Certification requirements for the following certificates are changing as of January 1, 2021. The STR exam will be required for the issuance of an intern, probationary, and standard certifications for these certification fields beginning January 1, 2021.

• Core Subjects: Grades 4-8
• Core Subjects: Early Childhood-Grade 6
• English Language Arts and Reading: Grades 4-8
• English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies: Grades 4-8

Teachers who are currently standard certified in Core Subjects: EC-6, Core Subjects: 4-8, English Language Arts and Reading: 4-8, or English Language Arts and Social Studies: 4-8 will NOT be required to pass the STR exam for renewal of their certificate. The STR exam requirement only impacts candidates seeking certification after Jan. 1, 2021.

Visit the TEA website for detailed information on updates and relevant next steps: www.tea.texas.gov/str.

SBEC Adoption Date: July 24, 2020

SBOE Review Date: September 10-11, 2020

Projected Effective Date: October 15, 2020

Summary: The proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 233, Categories of Classroom Teaching Certificates, would implement the statutory requirements in HB 3, 86th Texas Legislature, 2019, that requires that all educators who teach any grade level from Prekindergarten-Grade 6 demonstrate proficiency in the science of teaching reading on a certification examination beginning January 1, 2021. The proposed amendments would create four replacement certificates with corresponding requirements and deadlines for issuance: Core Subjects with Science of Teaching Reading: Early Childhood-Grade 6; Core Subjects with Science of Teaching Reading: Grades 4-8; English Language Arts and Reading with Science of Teaching Reading: Grades 4-8; and English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies with Science of Teaching Reading: Grades 4-8. Technical changes would also provide clarification and consistent information related to the classroom teacher certificates issued by the SBEC.

Explanation:

DEADLINE December 30, 2020 – To keep the current 291 Core Subjects EC-6, candidates MUST obtain Standard Certification by December 30, 2020, without needing the Science of Teaching & Reading (STR) 293

———————————————Starting  January 1, 2021————————————————

STR 293 will be required to take/pass for the following Certification Areas:

ELAR 4-8, ELAR/Soc. Stud. 4-8, Core Subjects 291 & 391 

Exam Availability:

291 Core Subjects  available to test until December 30, 2021 

(It is RECOMMENDED that candidates challenge the 391 instead of the 291)

*SoTex ACP deadline to provide access to test on the 291 is October 31, 2021 (certain exceptions apply)

391 Core Subjects  Available to test starting January 1, 2021

117 ELAR 4-8 available to test until December 31, 2021

*SoTex ACP deadline to provide access to test on the 117  is September 30, 2021 (certain exceptions may apply)

217 ELAR 4-8 – Available to test starting January 1, 2022

Certification Deadlines:

• Candidates that have passed the 291 Core Subjects EC-6 and the 293 STR MUST obtain a teaching position and be placed on an Intern/Prob Certificate by December 31, 2021. Otherwise, by January 1, 2022, the 291 will no longer be valid for certification and the candidate will need to take the 391 to begin certification.

• Candidates that have passed the 117 ELAR 4-8 and the 293 STR MUST obtain a teaching position and be placed on an Intern/Prob Certificate by October 30, 2021. Otherwise, by October 31, 2021, the 117 will no longer be valid for certification and the candidate will need to take the 217 to begin certification. 

Please select the following link to read for upcoming changes to the Core Subjects exam and additional examinations required by January 1, 2021.

2021 Changes

TEA Temporarily Waives TExES Content Exam!

Governor Abbott recently announced that teaching candidates who are enrolled in Educator Preparation Programs like South Texas Transition to Teaching-ACP are no longer required to pass the TExES content exam prior to getting hired for the Fall 2020 semester.*

*Your content exam will need to be completed during your Intern Teaching year.

*If you have not passed the PPR exam, you will also be required to complete it during your Internship Year

Timeline for anyone Hired/Recommended  for an Intern Cert 

 BEFORE October 1, 2020 =  TExES content exam NOT REQUIRED

AFTER October 1, 2020 =  TExES content exam REQUIRED

Take advantage of this opportunity!!

Here’s what you need to do to become eligible for hire

1. Be enrolled in SoTex ACP (If you are not enrolled yet, click HERE to view the steps you must complete to enroll)
2. Complete your required Coursework training
3. Complete 30 Field-Based Experience Hours*
4. Pass your content exam**

That’s it! Complete these two simple tasks, and you are ready to begin looking for a teaching position!

*Waived. Anyone who enrolled on or after May 26, this is not required. Anyone enrolled PRIOR to this date, must contact your program specialist. 

**Waived and Valid until October 1st, 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions from Candidates

When does the TExES content exam waiver begin?

As of Monday, June 8, 2020 (6/8/2020), candidates are no longer required to pass their TExES content exam before receiving their Intern Certificate for the Fall 2020 semester.

Who is affected by this change?

Only candidates who have not already been hired, and are not currently on an Intern or Probationary Certificate, are affected by this new update.

Do I need my pass my TExES content exam to get hired?

No, you do not! As per Governor Abbott’s update, you CAN get hired without passing your TExES exam. 

Will ALL TExES content exam be waived?

No. This will be determined by the Program Director’s Approval. Please see below :

• Core EC-6 – Upon the Director’s Approval. Rationale: This exam is composed of 5 separate content areas. The majority will also need to pass the Bilingual Supplemental, BTLPT and PPR exam within the internship year.
• Special Education EC-12 – Can be waived
• ELA-R 4-8 – Can be waived if the candidate has a minimum of 12-15 hours *
• ELA-R 7-12 – Can be waived if the candidate has a minimum of 12-15 hours *
• Social Studies 4-8 – Can be waived if the candidate has a minimum of 12-15 hours*
• Social Studies 7-12 – Can be waived if the candidate has a minimum of 12-15 hours *
• Science 7-12 – Can be waived if the candidate has a minimum of 12-15 hours *

*Passing the ESL Supplemental may be required with some schools

Will I ever be required to take my TExES exam?

Yes, eventually. While it is not a requirement to get hired, you are required to take your TExES exam(s) by the end of your internship year and before you will receive approval for the PPR exam. It is highly recommended that you secure a testing date as soon as possible once it becomes available for you, because you will not be approved for the PPR exam (taken during your intern year), unless your TExES content exam is passed.

Should I still take the TExES content exam now?

Yes, absolutely! If you’ve been studying and preparing, we highly recommend taking the exam. It will eventually be required, and passing it now will boost your employability. School districts may have a preference to candidates who already have their exam passed.

When should I start searching for a job?

You will receive a Letter of Recommendation that you will use to apply to schools. This letter will be issued out when we determine that you are ready to start looking for a teaching position.

What is the Statement of Eligibility (SOE) and how can I get one?

This is a form that is provided directly to the Human Resources office once you are offered employment. You MUST inform us within 24 hours of your offer so the paperwork can be processed and there is no delay in your eligibility and certification. 

How long does it take to get my Statement of Eligibility (SOE)?

As soon as you inform us of your job offer, it takes less than 10 minutes to send to the human resources office.

When and how do I apply for an Intern Certificate?

Your program specialist will provide you with the steps on how to do so once it is determined you need to complete this process.

What happens if I am not recommended for my Intern Certificate before October 1, 2020?

If you fail to inform us of your job offer, and the process is delayed because of this and your Intern Certificate is not recommended BEFORE October 1, 2020, you will be required to pass the TExES content exam

Is the PACT exam also waived?

This exam can be waived upon the Program Director’s approval

Any additional questions please call the office to 956-631-4424 OR email us to teachersupport@sotexacp.com

To continue to promote health and well-being, South Texas Transition to Teaching-ACP is temporarily not accepting any in-person visits unless it is by appointment.

Please note: Due to an increased call and email volume due to COVID-19, our typical response time is temporarily delayed, however, we are committed to getting back in touch with you as quickly as possible. Thanks so much for your patience.

Have a question? We are here to help.

Our program specialists are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. CT.

You can find this information HERE

Effective June 2, 2020, the waiting period to retake a Texas educator certification examination will change from 45 days to 30 days.

Read more about it HERE

May 26 notice:

• The requirements for candidates’ experiences to be performed in actual school settings under 19 TAC §228.35(e)(6) and 19 TAC §228.35(e)(8)(A) are waived as necessary. 
• The requirements for a minimum number of hours of field-based experience under TEC, §21.051(b), and 19 TAC §228.35(e)(1)(A) and §228.35(e)(1)(B) are waived as necessary. 
• The requirements for face-to-face observations under 19 TAC §228.35(g) and 19 TAC §228.35(h) are waived as necessary

There is new information regarding certification, testing, and fingerprinting that was posted to the TEA COVID-19 webpage.  This most recent information can be found in the two additional links shown below in red:

Guidance on Educator and Staff Issues and Educator Evaluations and Non-renewal (PDF) April 14 2020

Educator Certification Testing Notice (PDF) April 16 2020

The Educator Leadership and Quality division is continuing to work on addressing certification and testing concerns submitted by programs, candidates, and districts. The EPP team will send information regarding program requirements affected by COVID-19 via email. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this process.