 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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Core EC EC-6 (491) Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar
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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
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Exam Launch Reminders and Resources
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186 Special Education Specialist EC-12
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165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental
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Core Subjects Redesign, Phase 1
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Core with Fine Arts/Health/PE
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Core with Special Education
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Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP) (pending SBEC action)
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Core Subjects Redesign, Phase 2
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Core with Bilingual Education Spanish
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187 Bilingual Special Education
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Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
New: EPP ASEP Fee Invoices
On Tuesday, 10/21/25, TEA distributed invoices through Sharefile for the ASEP Technology Fee for 2024-2025 to EPPs. This fee is assessed for each candidate who was admitted to an educator preparation program during the 2024-2025 academic year. The number of candidates is determined from the number of individuals admitted by your educator preparation program in ECOS. Additionally, as was the case last year, admissions for candidates from 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 invoice last year.
The invoice has payment information included. Please note that ACH payment is encouraged. 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.
New: Principal Survey and Evaluation of Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) by Teachers Scored Rosters
The Principal Survey and Evaluation of Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) by Teachers scored rosters will be distributed via ShareFile to each EPP Legal Authority or Point of Contact in late October or early November. These rosters, distributed annually, include scored data gathered from the Principal Survey and Evaluation of EPPs by Teachers, administered during the academic year 2024-2025, as part of the Accountability System for Educator Preparation (ASEP). We provide this data to EPPs for informational purposes only.
New: TTRPR (Texas Teacher Residency Preparation Route) Scoring Pause
The current scoring windows for the SBEC approved Texas Teacher Residency Preparation Route (TTRPR) will be paused for a short duration during the current rulemaking cycle that will include policy updates related to the residency route requirements to ensure alignment to statutory requirements for PREP allotment funded routes. This pause allows time for the updated requirements to be embedded into the application, scoring, and recommendation process for SBEC approval to offer the PREP RESIDENCY and to partner with school systems eligible to receive the allotment. We will provide more information shortly, but the intent is to reopen the application window during the spring of 2026. This means that in the next few months, programs seeking to apply for the route should continue to develop their local models with their school system partners in preparation for implementation in the upcoming school years.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns about how this update may affect your individual programs. We appreciate your continued partnership and commitment to high-quality teacher preparation. TEAteacherresidency@tea.texas.gov
Reminder: Unpack Chapter 228: Understanding the New Evidence Figure and Records Retention
The Unpack Chapter 228: Understanding the New Evidence Figure and Records Retention video has been posted to the Program Provider Resources page under EPP Training Events & Materials. The short video walks through the Evidence Figure adopted in Chapter 228 effective September 1, 2024. EPPs may direct questions related to the Chapter 228 adoption effective September 1, 2024, to Preparation Programs in the TEA Help Desk.
Reminder: TEA Certificate Deactivation & Reactivation Documents Have Been Updated
The Certificate Deactivation & Reactivation documents and templates have been updated to reflect the current TAC. They are posted on the Program Provider Resources page under Forms and Documentation. If you have any questions, please submit a Help Desk Ticket to the Data Reporting Help Desk tile on the TEA website.
Reminder: Updated Process for Requesting Changes to EPP Staff
We have streamlined and automated the process for EPPs to request changes to the Legal Authority, Backup Legal Authority, Primary Point of Contact (for district & ESC EPPs), and Title II/Trewon contacts. The EPP Change Requests Form is located on the Program Provider Resources page under Forms & Documentation. EPPs can now complete the form and submit it directly to TEA through the Smartsheet. Once the contact has been updated, the EPP staff will receive an email confirmation. EPPs who have questions about the process should submit a Help Desk ticket to the Preparation Programs Help Desk tile on the TEA website.
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification Testing
New: Core EC-6 (491) Framework Overview and Application Process Fall 2025 Webinar
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.
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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:
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Attend (or view the recording) the 491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process Webinar and submit the webinar exit ticket.
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Complete and submit an attestation or amendment request.
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There is no fee for this application.
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Application materials will be shared when they become available following the webinar.
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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:
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Attend (or view the recording) the Core EC-6 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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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Attestations or amendment 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 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.
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491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process October Webinar
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Thursday, October 23, 2025
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10:30 am-12:30 pm CST via Zoom
491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process November Webinar
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Thursday, November 20, 2025
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11:00 am-1:00 pm CST via Zoom
491 Core EC-6 Framework Overview and Application Process December Webinar
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Wednesday, December 11, 2025
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2:00-4:00 pm CST, via Zoom
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Reminder: 187 Bilingual Special Education Examination Framework Public Comment
Public comments are being requested through November 14, 2025, on the draft #187 Bilingual Special Education EC-12 Examination Framework. The framework will help guide the test development process for the new Bilingual Special Education EC-12 exam. Comments may be sent to Kelly Torrey.
Updates related to Insight to Impact
New: EPP: Spotlight: Leveraging I2I Dashboards in Regular Meetings
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, data-driven decision-making has become a cornerstone for achieving excellence. Teach Us Texas, an educational preparation program offering over 35 certifications, has embraced this approach by integrating the Insight to Impact (I2I) Dashboards into its regular meetings. This strategic move has not only fostered a culture of continuous improvement but also yielded significant insights and programmatic changes that have positively impacted student outcomes. Learn more about Teach Us Texas and its process in the latest EPP Spotlight.
If your EPP is interested in receiving a TEA spotlight about how your team has successfully utilized the I2I Dashboards in your practice, please feel free to reach out to Stefan.Swiat@tea.texas.gov and potentially be featured in the EPP Newsletter and on the I2I website.
Reminder: Dashboards Sign-up Event Rescheduled to October 23
On Wednesday, October 1, the I2I Dashboards Team planned to host an Insight to Impact (I2I) Dashboards Sign-up Event to grant the education preparation program (EPP) community access to the dashboards. However, due to some unforeseen technical difficulties, the event had to be cancelled. The I2I Dashboards Team apologizes for any inconvenience the cancellation might have caused.
Fortunately, those still searching for access to the I2I Dashboards needn’t look any further. On October 23, from 3-4 p.m. CT, there will be another session for members of the EPP community who would like to learn more about the steps in the process of receiving access, including dedicated time to request access to the dashboards, roles pertinent to their work and time with our team to troubleshoot issues.
Feel free to share this invitation widely with your EPP community to ensure that all who are eligible and would benefit from using dashboard data to make programmatic decisions have appropriate access. Register here now!
Reminder: 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.
Reminder: TEA Names New Data Governance Committee Members
The Insight to Impact Dashboard Team has just selected its Data Governance Committee Members! The committee members will serve two-year terms and partake in activities that include quarterly 60-minute meetings, some offline work, and follow-up meetings scheduled as needed.
The mission of the DGC is to establish a robust pathway for collecting, defining, synthesizing, and prioritizing the requests of I2I educator preparation program dashboard users so that dashboards are strategically developed and updated to provide the most useful and usable data for program improvement. Members are privy to the latest updates and developments with the dashboards, while also serving as a liaison between TEA and the EPP field.
TEA welcomes their expertise and insight to inform updates, communications, training, scheduling, and materials provided to the educator preparation program community related to the I2I dashboards. The I2I Dashboards Team would like to thank the previous members for their service and welcome the new class of 16 to the committee!
Check out the list of new members and start connecting!
Updates related to agency initiatives and
Reminder: CSOTTE 2025
It was wonderful to see our EPP colleagues at CSOTTE this year. Thank you to folks that stopped by TEA Office Hours to say “hi” and to all who reached out to TEA staff with questions and input throughout our two days at the conference. Please feel free to reach out to TEA staff at any time, as needed. If you’re not quite sure who to reach out to, your TEA assigned specialist and/or Preparation Programs in the TEA Help Desk can link you to the correct person to address your questions or to receive your feedback.
Reminder: Save the Date—SBEC Rulemaking for HB 2 Implementation: Stakeholder Feedback Session
Please save the date to provide critical feedback regarding draft policy for SBEC rulemaking pertaining to the implementation of HB 2. The session will center discussion of key proposals pertaining to TAC Chapters 228, 227 and 230. The first opportunity will occur on October 30, 2025, from 1:30-3:30 pm. You may register here.
Webinars Reminder: Thank you so much for attending our PREP webinars! So far, we have had over 1,000 participants in the PREP webinars. We still have some upcoming PREP webinars for PREP Preservice Residency, PREP Grow Your Own, as well as the Texas Strategic Staffing grant. Please visit the LASO 4 webpage to register for those opportunities.
Reminder: LASO 4 PREP Office Hours
Reminder: Effective Preparation Framework (EPF) Highlighted Practices Collection
We invite EPPs to showcase innovative and impactful EPF-aligned practices that support the development of effective and resilient educators. By submitting examples through the form, your program can contribute to the EPF Resource Library, an upcoming curated collection of tools and strategies that enhance clinical practice, support candidate assessment, and strengthen partnerships with K–12 districts.
Showcase your program’s success!
We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from .
Q: Could the formal observations that are required and the feedback be based off of the district-selected rubric?
A: There is no requirement in TAC that specifies the type of rubric used to observe candidates in clinical experiences; however, there are provisions related to clinical experiences and formal observations that inform the structure of the rubric. For example, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in the standards during the clinical experience, so the rubric must include standards and space to score the level of proficiency demonstrated by the candidate. Additionally, field supervisors are required to capture educational practices observed (in support of the level of proficiency scored), so the rubric should be formatted to provide that space as well.
Q: Can we use the cumulative GPA from the institution where the last degree was conferred, instead of the 60 hours?
A: Yes, you can use the cumulative GPA from the official transcript. The GPA should be calculated from the official transcript as follows: either a 2.5 GPA on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education (IHE), or a 2.5 GPA in the last 60 semester credit hours of coursework previously attempted at an accredited IHE [19 TAC §227.10(a)(3)].
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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