 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 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental EC-12 Framework Overview Webinar will guide programs through an overview of the updated Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental EC-12 exam framework, closely examine shifts to the exam format, requirements, and timeline, and provide programs an opportunity to exchange resources and discuss course/curriculum problems of practice.
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Thursday,
October 31, 2024
1:30-4:30 pm CST
via Zoom
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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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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: Thank you for coming and seeing us at CSOTTE!
TEA staff hosted a second annual “office hours” at the CSOTTE conference earlier this week. We appreciated getting to meet with over 50 different representatives from different EPPs to answer questions, talk about programs, and make personal connections. A big “Thank You” to all the folks who stopped by.
New: EPP Changes in Certification Officer
If your EPP has recently had a change in Certification Officer or if you are uncertain about who TEA has listed as the Certification Officer for your EPP, please contact your Education Specialist assigned via email or the Preparation Programs Help Desk, and we can assist you in getting that individual on the Contact List. In many instances, the Certification Officer is neither a Legal Authority nor a Backup Legal Authority, and unless your EPP lets TEA know that there has been a change, we will not know.
Reminder: ECOS Pass Rates Program
Last week, an EPP alerted us to an issue with the ECOS pass rates screen. We conducted research and discovered that a recent update was not properly loading the counts of tests taken and passed properly. We have reverted to the previous methods and the issue should be fixed as of 10/4/2024. We intend to fix and implement the updated programming this year and encourage EPPs to contact us through the Helpdesk if you notice anything unexpected.
Reminder: EPP ASEP Fee Invoices On Tuesday, 10/22, TEA will distribute invoices for the ASEP Technology Fee for 2023-2024 to EPPs. This fee is assessed for each candidate who was admitted to your educator preparation program during the 2023-2024 academic year. The number of candidates is taken from the number of individuals reported as admitted by your educator preparation program in ECOS. Additionally, as was the case last year, admissions for the prior year who were added this year via a data fix will be included in the count. This is because they were not included in the prior year’s invoice.
The invoice will have payment information, including information about how to pay using ACH and how to submit a payment by mail. Credit cards are not accepted. Please note that ACH payment is encouraged.
TEA will send invoices to the EPP Legal Authority. We will also send notification to Backup Legal Authorities and Certification Officers, to the extent that they are listed in our Contact List. Payment is due 30 days after receipt. Additional information about the ASEP Technology Fee is located in the Texas Administrative Code at 19 TAC §229.9.
Reminder: Expiring Certification Exams in PE, Health, and ELAR 7-12
This is a time-sensitive notice for EPPs with candidates pursuing certificates in Physical Education (PE) EC-12, Health EC-12, and English Language Arts & Reading (ELAR) 7-12. The certification exams for these areas are being replaced. Candidates who have not received standard certification using the expiring exams (158, 157, 231) by September 1, 2025, will need to pass the new exams (258, 257, 331). TEA will provide data sets identifying potentially impacted candidates (those who have passing scores on expiring exams but are not yet Standard certified). Data sets will be available this week in ShareFile. An email will be sent to Legal Authorities and Certification Officers when data sets are uploaded into ShareFile along with access instructions for Legal Authorities.
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing
New: Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental (TX165) Framework Overview Webinar
The 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental EC-12 Framework Overview Webinar will guide programs through an overview of the new Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental EC-12 exam framework, closely examine shifts to the exam format, requirements, and timeline, and provide programs an opportunity to exchange resources and discuss course/curriculum problems of practice. TEA staff will facilitate this webinar once during the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters respectively. Programs are encouraged to attend the webinar that best suits their availability. We strongly encourage those faculty or staff who will be responsible for supporting students or making programmatic changes to attend.
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Thursday, October 31, 2024
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1:30-3:30 pm CST via Zoom
We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from .
Q: Our EPP conditionally admits candidates, but I do not see that term in TAC. What exactly is “conditional admission”?
A: There is no such term as “conditional admission” in TAC. There is only Contingency Admission and Formal Admission. Contingency admission is for applicants who have met all admission requirements in 19 TAC §227.10 but have not yet earned the requisite degree to be admitted. An ACP or post-baccalaureate applicant must be in the final semester prior to graduation, and the applicant is expected to earn the degree in the semester for which the candidate is contingently admitted. Once the degree is conferred at the end of the semester for which the candidate was contingently admitted, the EPP must retain the official transcript with the degree conferred per 19 TAC §228.31(i). Formal admission is for candidates who have met all admission requirements in 19 TAC §227.10. Contingency and Formal Admission requirements are found in 19 TAC §227.15 and 19 TAC §227.17, respectively.
Q: What is the best way for my EPP to monitor our incoming GPA for the 2024-2025 year?
A: The incoming GPA is based on all candidates admitted between September 1 and August 31 each year and may not be less than 3.00 on a four-point scale. Many EPPs create a spreadsheet to track the GPA of candidates admitted to ensure that the overall GPA of the incoming class does not fall below 3.0. Things for EPPs to consider: If the EPP requires a 2.5 GPA and everyone admitted has a 2.5 GPA, the EPP will not meet the requirement. Additionally, candidates seeking Career and Technical Education are not included in determining the overall GPA. The Incoming Class Grade Point Average requirements are found in 19 TAC §227.19.
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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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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