Reminder: 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. 

Updates related to ASEP Reporting 2025-2026 

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. 

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:

• Trinity Bankhead 
• Rebecca Bunting 
• Jennifer Gonzalez 
• Lorrie Ayers, Director
  

New: ECOS Data Entry due by August 28, 2026, to ensure October PREP Funding EPPs: Complete Clinical Experience Records (CERs) in ECOS by August 28, 2026, at 11:59 PM CST to support October PREP funding for participants in GYO, Residency, and Mentorship programs.  

Update: PREP Allotment Eligibility: Verifying Candidate Residency Status 
EPPs should work with their partnering school system(s) to confirm PREP residency status in ECOS before a PREP allotment designation is assigned.  

What EPPs Need to Do: 

• Enter CERs for PREP residency candidates into ECOS 
• Confirm each candidate’s PREP residency status with their partnering school system 
• Communicate with the school system if residency status is unclear 
• Complete ECOS updates by August 28 to ensure October PREP funding payment 

What School Systems Need to Do: 

• Connect with partnering Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) to ensure Clinical Experience Records (CERs) for PREP residency candidates are entered into ECOS. 
• Review candidate records on the Manage Partnership PREP Allotment page after the EPP creates the CER. 
• Verify each candidate’s residency status with the partnering EPP if eligibility is unclear. 
• Assign the appropriate campus and PREP allotment type only for candidates confirmed as resident candidates. 

Caution: Confirm the candidate’s residency status with the partnering EPP before assigning a PREP allotment status in ECOS. 

Need Help?   

New: Office Hours for ECOS Data Submission Questions

• Thursday, August 27, 2026, 2:00 – 3:00 PM 
• PREP Office Hour Registration Link for August 27 
•  

New: HB2 and PREP Implementation Support Documents
TEA staff has developed two new support documents to assist EPPs in their planning and implementation of HB2 and PREP Allotment requirements. The Frequently Asked Questions document has been curated from questions received from the field, while the HB2 & PREP Implementation Guide has been developed to provide EPPs with an overview of major milestones along with guidance for next steps for EPP leadership. These documents can be found here and will also be posted online on the PREP Allotment and the Program Provider Resources webpages. 

• HB2 Implementation FAQ 
• HB2 & PREP Implementtion Guide 
  

Reminder: 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! 

Q:  How does the three-year limit on preliminary certification work now that the Intern Certificate is valid for two years? 

A: The three-year limit has not changed. An individual may still serve for no more than three 12-month periods under a combination of preliminary credentials before obtaining standard certification. These credentials include Intern Certificates, Probationary Certificates, Emergency Permits, and One-Year Certificates. See 19 TAC §§230.36(c)(4) and 230.37(c)(4).  

What has changed is the length of the Intern Certificate. Because the Intern Certificate is now valid for two years, a candidate who is issued an Intern Certificate will use two of the three allowable years of preliminary certification eligibility. Once those two years have been used, only one year of eligibility remains under a qualifying preliminary credential.  

For example, a candidate who completes two years on an Intern Certificate may be eligible for one additional year on a Probationary Certificate, provided all applicable requirements have been met. Once a candidate has used all three years of preliminary certification eligibility, the only remaining route to initial certification is clinical teaching. Remember that a one-year Intern Certificate that was issued under the rules in effect at the time of issuance cannot be retroactively changed, extended, or reissued as a two-year Intern Certificate. The updated two-year validity period applies to Intern Certificates issued under the current rules and does not apply retroactively to previously issued certificates. 

Q:  Can a candidate who previously received a one-year Intern Certificate have it changed to a two-year Intern Certificate? 

A: No. A one-year Intern Certificate that was issued under the rules in effect at the time of issuance cannot be retroactively changed, extended, or reissued as a two-year Intern Certificate. The updated two-year validity period applies to Intern Certificates issued under the current rules and does not apply retroactively to previously issued certificates. 

As an Educator Preparation Program, your main point of contact is your Education Specialist.   

• View a list of EPPs and Education Specialist Assignments 
• 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 

The Teal Account Access team and Educator Testing team are available through the Help Desk. Links to both teams are below. 

• TEAL Account Access Help Desk  
• Educator Testing Help Desk