 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.
You may subscribe to the newsletter or access previous editions
using the links below:
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Topic
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Description
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Event Date & Time
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Observation Tool Launch Webinar
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The I2I Dashboards Team will host a training on the Observation Tool.
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Thursday, August 27, 2026
3:00 – 4:00 PM CST
via Microsoft Teams
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187 Bilingual Special Education EC–12 Framework Webinar
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The 187 Bilingual Special Education EC–12 Framework Webinar will guide program faculty or staff through an overview of the new Bilingual Special Education EC–12 Exam Framework, the exam timeline, and the context of the creation of the certificate. Programs will have an opportunity to discuss curriculum alignment and implementation planning needed to support the new Bilingual Special Education EC–12 certification pathway.
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Thursday,
September 3, 2026
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST via ZOOM
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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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187 Bilingual Special Education
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Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP) (pending SBEC action)
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Updated one pager anticipated Summer 2026
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- Core EC-6
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Core with Fine Arts/Health/PE
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Core with Bilingual Education Spanish
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Core with ESL
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Updates related to Educator Preparation Program Management
New: Deadline Approaching for Attestation of Compliance with State Law
TAC Chapter 228 [§228.31(e)] requires all Texas EPPs to attest to compliance with certain coursework prohibitions and requirements, as statutorily required in TEC §21.0442(b)(3) since July 2025. The rule requires this attestation of compliance by September 1, 2026. EPPs who have not completed this attestation will continue to receive Qualtrics reminders sent to the Legal Authority/Primary Point of Contact. Failure to complete the attestation will result in a compliance violation under TAC §228.121(d)(4)(A) and could result in further sanctions. Reach out to EPPreview@tea.texas.gov with any questions.
New: Action Required: Submit Route Realignment Letter by August 28, 2026
If your EPP offers Teacher preparation in the post-baccalaureate (PB) route, please refer to the email that was recently sent to your EPP's Legal Authority or designated point of contact regarding the Teacher route realignment process required under the updated SBEC rules implementing House Bill 2.
That communication included detailed guidance, a route realignment information document, and a template letter that must be submitted to TEA to initiate Step 1 of the route realignment process. If applicable to your EPP, the letter must be submitted to TEA no later than August 28, 2026.
Please note that these changes apply only to Teacher preparation programs. There are no route changes for non-teacher certification programs.
Reminder: Update to Foreign Credential Evaluation Requirements for Out-of-Country Applicants
TEA Educator Certification has updated the Foreign Credential Evaluation (FCE) guidance for applicants seeking an out-of-country credentials review under 19 TAC Chapter 245.
Applicants may now select a foreign credential evaluation service of their choice. In accordance with 19 TAC §245.10, the evaluation must be an original detailed report or course-by-course evaluation for professional licensing prepared by a foreign credential evaluation service recognized by TEA staff. Recognition is determined during the credentials review process based on whether the evaluation complies with rule requirements and provides sufficient information to evaluate the applicant's academic preparation and educator credentials.
The Out-of-Country Credentials Review webpage has been updated to reflect this change and no longer references specific credential evaluation associations or providers.
The Educator Certification License and Permit Specialist team will continue to exercise due diligence when completing out-of-country credentials reviews by carefully reviewing each FCE submitted to ensure compliance with the requirements of 19 TAC §245.10. Educator preparation programs are likewise encouraged to continue their careful review of FCEs submitted by candidates to ensure they contain sufficient information regarding degree equivalency before relying on them for admission.
Updates related to ASEP Reporting 2025-2026
Reminder: ASEP Data Distribution
The Student Growth rosters were shared with EPP Legal Authorities, via ShareFile, on August 18, 2026. Additionally, the Principal and Teacher Survey rosters were shared with EPP Legal Authorities, via ShareFile, on July 31, 2026. EPPs have the option to review all three rosters and submit a request for exception (RFE) form, if needed.
As a reminder, beginning last year, the RFE forms were transitioned from a PDF to Excel to improve user experience and streamline data reporting. With this change, EPPs are now able to enter and submit all ASEP exceptions within a single form.
TEA will share the Year-to-Date Observation datasets in early September 2026.
The deadline for RFE submission is September 15, 2026. However, TEA recommends EPPs submit their RFE form as soon as it is ready. TEA will begin reviewing RFEs in late August. Once reviewed, TEA will send a copy back to you for your records and to inform you of the status of all requested exceptions. If you submit the form early and it is returned prior to September 15, 2026, you may re-submit if you wish to make any updates or corrections prior to the September 15 deadline. RFEs, including updates or corrections, will not be accepted after September 15. This approach has been the practice in prior years.
Countdown to ASEP Reporting 2025-2026
To assist EPPs with completing ASEP Reporting with ease, we have developed weekly reminders for those EPP staff working on ASEP Reporting. Each week, you will receive weekly reminders in this Newsletter that include timely tasks that will lead to successful completion of data reporting by September 15, 2026. Please remember that the 2024-2025 Technical Manual published on the Program Provider Resources page on the TEA website is a wonderful “how to” resource for using the various functions needed for reporting in ECOS and contains some useful tips for problem solving, if needed.
New: Week 6 ASEP Tasks 8/17-21/2026: Enter All Observations
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Verify that all the observations completed in 2025-2026 (9/1-8/31) have been entered into ECOS. Observations for the 2025-2026 year are entered into the Clinical Experience Record (CER). There is an updated functionality that will allow EPPs to add observations that are associated with any clinical experience that has an end date in the 2025-2026 year, along with any clinical experience that began in the 2025-2026 year but has not yet ended. All observations must be reported for all teacher and non-teacher candidates completing clinical teaching, internship, residency or practicum. All observations must be reported in the reporting year in which they occurred.
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Ensure that all your field supervisors are on your field supervisor list in ECOS. If they are not there, please enter them so observations for candidates assigned to those field supervisors can be entered into ECOS. If you are trying to enter an observation record with a field supervisor who is not in the system, the observation record will not load. You must add the field supervisor first.
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If necessary, complete the Request for Exception (RFE) form to submit an exception request for a candidate whose observations should not be included in the data calculations. The ASEP Request for Exception (RFE) Form for Observations, Principal Survey, Student Growth, and Teacher Survey is located on the Program Provider Resources page under ASEP Reporting 2025-2026 Forms. Submit forms securely to the Data Reporting Help Desk.
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For the best functionality of RFE forms, use Google Chrome to download and save the form on your computer before completing. Please fill out the first sheet of the form completely, then enter all RFE requests for observations, principal survey, student growth, and teacher survey on the next sheet. Save the completed form and attach it to a Help Desk ticket to submit to TEA.
Reminder: Week 5 ASEP Tasks 8/10-14/2026: Create Clinical Experience Records
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Verify that each candidate who completed any part of a clinical experience (clinical teaching, internship, or practicum) in 2025-2026 has a Clinical Experience Record.
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Ensure that all cooperating teachers, mentor teachers, host teachers, and site supervisors are entered to create the Clinical Experience Record.
Note: You can download the Clinical Experience Records from ECOS into a spreadsheet to assist with reviewing and verifying your data. Be sure to review the 2024-2025 Technical Manual on the Program Provider Resources page if you need assistance with downloading records from ECOS.
Reminder: Week 4 ASEP Tasks 8/3-7/2026: Update the Finisher Records List.
- Verify that all 2025-2026 finishers are correctly listed on the Finisher Record List (FRL) with a status of “Finisher” (F). If a finisher is on the FRL for certificate categories they are not finishing, remove the certificate categories that the candidate will not be finishing.
- If candidates left your EPP without completing program requirements during the 2025-2026 reporting year, remove all certificate categories from your FRL and ensure any associated test approvals have also been removed. The candidate's record must be updated to "Removed" during the 2025-2026 reporting year. Once ASEP closes on September 15, 2026, you will no longer be able to make changes to the FRL for the 2025-2026 reporting year.
- Remember to review the candidates from your mid-year data set in ShareFile. This data was provided to you in your ShareFile folder in March 2026 and it includes the number of consecutive years of enrollment for your candidates. Pursuant to 19TAC §228.31(b), EPPs must have an exit policy that identifies a point of dismissal for inactive candidates after no more than two years of inactivity Please review candidate records to determine whether any inactive candidates should be exited in accordance with your program’s published policy. Note: Candidates that are removed will need to apply and be admitted if they want to work with the EPP in the future.
Reminder: Week 3 ASEP Tasks 7/27-7/31/2026: Complete all admission reporting.
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Each year TEA invoices each EPP for each unique admission. To do this accurately, we ask that you verify that each candidate admitted in 9/1/2025-8/31/2026 has an accurate admission record, and includes all required admission data has been included in the record. If you need to update a record, you can do so manually or by bulk upload. Instructions are included in the 2024-2025 Technical Manual located on the Program Provider Resources page of the TEA website.
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EPPs can also view their admissions in ECOS. The steps are as follows:
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Go to ASEP>Maintain Admissions in your greenscreen.
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Select 2025-26 Reporting Year and click the green Search button. You will see all candidates admitted for 2025-2026.
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At the bottom of the page, you will see “Click Here to download the data in comma delimited format (Excel sheet)
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Reminder: Admission records for candidates admitted in 2025-2026 cannot be created after 8/31/2026 except for candidates admitted in the last week of August beginning August 25, 2026. Those records can be entered until ECOS locks the ASEP reporting year on 9/15/2026 but should be entered within seven days of the date of formal or contingency admission per 19 TAC §227.17 or 19 TAC §227.15, respectively. This means that for all candidates admitted between 9/1/2025 and 8/25/2026, the deadline for ensuring that their admission records are complete and correct is 8/31/2026.
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Be sure to review the 2024-2025 Technical Manual on the Program Provider Resources page. It is located under Forms and Documents. This is a helpful resource as it provides step-by-step instructions for completing admission reporting.
Reminder: Week 2 ASEP Tasks 7/20-24/2026:
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Ensure that TEA has your updated EPP Contact Information.
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Each EPP should have one Legal Authority or, for an EPP at a school district or Education Service Center, a Primary Contact, and at least one Backup Legal Authority. If you have recently had a change in these staff, please use the EPP Change Request Form to update the contact information.
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Each EPP must have a Primary Title II Pearson and Title II IPRC contact and should have a Secondary contact for each, if possible. Ensure that TEA has these current contacts. The following organizations must also have current contact information for your Title II contacts:
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Make sure that the following contacts are correct (your assigned TEA specialist can provide you a list of contacts that we have on file for your EPP):
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Your LBB contact if you are a college or university.
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The staff that manages your data.
To verify contacts with TEA, please submit a Help Desk ticket to the Preparation Programs tile.
Reminder: Week 1 ASEP Tasks 7/13-17/2026:
1. Know your assigned Education Specialist. This is the TEA staff member that you will need to reach out to when you have questions about ASEP Reporting. The EPP Education Specialist Assignments list is published on the Program Provider Resources page under Forms and Documents. Your Education Specialist is one of four staff members:
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Trinity Bankhead
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Rebecca Bunting
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Jennifer Gonzalez
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Lorrie Ayers, Director
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2. Become familiar with the Help Desk, which EPPs should use for all questions related to ASEP Reporting. Your Education Specialist will address your EPP’s questions in the Help Desk. We are in the Help Desk under the Educator Testing and Preparation Programs tile. |
3. Review the 2024-2025 Technical Manual on the Program Provider Resources page. It is located under Forms and Documents. This is a helpful resource as it provides useful information needed to complete ASEP Reporting.
4. Review your ASEP reporting processes from 2024-2025. We recommend that you review internal documents, correspondence with your Education Specialist, and any place where you encountered difficulties. Particularly if your EPP encountered challenges with Observation reporting or was subject to an informal review, we encourage you to review your processes and reach out to your assigned Education Specialist early and proactively seek support.
5. Register for the ASEP Reporting 2025-2026 webinar on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM CST. The webinar will provide useful information and reminders about state reporting processes and tips to improve the reporting experience. Please find the link in the Upcoming Events section above.
Updates related to the PREP Program Allotment
New: PREP Allotment Eligibility: Verifying Candidate Residency Status
Candidate educator records appear on the school system’s Manage Partnership PREP Allotment page only after an EPP creates a clinical experience record indicating that the candidate is participating in a residency assignment. Because these records come from EPP-submitted data, school systems should verify each candidate’s status before assigning a PREP allotment designation.
If a candidate’s eligibility is unclear, the school system should contact the partnering EPP to confirm whether the candidate is a resident candidate or is completing clinical teaching. A candidate may appear as a resident in a clinical experience record but may not ultimately meet PREP residency requirements.
If the EPP confirms that the candidate is not a resident and is not eligible for PREP residency status, the school system does not need to assign a PREP allotment status. Verifying status with the EPP supports accurate reporting and appropriate administration of PREP allotment funds.
Need Help? Join us for PREP Office Hours.
Get support with key implementation tasks, including:
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Adding your data manager so they can enter data into ECOS
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Entering participant data into ECOS
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Addressing general PREP implementation questions
Wednesday, August 19th, 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Wednesday, August 26th, 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Reminder: PREP Partnership Agreement Submissions
PREP Partnership Agreement(s) Upload Link: EPP and IHE partnership agreements must be signed and uploaded to generate funding for associated residents and GYO candidates.
Please visit the PREP Allotment webpage to find helpful program information, guidance documents, resources, and updates.
Updates related to Educator Standards and Certification
New: Texas Scorer Recruitment Opportunity
Pearson is currently recruiting qualified Texas educators and educator preparation professionals to serve as scorers for select Texas educator certification assessments. Scorers support the integrity and consistency of the scoring process by applying their content expertise to the evaluation of candidate responses.
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BTLPT
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LOTE Spanish
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ELAR 7-12
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PPR Trade & Industrial Ed
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Health
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TASC
Those interested in learning more about scorer qualifications and the application process may visit the Texas Program scorer recruitment page. Thank you for helping connect qualified professionals who can contribute to the Texas educator certification assessment program.
Reminder: Fall 2026 PASL Updates
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Plagiarism Process Changes Beginning with Fall 2026, scores will be automatically canceled when plagiarism is confirmed by the Assessment Development team under established policies. Candidates may still appeal to the Office of Testing Integrity, but scores will no longer be reviewed by the Office of Testing Integrity before cancellation. Related handbook and website language have been updated to reflect this process change.
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New Artifact Requirement Artifacts submitted as evidence must be no more than five years old relative to the administration window. See handbook p. 20 and FAQ p. 15 for details.
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Task 3 Video Clarification Updated guidance in the handbook (p. 23) and FAQ (p. 19) clarifies that at least one colleague must participate in the 10-minute reflection video. This change aims to reduce zero scores resulting from individual reflections submitted in place of collaborative discussions.
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Additional Score Feedback Information
The FAQ (p. 20) now includes information on obtaining more detailed score feedback. While paid score reviews remain available, this additional feedback option may be especially useful for candidates who receive a score of 0, as those scores are less likely to change through the review process.
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Library of Examples Updates
The Assessment Development team is currently updating the library of examples to include sample artifacts that help clarify commonly observed issues. Additional information will be shared once these resources are available on the PASL website.
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Links: handbook, and FAQ document
Updates related to Insight to Impact
New: The Insight to Impact Dashboards Trivia Challenge
Think you know your way around the Insight to Impact (I2I) Dashboards? Put your dashboard skills to the test with this five-question challenge! Whether you’re a new user or a seasoned veteran, these questions will help you discover resources, revisit key tools, and sharpen your ability to find valuable information that can support continuous improvement efforts at your EPP.
Participate in the Insight to Impact Dashboards Trivia Challenge now!
Reminder: Observation Tool Launch Webinar
On Thursday, August 27, from 3-4 p.m. CT, the I2I Dashboards Team will host a training on the new Observation Tool. The tool was designed to address the difficulties with observation collection and reduce the burden of analysis for users.
Updates related to agency initiatives and opportunities
Reminder: TREO Review and Stakeholder Input of SBEC Rules
The Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO) is conducting a Regulatory Efficiency Review (RER) of State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rules. As part of the RER process, external stakeholders have 14 days to provide feedback. TEA is seeking public input on the draft RER report.
We take this space to highlight questions that we have heard from EPPs.
Q: What is the official date of formal admission?
A: The official date of formal admission is the effective date identified in the educator preparation program's written offer of admission. For example, if the admission letter states, "Your formal date of admission will be August 15, 2026," then August 15, 2026 is the candidate's formal admission date. This date is not necessarily the date the admission letter was sent, the date the applicant received the letter, or the date the applicant accepted the offer. While a candidate must accept the offer of admission in writing before being considered formally admitted, the official admission date is the date specified in the admission offer as the effective date of admission. This is the date that should be maintained in the candidate's records and reported to TEA in ECOS.
Q: Can an applicant take coursework before formal admission?
A: In most cases, applicants in alternative certification programs may not receive coursework, training, or examination approval that leads to initial certification before they are formally admitted to the educator preparation program. The only exception is for candidates admitted under the contingency admission provisions in 19 TAC §227.15. For university-based educator preparation programs, coursework or training completed prior to formal admission may be counted when it was provided by the same accredited institution of higher education as part of a previously conferred degree, prerequisite courses for a degree leading to initial certification, or a different program of study. Non-university-based programs do not have these exceptions and must ensure that candidates are formally admitted before receiving coursework, training, or test approval that leads to initial certification. Please refer to 19 TAC §227.17 for additional information.
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 Education Specialist Assignments
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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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