The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) was created by the Texas Legislature in 1995 to recognize public school educators as professionals and to grant educators the authority to govern the standards of their profession. The Board oversees all aspects of the preparation, certification, and standards of conduct of public school educators.

The State of Texas requires that each professional level employee (teacher, counselor, administrator) serving in a Texas public school must hold a valid Texas Certificate or be working on Texas Certification.

Teachers Already Certified in Texas

All teachers who currently hold a Texas Certificate must have a copy of their certificate on file in the Department of Human Resources. The certificate must be valid for employment in Texas public schools. If the certificate you hold was issued prior to February 1986 and has not been revalidated for employment purposes, you must take one of the following state exams to revalidate the certificate:

• Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) Reading and Writing Sections only, OR
• Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET)- any exam
• Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES)- any exam

Certification by Examination

If you currently hold a Texas Certificate, but are interested in qualifying for an additional teaching field or certification to teach at another level, you may do so by successfully completing the appropriate TExES or ExCET exam for that subject. The TOPT exam is also required for areas such as Bilingual, Spanish, and French. Upon completion of the exam(s), you will apply and pay ($77) online with SBEC to receive a new Texas Certificate with this additional certification area. Certification by examination is not available for initial certificates, professional certificates, or career and technology certificates based on experience.

Renewal of Standard Texas Certificates

In accordance with the State Board, all educators who hold a standard certificate(s) are responsible for renewing the certificate(s) and paying the renewal fee ($20). General requirements for all classes of standard certificates can be found at the SBEC certifications renewal requirements page. Educators now have the option of renewal online through the SBEC Online System.

Recent Texas Graduates

If you have recently graduated from a Texas university and have completed a teacher education program, you must provide documentation from your university advising AISD of your current certification status. In order for AISD to employ you as a contract teacher, you must:

• have met all degree and certification requirements, including student teaching, and passed all required exams, and you have been recommended to the SBEC for a Texas Teacher Certificate.

Routes to Texas Teacher Certification

If you currently hold a bachelor's degree, have at least a 2.5 GPA, and are interested in becoming certified in Texas, you must complete a teacher education program to become initially certified. There are three routes to becoming certified initially in Texas.

Teachers from Out-of-State or Out-of-Country

A person with a standard out-of-state or out-of-country certificate must apply for a Texas One-Year certificate to be employed in a public school. The out-of-state/country certificate must be a standard certificate with no course deficiencies, must be equivalent to a certificate issued in Texas, and must not have been revoked or suspended. The certificate can be expired as long as it was standard at the time it was issued.

An applicant with a standard out-of-state or out-of-country certificate must apply online to the State for a Review of Credentials. The SBEC will evaluate only those areas listed on the out-of-state certificate and once completed, a Texas One-Year Certificate will be issued. During the validity of this One-Year Certificate, you must pass all appropriate TExES or ExCET exams exams for each certification area for which continued certification is desired. The exams are divided into two parts: Content Specialization and Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) for the TExES or Professional Development (PD) for the ExCET. All classroom teachers must pass a PPR or PD test at the appropriate level of certification plus the appropriate content area exam(s). The Texas One-Year Certificate is valid for 12 months and is nonrenewable. For additional information, you may contact the SBEC at 1-888-863-5880.

Traditional Teacher Education Program Versus Alternative Certification Program

If you hold a bachelor's degree and have a 2.5 GPA but did not complete a teacher education program, there are two ways you can become a certified teacher:

• Contact the education department of a Texas university to find out what is required to become certified in Texas, OR
• Complete an Alternative Certification Program (ACP)

Traditional Teacher Education Program in Texas

If you have completed a bachelor's degree in something other than education, but would like to become a teacher, you can contact the education department at a university that is approved to offer teacher certification. The university will review your credentials and advise what is required to receive a Texas certificate. A college deficiency plan can be prepared outlining what courses plus exams are required for the certificate. In order for AISD to employ you as a contract teacher you must have met all degree and certification requirements. In certain cases, AISD will sponsor an internship in lieu of student teaching. The university determines the beginning date of the internship. Please contact the certification officer at your university for further details.

The following Texas universities offer information on university-based certification:

• Texas State University - Certification Office (512) 245-3050
• Huston-Tillotson University - Dr. Judith Loredo (512) 505-3043
• Concordia University - Laura Arldt (512) 486-1299
• St Edward's University - Dr. Frank Smith (512) 448-8651
• Le Tourneau University - Maxine Potter (512) 419-9145 ext. 7105

Alternative Certification Program (ACP)

An Alternative Certification Program provides a way for college graduates to become teachers without completing a traditional teacher education program. This route is considered "alternative" because it accomplishes certification outside the traditional university setting. In the traditional university setting, individuals attend the university program and then are recommended by the university upon completion of their certification program. Through an alternative program, an individual is accepted in a program approved by the SBEC and then takes initial course work in such areas as curriculum, reading, teaching strategies, and classroom management, which will prepare you to be an "intern" for classroom teaching. You may contact the following SBEC approved Alternative Certification Programs for information: