Getting your Texas teacher certification can seem like an overwhelming process. There are several steps you must take to become licensed to teach in the state, and knowing what you have to do to meet the criteria may feel like an uphill battle.
No matter what stage you are at in your life, there is a path for you to certification.
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Texas teacher certification requirements and where you can find additional information to help you realize your dream of becoming a teacher.
In most cases, yes. According to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the state requires that an individual applying for certification to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
There is one exception to this rule, however. Those applying for Health Science Technology and Trades & Industrial Education teaching certificates are exempt. However, the state does require that an applicant have the following wage-earning experience in these fields:
To earn certification, candidates must meet the educational requirements in one of three ways:
If you have a bachelor’s degree, but it is not in education, you have two options. You can either enroll in a post-baccalaureate program at another university, or you can enroll in an alternative teacher certification program.
You can read more about these options in our article, Types of Teacher Credential Programs.
Yes. You will need to meet the minimum requirements mandated by the state of Texas in order to enroll in an alternative teacher certification program.
If you have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, you must have earned a minimum 2.5 GPA, confirmed in one of two ways:
If you’re currently completing your last semester toward a bachelor’s degree, you can still qualify for enrollment in an alternative teacher certification program. You must provide a copy of your final semester schedule of classes, letter from an academic adviser or registrar indicating you are eligible for graduation.
If you do not have a bachelor’s degree, as mentioned above, you can still qualify for this type of program with full-time wage-earning experience in the field to be taught.
Yes, you still must pass the appropriate content exams to earn your teacher certification in the subject area you wish to teach. However, as you may have heard, new state testing requirements have changed when you take these content area exams.
Prior to Jan. 27, 2020, applicants to an alternative teacher certification program took the appropriate content exam before officially enrolling in a program. Now, applicants whose college transcripts do not meet the minimum 2.5 GPA requirement or do not contain sufficient coursework must take a TxPACT exam that is used for program admission.
Those who do meet the standards above can be accepted without the TxPACT exam. Once accepted into a program, interns can take the TExES exams once they have been given permission to take the test.
You can read more about this in our article, How New Testing Requirements Have Impacted Online Teacher Training.
The PPR, or Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility, is a required assessment for all individuals who wish to become a Texas teacher. According to the TEA, the PPR “is designed to assess whether a test taker has the requisite knowledge and skills that an entry-level educator in this field in Texas public schools must possess.”
To obtain your standard certification, you must pass the PPR. This certification exam is one of the final steps you will take to earn certification.
This test includes selected response (or multiple choice) and constructed response (or essay) questions. Within the selected response questions, there are single questions and clustered questions. These questions test the test taker’s knowledge of the various 13 competencies that address the requirements and demands of a teacher’s responsibility in the classroom.
Preparation for this test is very important. Our article, How To Pass Your PPR Exam, provides tips on how to best familiarize yourself with exam questions and some of the most common mistakes made by test takers.
To become certified to teach in Texas, you must submit a state application once all of the above requirements are met. It is important not to apply until you have verified with your teacher preparation program that you are eligible.
You must also be fingerprinted as part of a national criminal background check. You must submit your fingerprints electronically using an approved vendor by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
You can read more about how to accomplish these tasks in our article, How To Get Your Online Elementary Teacher Certification.
If you plan to apply to a particular district, it may be a good idea to check with that school district to see if there are any additional background checks that must be completed.
If you feel overwhelmed by this process, there is help available. A high-quality alternative teacher certification program can help walk you through the steps and help ensure you are meeting all the requirements for certification.
Having a licensed program by your side as you navigate the answers to some of your most frequently asked questions is key to getting yourself to the front of a classroom as soon as possible and ensuring the best possible outcome.
Topics: Becoming A Teacher
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