 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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Description
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Event Date & Time
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186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Constructed Response Item Deep Dive Webinar and Work Session
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The 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 CRI Deep Dive Webinar and Work Sessions will provide programs an overview of the constructed response item, including the CRI prompt and exhibits candidates can expect to engage with on the exam. Programs will also have an opportunity to work in collaborative groups to review sample CRI responses, share best practices for candidate success on the constructed response item, and discuss curriculum updates. These two identical sessions will be highly interactive! Attending and/or viewing the 186 Preparation Manual Overview webinar prior to work session attendance is strongly encouraged.
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9:00-11:00 am CT,
via Zoom
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Certification Officer Training
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The in-person Certification Officer Training will be conducted in one full-day session.
The in-person training is limited to 35 participants.
In this training, we will cover essential aspects of certification officer responsibilities, including admissions processes, clinical experiences, candidate observations, test approvals, compliance protocols, data reporting, and resources & contacts available through TEA.
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William B. Travis Building, 1701 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
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Certification Officer Training
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The online Certification Officer Training will be conducted in one full-day session. In this training, we will cover essential aspects of certification officer responsibilities, including admissions processes, clinical experiences, candidate observations, test approvals, compliance protocols, data reporting, and resources & contacts available through TEA.
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Virtual Training
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Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
New: ASEP Reporting Mid-Year Check-Ins Reminder
As a reminder, all Legal Authorities and Primary Point of Contacts have now had access to your mid-year data for a few weeks and have had time to review the data. Education Specialists will soon be contacting some EPPs to schedule meetings to discuss your data. The purpose of the check-ins is to discuss five-year enrollment data for candidates that appear to be inactive, pass rates for PPR & content exams, and observation data, as applicable. If you have not yet had an opportunity to review it or are not sure that you understand it, we are happy to assist you. If you are not contacted, but would like to meet with your Education Specialist, please contact them directly to schedule a meeting.
New: Insight to Impact Communications
The Insights to Impact Dashboards Data Governance Committee hosted its quarterly meeting on April 30, 2025, reviewing the Texas Education Agency’s updated communications plan for the Insight to Impact Dashboards. Our primary objective is to shine a spotlight on the solutions that the dashboards enable EPPs to accomplish, while informing users of updates, helpful content tips, and upcoming training opportunities throughout the next year.
In addition to the plan’s goals and objectives, the presentation features a timeline, cadence, training topics and a content calendar. Check out the EPP Newsletter for continuous updates and visit the entire April presentation to learn more.
New: ASEP Dashboard Correction
Last week, an EPP alerted us to an issue with the ASEP overview dashboard and the data related to the indicator outcomes. With the help of specific feedback from the EPP, we conducted research and discovered that while the underlying data was accurate, the dashboard was not displaying the data correctly. We updated the dashboard to work correctly as of Friday, May 19, 2025.
Reminder: Welcome to Our Two New EPPs
We welcome our two newest EPPs, Educate Hearts Teaching Corps and Tarrant County Community College. Both were approved at the April 25, 2025, SBEC Meeting.
Reminder: Superintendent Certification Applications to Substitute Managerial Experience
Educator Preparation Program Advisors, as you guide individuals who do not currently hold a principal certification through the application process to substitute managerial experience in lieu of this requirement for enrollment in the superintendent certification program, please ensure the following:
The applicant must have a minimum of three years of experience as a district-level employee in all the following areas:
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Supervising and/or appraising personnel: This must involve direct supervision or appraisal responsibilities, not merely participation in the appraisal process.
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Leading district-wide initiatives or projects: Experience must extend beyond campus-level leadership.
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Managing and/or developing a budget: Demonstrated responsibility in budget oversight or creation is required.
Thank you for your attention to these important details and for your continued support in preparing future educational leaders.
Reminder: Updated Employment Data in Insight to Impact
The 2024-2025 school year employment data is now included in the Insight to Impact Dashboards. As a reminder, this data is based on the snapshot data collected from school systems in October. This new data affects the Initial Employment and Employment and Retention dashboards.
Please note: we are in the process of updating calculations on the “Employment Retention” page of the Employment and Retention dashboards, so this visualization will likely change in the coming weeks. We will place an announcement in the newsletter when the update is complete.
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing
Fall 2025 Dates and Deadlines
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Late Registration Deadline
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Task Late Submission Deadline
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We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from .
Q: Can an EPP continue to offer a locally defined teacher residency model without applying to offer the formal teacher residency preparation route? [§228.15(b)]
A: Yes. EPPs are not required to apply for or offer the teacher residency preparation route. EPPs may require candidates to complete clinical experiences across a full year; however, to offer the formal residency model that results in an Enhanced Standard certificate, the EPP must apply for the route and be approved by the SBEC as required in 19 TAC§228.15(b). The teacher residency preparation route can be offered across multiple program models, including within university and non-university programs.
Q: Does an EPP applying for the teacher residency preparation route need to indicate which certificate categories they want to offer via the route? Can additional certification categories be added at a later time? [§228.15(b)]
A: Yes. The EPP should include in the initial residency application all currently approved certificate categories for which the EPP will offer the teacher residency preparation route. Once approved, the addition of approved certificate categories to this route will require a program amendment notice to TEA as required in 19 TAC §228.17, and the addition of a new certificate category will require an application and fee as required in 19 TAC §228.15(c)(2).
Your best source for information and support at the TEA.
As an Educator Preparation Program, your main point of contact is your Education Specialist.
- 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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