 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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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: TPI-US + TEA CAR Reviewer Interest Form
TPI –US, under the direction of TEA and SBEC, is currently in the process of redesigning the five- year continuing approval review for EPPs. The goal of the redesign is to provide substantive feedback to programs on areas of strength and opportunities for growth. As we work to ensure that our process reflects EPF practices and built for the field and by the field we are working to recruit Texas content experts from Texas to be part of the five- year review team. If you are interested in potentially becoming a reviewer with TPI-US for Texas reviews, please take a moment to provide the requested information on this form, by Friday, November 22nd.
An in-person training will be held December 16-18, 2024, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Reminder: Insight to Impact Professional Roles Protocols Now Available!
The Professional Roles Protocols that support describing, framing, and taking action in response to I2I data are now available. The protocols can be found in the Professional Roles Resources underneath the navigation instructions for each dashboard: Initial Employment, Employment and Retention, Candidate Characteristics, Exam Pass Rates, and Clinical Experience.
Note: The Insight to Impact Professional Roles Dashboards include data about principals, counselors, librarians, reading specialists, and educational diagnosticians. These dashboards require a separate role in TEAL to access. You can view a video or review the instructions for more details.
Updates related to agency initiatives and opportunities
Reminder: Anticipated Posting of 25-27 Texas Strategic Staffing Grant and Webinar
TEA anticipates announcing a new grant opportunity for LEAs, the 25-27 Texas Strategic Staffing Grant for Paid, Sustainable Teacher Residency Program, on November 18th. Since 2022, the Texas Strategic Staffing technical assistance program has supported LEAs to partner with EPPs to develop paid residencies where residents fulfill additional responsibilities at the district while learning under a qualified host teacher. Although this will be a grant to LEAs, we want to ensure EPPs are up to date on the grant guidelines, eligibility to partner with LEAs for the grant, and potential mutual benefits to the partnership that will come from the grant. We will hold two webinars for this grant, with the first occurring soon after the grant announcement on Friday, November 22nd at 9:00 am CST. This webinar will provide an overview of grant funding and guidelines and give LEAs, EPPs and ESCs the opportunity to ask questions.
You can register for the webinar here.. If you are unable to attend, the webinar will be recorded and posted on the TEA grant opportunities page the week of November 28th.Please note that due to grant guidelines, TEA cannot answer questions regarding the grant individually and cannot add questions to the FAQ document if they are sent before the grant is announced. If you have logistical questions regarding the webinar, please reach out to William Sea, Manager of Texas Strategic Staffing, at william.sea@tea.texas.gov.
We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from .
Q: When must an EPP deactivate a candidate’s certificate?
A: The EPP must deactivate a candidate’s intern or probationary certificate if:
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the candidate resigns, is non-renewed, or is terminated by the school or district;
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the candidate is discharged or released from the EPP;
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the candidate withdraws from the EPP;
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The candidate is a late hire and fails to meet the pre-internship requirements within 90 business days of the assignment in accordance with §228.55 (relating to Late Hire Candidates); or
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the internship assignment does not meet the requirements described in this subchapter.
Q: How does the certificate deactivation process work and what are the EPP’s responsibilities in the deactivation process?
A: If a candidate leaves an internship for any reason, the EPP, the campus or district personnel, and the candidate must inform each other within one calendar week of the candidate’s last day in the assignment and TEA must receive the deactivation request with all related documentation within two calendar weeks of the candidate’s last day of the assignment. Reference 19 TAC §228.73(h)(1)-(2). The deactivation documents are located under Forms and Documents on the Program Provider Resources page of the TEA website. EPPs submit deactivation requests through Preparation Programs in the Help Desk. The EPP is responsible for communicating the deactivation requirements to candidates and campus or district personnel prior to the assignment start date. Reference 19 TAC §228.73(i).
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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