Reminder: TX165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental EC-12 Exam Launch 
The new 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental (BESS) exam will launch on September 1, 2026. Registration for the new 165 BESS exam is open for any EC-12 Bilingual Education-Spanish candidates. The new 165 BESS exam can be taken in place of the current 164 Bilingual Education Supplemental and the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) exams for EC -12 Bilingual Education- Spanish certificate-seeking candidates only. 

Any EC-12 Bilingual Education-Spanish candidates will be permitted to take the current 164 and 190 exams until August 31, 2027. Starting September 1, 2027, all EC-12 Bilingual Education- Spanish candidates will be required to take the new 165 BESS exam.  Please note that these exams may not be combined in any way. Candidates will have to pass either both 164 BES and 190 BTLPT exams or pass the new 165 BESS exam in its entirety to satisfy the exam requirements for EC-12 Bilingual Education- Spanish certification—certification will require candidates to satisfy all other EC-12 Bilingual Education-Spanish certificate requirements as well.  

If you have questions or need further information, please contact the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program at estexas@pearson.com. 

Reminder: TEA Learn Dyslexia Course Update
The TEA Learn Dyslexia Course is updated annually to align with the latest research and Texas Administrative Code (TAC) requirements. 

The TEA Learn Team has informed us that updates to the next course are taking longer than anticipated. To ensure continued access to training, the 2025-2026 TEA Learn Dyslexia Course will remain available until the updated version is released. An announcement will be posted on the TEA Learn Dyslexia Course page as soon as the new course becomes available. 

If you need assistance with the Dyslexia Course or have questions related to TEA Learn, please contact the TEA Learn Help Desk for support. 

Reminder: ASEP Data Entry Reminder
As ASEP reporting deadlines approach, please ensure your EPP enters as much data as possible by September 1, 2026. TEA will share the Year-to-Date Observation datasets in early September 2026, which will include as much reported data as is available on the date the datasets are generated. These reports are a valuable tool for identifying data errors, missing information, and other issues that may need attention before the reporting deadline on September 15th at 5:00 PM CST. Entering as much data as possible now will provide a more accurate picture of your program's data. 

Reminder: Week 2 ASEP Tasks 7/20-24/2026: 

1. Ensure that TEA has your updated EPP Contact Information.  
2. 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.   
3. 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:
   • es-titleii@pearson.com 
   • Title2@trewon.com  
4. 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): 
   • Your LBB contact if you are a college or university.  
   • The staff that manages your data. 

To verify contacts with TEA, please submit a Help Desk ticket to the Preparation Programs tile. 

• Wednesday, September 23, 2026, from 2:00 – 3:00 PM
• Registration Link for September 23 

Join PREP Office Hours for support with key implementation tasks, including: 

• ECOS data entry support for Spring 2027 start dates 

New: Check Out the Observation Tool Resources
Completely optional, the I2I Observation Tool provides a streamlined, digital interface for Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) to record, track, and report observations, as well as view visualized metrics associated with the observations they enter.  The primary objective of the I2I Observation Tool is to bridge the gap between field-based assessments and state-level reporting to drive continuous improvement efforts.   

Check out the newly created Observation Tool Resources webpage for the I2I TEAL Access Guide, Observation Tool User Guide, Observation Dashboard User Guide, instructional videos and the Observation Dashboard FAQ. 

New: Observation Tool Launch Session Recording Is Live
For those who missed the I2I Observation Tool launch session on Thursday, August 27, you’re luck. The recorded event video is now available for members of the EPP community who would like to learn more about how the tool can assist with tracking their candidate observations.  Feel free to share this video widely with your EPP community to ensure that all who are eligible and would benefit from utilizing this new tool have appropriate access. 

As a reminder, the EPP community can begin requesting roles for the new I2I Observation Tool on Wednesday, 9/16, and candidate observations for the 2026-27 reporting year can be entered starting on Monday, 9/21.  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) from the launch event will be added to the Observation Dashboard section of I2I Academy website by Wednesday, 9/30.   

New: I2I Dashboards Trivia Challenge Winners Announced
TEA would like to congratulate two Insight to Impact Dashboards Trivia Challenge Winners for their skillful displays! In a five-question challenge put forth in the EPP Newsletter last week, University of Texas at San Antonio Assistant Director of Assessment and Program Accountability Dr. Jessica McConnell and Lubbock Christian University Director of Certification and PDSO Shelley Parnell both received a perfect score on trivia, earning them the title of Dashboard Experts!  

Not only do they each receive widespread recognition in this newsletter and a prize (they’re definitely in the mail!), but virtual high-fives from the I2I Dashboard Team are also in order!

Q: When should an EPP deactivate a certificate?  

A: Per 19 TAC §228.73(i)(2)-(6), an EPP must request deactivation of an intern or probationary certificate when any of the following occur: 

• the candidate resigns from the internship assignment 
• the candidate is non-renewed or terminated by the employing district, 
• the candidate is discharged, released, or dismissed from the EPP 
• the candidate withdraws from the EPP 
• the candidate fails to meet pre-internship requirements within the required timeframe for a late-hire placement 
• the internship assignment no longer meets TAC requirements

The candidate must notify the EPP within 10 business days of the last day in the assignment. The EPP must submit the deactivation request and required documentation to TEA within 15 business days of the candidate's last day of employment or within 15 business days of learning of the separation 

Q: What documentation is required and what is the process for a certificate deactivation?  

A: To deactivate a certificate, the EPP should submit one Help Desk ticket per candidate to the Preparation Programs Help Desk. The request must include a deactivation letter on EPP letterhead signed by the Legal Authority or Certification Officer. The letter should identify the educator, including their TEA ID, certificate type, effective date (the candidate's last day in the assignment), employing district or school system, reason for deactivation, and the candidate's status within the EPP. The EPP must also provide evidence that both the candidate and the employing LEA were notified of the deactivation, along with any documentation that supports the reason for the request, such as a resignation, termination, release, or withdrawal letter. Detailed instructions and template letters are available on the Program Provider Resources Page under "TEA Certificate Deactivation and Reactivation Documents."