 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.
If you are not currently subscribed to the newsletter, please sign up at the link below.
Educator Preparation Program Listserv Registration
Topic
|
Description
|
Event Date & Time
|
|
Core EC EC-6 (491) Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar
|
The 491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar will guide programs through an overview of the updated Core EC-6 exam framework, closely examine application requirements and timeline, and provide programs an opportunity to explore how the new exam is aligned and different from the older Core Subjects EC-6 exam. TEA staff will facilitate this webinar several times throughout the Fall semester. We strongly encourage those faculty or staff who will be responsible for completing the program’s application to attend
|
Thursday,
October 23, 2025
|
Exam Launch Reminders and Resources
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
186 Special Education Specialist EC-12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental
|
|
|
|
Core Subjects Redesign, Phase 1
-
Core with Fine Arts/Health/PE
-
Core with Special Education
|
|
|
|
Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP) (pending SBEC action)
|
|
|
|
Core Subjects Redesign, Phase 2
-
Core with Bilingual Education Spanish
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
187 Bilingual Special Education
|
|
Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
TEA is preparing to update the EPP Interactive Map linked from the Certification page on the TEA website. Please review your EPP address, telephone number, website, and certificates as they are listed on the EPP Interactive Map. If any changes are needed for your EPP, please submit a Help Desk ticket to the Preparation Programs tile on the TEA website. Title your Help Desk ticket with your EPP name & county-district number/Map Update and include what specifically needs to be changed in the body of your Help Desk ticket. We will make the requested changes at the next EPP Interactive Map quarterly update. Please submit your request by the close of business on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing
New: Pearson Scheduled Website Outage October 07, 2025
Candidate exam registration and score reporting services on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website will be unavailable on Tuesday October 07, 2025 from 6:30 am to 3:30 pm CT. Static program content will continue to be available.
New: Core EC-6 (491) Framework Overview and Application Process Fall 2025 Webinar
Thank you to the 207 participants who attended the first 491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview Webinar on Thursday, September 25th! This webinar provided participants with an overview of the updated Core EC-6 exam format and content shifts and discussed the exam framework to highlight key similarities and differences between the new and old exams. Participants were able to gauge their knowledge about pertinent dates and information regarding the new exam and then were provided the opportunity to reflect and ask questions via Padlet.
As a reminder, resources for the 491 Core EC-6 exam, including the framework, framework crosswalk, recording of the framework webinar, and exam one-pager can be accessed on the Educator Standards and Testing webpage as they become available.
As we approach the September 2027 launch of the updated Core EC-6 certificate and aligned certification exam, we are excited to announce a modified application process for programs and a series of upcoming webinars to guide programs through an overview of updated exam frameworks and review application requirements.
-
Programs that currently offer the Core Subjects EC-6 certificates will need to meet the following requirements to offer the new Core EC-6 certificate and approve candidates for the aligned exam:
-
Attend (or view the recording) the 491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar and submit the webinar exit ticket.
-
Complete and submit an attestation or amendment request.
-
There is no fee for this application.
-
Application materials will be shared when they become available following the webinar.
-
Programs that do not currently offer the current Core Subjects EC-6 certificate will need to meet the following requirements to offer the new Core EC-6 certificate and approve candidates for the aligned exam:
-
Attend (or view the recording) the Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar and submit the webinar exit ticket.
-
Complete and submit an application for a new certification field.
-
Must have an accreditation status of Accredited.
-
There is a $500 fee for this application.
-
Application materials will be shared when they become available following the webinar.
Please review the information below for additional details on the Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar and reach out to your assigned Education Specialist with any questions.
|
|
The 491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar will guide programs through an overview of the updated Core EC-6 exam framework, provide programs an opportunity to explore the exam crosswalk, and closely examine program application requirements and timeline.
-
This webinar will not discuss program accountability and the new Core EC-6 certificate; TEA staff will provide more information on this topic at a later date.
-
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.
|
|
|
This webinar is intended for Core EC-6 faculty staff, certification officers, and/or other individuals responsible for the development and implementation of the new 491 Core EC-6 certificate beginning 9/1/2027. Programs are highly encouraged to attend one of the four 491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinars in Fall 2025.
-
Attestations or amendment applications of programs that attend one of the webinars offered will be prioritized for review by the Educator Preparation team.
-
While staff highly encourage attendance, programs that cannot attend one of the Fall 2025 webinars offered will have an opportunity to view a recording of the webinar and submit the application webinar exit ticket in addition to application materials. A recorded version of the 491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar will be posted to the TEA website no earlier than Spring 2026.
|
|
|
-
491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process October Webinar
-
Thursday, October 23, 2025
-
10:30 am-12:30 pm CST via Zoom
-
Register Here
-
491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process November Webinar
-
Thursday, November 20, 2025
-
11:00 am-1:00 pm CST via Zoom
-
Register Here
-
491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process December Webinar
-
Wednesday, December 11, 2025
-
2:00-4:00 pm CST, via Zoom
-
Register Here
|
The 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental exam will launch September 1, 2026. The agency will host additional webinars to provide information regarding the 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental Constructed Response Item (CRI) and other pertinent topics. Please look forward to updates in this newsletter.
Reminder: Reminder: English as a Second Language Draft Exam Framework Public Comment
Public comments are being requested through October 15, 2025, on the draft #818 Core EC–6 English as a Second Language Examination Framework. The framework will help guide the test development process for the new Core EC–6 English as a Second Language individual subject exam. Comments may be sent to Kaye Jernigan.
Updates related to actions by the State Board for Educator Certification, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature.
New: HB2 Implementation: Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership Program Allotment
House Bill 2, passed by the 89th Texas Legislature and signed into law in June 2025, established the PREP Program Allotment to strengthen the quality of teacher recruitment, preparation, and mentorship across the state. Participation in the PREP Program Allotment is optional for eligible districts and open-enrollment charters.
The PREP Program Allotment provides funding for five partnership types, listed in the table below. Districts and open-enrollment charter schools may apply for funding for the PREP Preservice Residency Program, Grow Your Own Program, and the Mentor Program through the LASO Cycle 4 process. Applications for the PREP Traditional and Alternative Preservice Programs will be available through LASO Cycle 5 shortly.
|
|
Yearly applications are initially available
|
First year for which funding is available
|
PREP Preservice Residency Program
|
|
|
PREP Grow Your Own Program
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PREP Preservice Traditional Program
|
|
|
PREP Preservice Alternative Program
|
|
|
We encourage EPPs to attend LASO webinars alongside their District partners. The table below provides links to register for those upcoming webinars:
|
|
|
PREP Program Overview webinar - option #1
|
|
PREP Program Overview webinar - option #2
|
|
PREP Mentorship Program webinar - option #1
|
|
PREP Mentorship Program webinar - option #2
|
|
PREP Residency Preservice Program webinar - option #1
|
|
PREP Residency Preservice Program webinar - option #2
|
|
PREP GYO Program webinar* - option #1
|
|
PREP GYO Program webinar* - option #2
|
|
Texas Strategic Staffing for Residencies (TSS) program webinar - option #1
|
|
Texas Strategic Staffing for Residencies (TSS) program webinar - option #2
|
|
Additionally, there will be office hours for each program at the following times, as well as EPP specific office hours:
PREP Residency Office Hours
|
|
|
|
|
PREP Mentorship Office Hours
|
|
Educator Preparation Program Specific Office Hours for PREP Allotment
|
|
Updates related to Insight to Impact
New: I2I Dashboards User Survey Released
Since user feedback for the Insight to Impact (I2I) Dashboards is essential to TEA’s mission of strategically developing and updating the dashboards, the I2I Dashboards Team is requesting your input through a quick user survey. Although it will only take a few minutes to complete, it will immensely help the team in its pursuit to provide the most useful and usable data for program improvement.
New: Research on I2I Dashboard Use
For those who missed it, in October 2024, the Charles Butt Foundation (CBF) conducted a third-party preliminary analysis of Insight to Impact (I2I) dashboard users within EPPs, publishing their findings in this presentation. TEA used these findings to inform its communication plan for future updates, communications, and training sessions.
It’s been a year since CBF published its findings, and TEA just hosted its I2I Kickoff Meeting, so the I2I Dashboards Team thought it would be beneficial to highlight it for EPPs. Since the rollout of the dashboards and the publishing of the findings, TEA has assembled feedback from the DGC, its own staff, EPP employees, and CBF to target certain areas of the dashboards for potential improvement.
Check out those areas below:
-
Data Comprehension: EPP users could benefit from a comprehensive overview of the dashboards and the included data.
-
Data Analysis: EPPs would like to learn how to extract customized data and use it to produce meaningful reports and insights to inform individualized EPP strategy.
-
Increase Number of Users: It was revealed that a sizable number of users at EPPs who could receive tangible benefits from utilizing the dashboards for their work rarely or ever use them.
-
Provide Additional Resources: EPPs have not yet received a formal communication cadence, materials, or training provided by TEA throughout the year.
If you would like to provide further input on the dashboards or become more involved with the EPP community, feel free to contact TEA’s EDRS Project Manager of Educator Data, Research, & Strategy Tanisha Jones, or TEA Director of EDRS Project Management Paige Tooley.
New: Connect With the I2I Dashboards Team at CSOTTE
The CSOTTE Conference from October 12-14 in Denton, TX, provides an opportune time for EPP staff to collaborate with other members of their community. There are at least a couple of ways to get involved, whether it’s attending one of the TEA Office Hours or a breakout session.
Here are a couple of sessions below for you to keep on your radar:
-
Responding to User Feedback: Use of the Insight to Impact Dashboards, Oct. 13 from 3:45-4:30 PM
-
Enabling Continuous Improvement: Insight into Observation Data During Teacher Preparation, Oct. 14 from 8-8:45 AM
We look forward to seeing you there!
New: I2I Dashboards September Kickoff Meeting Presentation and Video Recording
The I2I Dashboards Team hosted its inaugural Kickoff Meeting last Thursday, marking the beginning of comprehensive dashboard training aimed at assisting EPPs with improved data comprehension, analysis and application. The goal of these training sessions is to create a supportive community where EPPs can routinely share and tackle problems, provide insights and solutions, and receive value and benefits from the data.
We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from .
Q: Since the first formal and informal observations must occur within a designated time at the beginning of the residency, can in-service days before the first instructional day be counted as part of this designated timeframe?
A: No. Per 19 TAC §228.101(b)(7), the first informal observation must occur within the four weeks of the residency assignment. Per §228.103(b)(1), two formal observations must be conducted during each semester of the residency. Both requirements are tied to the residency assignment start date, which, per 19 TAC §228.2(5), is defined as the first day of instruction with students.
Q: 19 TAC §228.101(b)(8) and 19 TAC §228.105(d)(4) require that the field supervisor provide “written feedback” to campus-based candidate support personnel. What constitutes “written feedback”? [§228.101(b)(8) & §228.105(d)(4)?
A: Per 19 TAC §228.105(d)(3) and 19 TAC §228.101(b)(5)(E), field supervisors are required to provide written feedback post-formal and informal observations. Per 19 TAC §228.101(b)(8) and 19 TAC §228.105(d)(4), this written feedback should be provided to the specified campus support personnel. “Written feedback” can be emails, handwritten notes, forms developed by the EPP, or whatever data capture tool that facilitates effective completion of this process.
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.
-
For most efficient assistance, please submit a Help Desk ticket to Preparation Programs.
-
EPPs may contact their assigned Education Specialist directly via phone or email.
-
Candidates may call (512) 936-8400 and select Option #2: Educator Preparation and Certification for assistance.
-
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.
-
Option 2: Educator Preparation and Certification
-
Option 3: Fingerprinting
-
Option 6: Investigations
|
