 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
Topic
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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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Thursday,
December 11, 2025
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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: Entering Observations and Updating Candidate Records
As we near the end of the fall semester, please take some time to update candidates’ records with the formal observations completed to date. Formal observations must be reported for all candidates in all classes and routes. Please also remember to update the finisher status in ECOS for candidates who have completed all requirements and are now “finishers”. Entering data generated for candidates throughout the year supports efficient and accurate data reporting. If you need assistance, please first refer to Ongoing Reporting in ECOS, pp. 22-47 of the 2024-2025 Technical Manual, available on the Program Provider Resources page of the TEA website. If you still need assistance, please submit a Help Desk ticket to the Data Reporting Help Desk, and we will be happy to assist you.
New: 2024-2025 ASEP Recommended Accreditation Status Letters
TEA issued notification letters to inform all EPPs of their recommended accreditation status on November 21, 2025, for the 2024-2025 academic year. This year, EPPs received two separate letters; the first was a notification of the ASEP result, and the second was a notification of the certification class or category result. These letters were distributed to the Legal Authority or Point of Contact. To learn more about how the ASEP statuses were determined, please review the ASEP manual. ASEP statuses will be presented to the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) for approval at their February 13, 2026, meeting.
New: Recommendation for the Enhanced Standard Certificate
Candidates pursuing an Enhanced Standard certificate through a Residency (RSD) route must complete one full school year (at least 750 hours), including the first and last instructional day with students [19 TAC §228.65(a)(1)]. To recommend an Enhanced Standard certificate, all four performance gates must be entered into the Performance Gates Records section in ECOS, and the candidate must be listed as a finisher in the RSD route. An ERROR message will result, and the Enhanced Standard certificate will NOT issue, if the EPP recommends the certificate and this information is not entered into ECOS.
Reminder: Accurately Reporting Residency (RSD) Route for Approved EPPs
We would like to remind all EPPs that only those EPPs approved by the SBEC to offer the Texas Teacher Residency Preparation Route (TTRPR) can use the RSD functions in ECOS, including admission records, enrollment records, and clinical experience and observation reporting. As EPPs are approved by the SBEC to offer the RSD, those EPPs may begin processing candidates in the RSD route in ECOS. There were no RSD finishers in 2024-2025 because the first EPPs approved to offer the RSD were approved at the December 4, 2024, SBEC meeting.
When a clinical experience record is created for a RSD candidate, the "750 hours SBEC-Approved Residency" designation for the clinical experience is the correct model to use. The EPP must also change the route on the enrollment record to RSD. The candidate’s assignment begin date must be AFTER the date the EPP was approved by the SBEC to offer the RSD route.
Updates related to Insight to Impact
Reminder: Secure Your Seat for 2025’s Final I2I Sign-up Session
On Thursday, December 4, from 3-4 p.m. CT, the I2I Dashboards Team will host the last Dashboards Sign-up Event of 2025, which helps guide the EPP community through the process of requesting access to the I2I dashboards. This event is designed for EPP employees who do not yet have access to the I2I dashboards and would like direct support in the process.
This webinar will be the latest in a quarterly cadence of sign-up events that will provide the EPP community with the opportunity to learn more about the steps in the process, including dedicated time to request access to the dashboards and roles pertinent to their work and time with our team to troubleshoot issues.
Use this registration link for the sign-up event and 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. For those who missed the last sign-up event in October and would like to follow along with the video, please feel free to click here for the recording.
Reminder: Final I2I Dashboard Video Training of 2025 Posted
Last week, the Insight to Impact Dashboards Team hosted a training session on the Initial Employment Dashboards, running attendees through a demonstration and beneficial data exercise, and providing the EPPs with the ability to ask any questions. Although you may have missed the final dashboard training of 2025, you can still check out the video recording on the Communications Updates webpage.
Reminder: How I2I Informs an EPP’s Big Picture
TCU Associate Dean and Professor at the TCU College of Education, Dr. Cynthia Savage, and Director of Accreditation, Certification and Assessment, Heather Doyle, have witnessed first-hand the impact of the Insight to Impact (I2I) Dashboards on teacher education preparation program evaluation and improvement.
Check out how the data helps them paint the “big picture” for their program in this latest blog.
We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from .
Q: Can you clarify whether applicants from Puerto Rico need to take the TOEFL?
A: Puerto Rico is a US territory, and TOEFL is not required. Reference 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(A), which identifies that English language proficiency may be evidenced by completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or one of its territories.
Q: Which countries are considered to have English as an official language?
A: The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) has a list of countries that satisfy the English language proficiency requirement as specified in 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(C). The figure with countries in which English is the official language can be found directly in 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(C).
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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