How To Get A Texas Educational Aide Certificate

If you’re thinking about pursuing a career in education, you may consider a Texas educational aide certificate to get your foot in the door at local school districts.

Becoming an educational aide can be a great way to gain hands-on experience working with students before pursuing a Texas teaching license. It also offers insight into the classroom environment and can help you decide if teaching is the right career path for you.

Here are the steps you need to take to get your educational aide certification in Texas:

1. Become employed by a school district.
2. Set up your TEAL and ECOS accounts.
3. Coordinate with your school district for a recommendation.
4. Apply every two years after expiration.

Become Employed By A School District

To apply for an Educational Aide certificate in Texas, you must first be employed by a school district, according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Once you are employed, you should contact your school district for application instructions. Anyone submitted an application must have the permission of the employing school district first. The TEA will not process your application otherwise.

Set Up Your TEAL And ECOS Accounts

Once your school district permits you to apply for an Educational Aide certificate, you must set up your TEAL and ECOS accounts online.

The Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL) is a secure online portal used by educators and other professionals to access various systems managed by the TEA. It acts as a single sign-on platform, allowing users to manage their credentials and access multiple TEA systems without needing separate logins for each.

Through TEAL, users can access systems like the Educator Certification Online System (ECOS), which is used to manage certifications, applications, renewals and related documents. TEAL also provides access to other resources for education professionals, including accountability systems, performance reports and financial data.

If you’re an educator in Texas, TEAL is essential for managing your professional information and certifications. When setting up your accounts, make sure your first and last names exactly match your Texas Driver’s License or State ID card.

Coordinate With Your School District For Recommendation

The school district where you are employed must recommend your ECOS application. When the district recommends you, it will enter whether you are eligible to be an Educational Aide I, II or III. Which one you qualify for depends on your qualifications, experience and responsibilities. 

To become an Educational Aide I in Texas, you must:

• Be a high school graduate or hold a General Educational Development (GED) certificate
• Have experience working with students or parents (can be through church-related schools, day camps, youth groups, licensed day care centers or other similar experiences)

OR

• Be a high school student 18 years of age or older and
• Have a final grade of 70 or better in two or more education and training courses specified in Chapter 127, Subchapter G, Education and Training, for three or more credits verified in writing by the superintendent of the district where the credits were earned. 

To become an Educational Aide II, you must:

• Be a high school graduate or hold a GED certificate 
• Have satisfied one of the following requirements: 
  • Have two creditable years of experience as an Educational Aide I; or 
  • Have a minimum of 15 semester hours of college credit with some emphasis on child growth and development or related subject areas; or 
  • Have demonstrated proficiency in a specialized skill area as determined by the local school district; and 
• Have experience working with students or parents as approved by the employing superintendent 

To become an Educational Aide III, you must:

• Be a high school graduate or hold a General Educational Development (GED) certificate 
• Have satisfied one of the following requirements: 
  • Have three creditable years of experience as either an Educational Aide I or II; or 
  • Have 30 semester hours of college credit with some emphasis on child growth and development or related subject areas; and 
• Have experience working with students or parents as approved by the employing superintendent 

You can read more about the requirements for each of the Educational Aide levels on the Becoming an Educational Aide in Texas site.

If you have any questions, it’s important to reach out to your school district so there are no delays in processing your application.

Apply Every Two Years After Expiration

If you currently hold a standard 5-year Educational Aide certificate, you must now reapply for a new 2-year, non-renewable Educational Aide certificate once your original certificate expires. Moving forward, every two years, you will apply for a new Educational Aide certificate.