiences (FBE) and clinical experiences (clinical teaching, internship, or practicum). AskTED contains accredited public and charter schools and the TEPSAC database contains accredited private schools. Schools that are in these databases are approved if they are not distance learning or virtual schools.
The dropdown menus in ECOS Entities contain the approved locations identified at the district level (first 6 numbers or county/district number). Private schools are also listed by their first 6 numbers. You can search for a location by district or campus name or by county/district number (CDN). If you are not able to locate a school or district in the dropdown menu in ECOS, TEA can add it for you. Please submit a Help Desk ticket to Preparation Programs in the TEA Help Desk. Provide the campus name and CDN from TEPSAC or AskTED, as applicable (a screenshot is helpful as well). Label your ticket “Add School to Dropdown Menu” and add the information, including the screenshot if possible, so TEA can add the district or campus for you. If you are not sure about the process, just reach out to your assigned specialist for assistance.
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing
Reminder: Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186) Application Process Requirements and Fall 2024 Webinar Schedule
As we approach the September 2025 launch of the updated 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 certificate and aligned certification exam, we are excited to announce a modified application process for programs and a series of upcoming webinars to review application requirements, as well as guide programs through an overview of the updated exam framework.
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Programs who currently offer the Special Education EC-12 or Special Education Supplemental certificates will need to meet the following requirements to offer the new Special Education Specialist EC-12 certificate and approve candidates for the aligned exam:
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Attend (or view the recording) the Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar and submit the webinar exit ticket.
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Complete and submit a modified application.
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Must have an accreditation status of Accredited.
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There is no fee for this application.
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Application materials will be available following the September 30, 2024 webinar. Please contact your Education Specialist for application materials and additional information.
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Programs who do not currently offer the current Special Education EC-12 or Special Education Supplemental certificates will need to meet the following requirements to offer the new Special Education Specialist EC-12 certificate and approve candidates for the aligned exam:
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Attend (or view the recording) the Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar and submit the webinar exit ticket.
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Complete and submit an application for a new certification field.
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Must have an accreditation status of Accredited.
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There is a $500 fee for this application.
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Application materials will be available following the September 30, 2024 webinar. Please contact your Education Specialist for application materials and additional information.
Please review the information below for additional details on the Special Education Specialist EC-12 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar and reach out to your assigned Education Specialist with any questions.
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Who?
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The 186 Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar will guide programs through an overview of the updated Special Education Specialist EC-12 exam framework, closely examine program application requirements and timeline, and provide programs an opportunity to exchange resources and discuss course/curriculum problems of practice. TEA staff will facilitate this webinar several times throughout the Fall semester. Programs are encouraged to attend the webinar that best suits their availability. Dates, times, and registration links for each webinar can be found below.
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What?
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This webinar is intended for special education faculty staff, certification officers, and/or other individuals responsible for the development and implementation of the new 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 certificate beginning 9/1/2025. Programs are highly encouraged to attend one of the four 186 Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process Webinars in Fall 2024.
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Modified applications of programs that attend one of the webinars offered will be prioritized for review by the Educator Preparation team.
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While staff highly encourage attendance, programs that are not able to attend one of the Fall 2024 webinars offered will have an opportunity to view a recording of the webinar and submit the application webinar exit ticket in additional to application materials. A recorded version of the 186 Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar will be posted to the TEA website no earlier than Spring 2025.
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Where and When?
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186 Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process September Webinar
Monday, September 30, 2024
9:00-11:30 am CST, via Zoom
186 Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process October Webinar
Thursday, October 24, 2024
2:30-5:00 pm CST, via Zoom
186 Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process November Webinar
Friday, November 22, 2024
9:00-11:30 am CST, via Zoom
186 Special Education Specialist Framework Overview and Application Process December Webinar
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
2:30-5:00 pm CST, via Zoom
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Updates related to Education Preparation and Certification
New: LBB Reporting
Educator preparation programs at public colleges and universities are required to report certification rates of teacher education graduates to the LBB. To facilitate the reporting process and ensure the consistency and accuracy of data, TEA supports public colleges and universities by making available a tool to collect graduate information from the entities and, using data in the TEA database, calculate the certification rate for constituents. Guidance for using the Educator Certification Online System (ECOS) to upload and retrieve your certification rate is available in the updated Technical Manual.
More information was distributed to public colleges and universities via email earlier this week. Remember, this reporting is only for public colleges and universities – if your EPP is not at a public college or university, your EPP does not complete the LBB reporting process.
Updates related to agency initiatives and opportunities
Reminder: Texas Teacher Residency Preparation Route and Future LEA Grant Opportunities
As you know, the Vetted Teacher Residency (VTR) Program List has allowed LEAs to partner with eligible high-quality teacher residency programs for state and federal grant opportunities since 2021. The current list, the 2023-2024 VTR, will continue to apply to the following grant programs that required partnership with a vetted residency:
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2023-2025 Texas Strategic Staffing Grant
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2024-2026 Texas Strategic Staffing Grant
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2024-2025 Residency Continuation Grant
Please note that any future grants that require partnership with a teacher residency program will use a list of EPPs approved for the Texas Teacher Residency Preparation Route to determine eligibility for LEAs. There will not be a new version of the VTR list and it will not apply to future grant programs.
We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from .
Q: I can see an option for “Residency” in various places in ECOS Entities, including “750 Hours (SBEC Approved Residency)” listed as a Clinical Teaching Model in the Clinical Experience Records (CER). If my EPP currently offers a full-year residency, should I use those options?
A: No, EPPs should not use the Residency route options at this time. The Residency options in ECOS Entities interfaces are only to be used by those EPPs who have SBEC-approved residencies as detailed in 19 TAC §228.15(b). There are currently no EPPs with SBEC-approved residencies. When creating Clinical Experience Records for a current full-year residency, use the “28 weeks half-day” model, which is also the model for clinical teaching that extends past one semester. If you have questions about the Residency model, please contact TEAteacherresidency@tea.texas.gov.
Q: My EPP has non-Teacher candidates whose clinical experience extends more than 12 months. Is that acceptable and how do I extend a clinical experience record (CER) for longer than 12 months?
A: A CER can have a date range of up to 18 months, so EPPs can create the record with assignment start and end dates in that range. For a CER that must be extended past the maximum duration, the EPP should create another shorter CER starting with the next date after the end date of the first assignment and with the new assignment end date for the remainder of the clinical experience. For a CER that must be extended past the originally planned end date, please update the original record with the new end date. TEA can assist with that process if ECOS will not let you edit the record. Please reference the 2024-2025 Technical Manual located on the Program Provider Resources page for information about CER.
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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