Teacher Certification (Domestic): Timeline

Submit a completed application packet

• Application—completed online or downloaded and mailed to program with application fee
• Official Transcripts—mailed to P.O. Box 1626, Denton, TX 76202
• $50.00—paid by credit card at time of online application or by check/money order mailed to program with downloaded application--this is a non refundable fee
• Applications will be retained for six months. If a completed packet is not submitted within six months, the application will be destroyed.
• Given access to instructional platform to track application status

Within two weeks

• Receive a notification of program status via internal messaging system or email.
• Upon acceptance, gain online access to the Letter of Agreement.
• Completed packets will be retained for six months. If the Letter of Agreement is not acknowledged within six months, the packet will be destroyed.

Within a week from the time the Letter of Agreement is acknowledged and the non refundable access fee of $250 is received, a candidate receives:

• Official Letter of Acceptance
• Instructions to establish personal account with the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)
• Access to state testing--content test should be taken at next test administration
• Access to the instructional courses--six month time frame for completion will begin on this date
• Statement of Eligibility / Payroll Deduction form--This form, which a candidate provides to school districts to which application is made, indicates all of the areas in which a candidate may be certified to teach.
• Once accepted into the program, a candidate has two full school years in which to complete all certification requirements, including the Field Experience. Once a teaching position is obtained, all program requirements must be completed by the end of the two semester field experience.

Certification Test(s)

• The content (teaching area) test is taken once accepted into the program.
• While you are seeking a teaching position, you may take certification test(s) in any content area(s) that are indicated on your Statement of Eligibility. Once you are hired, you must take the test which corresponds to your area of hire and Statement of Eligibility.
• Currently, there is not a shortage of EC-4 Generalist teachers. It is most difficult to obtain an EC-4 teaching position; therefore, you are encouraged to be flexible and open to additional content areas, i.e. 4-8 Generalist. Passing the 4 - 8 Generalist test demonstrates Highly Qualified EC - 8.
• If you are seeking Bilingual certification, you must take the Generalist test during one test administration and then take the Bilingual test after the Generalist test has been passed.
• If you are seeking Special Education Certification, you will need to pass a specific content area test, i.e., EC – 4 Generalist or 4 -8 Generalist to indicate that you are Highly Qualified.
• You must be Highly Qualified to be hired in a core content area.
• The Test Approval request must be submitted to receive permission to take the content area test.
• The TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities test (PPR) is not taken until:
• The content test (and TOPT/TASC if applicable) are passed
• The instructional courses, EDTC 5000-5600, are successfully completed
• The candidate is hired by a district

Instructional Courses

• Access to the instruction is released once the Letter of Agreement and non refundable access fee of $250 is received. The six month timeline will begin on the date access to EDTC 5000 is given.
• The introductory course and the six instructional courses are self-paced, although progress is required during a six month time frame.
• A candidate is permitted to progress from one course to the next course at a rate no faster than one course per 10 days.
• A candidate not completing the final instructional course, EDTC 5600, within six months from being enrolled EDTC 5000 may request permission to be reenrolled in the courses for a three-month period with the payment of the access renewal fee.

Field Experience

• A candidate may begin the job search for a paid, full-time teaching position as soon as he/she is accepted into the program and fulfills the initial requirements.
• Once a paid teaching position has been obtained, all of the program requirements must be completed by the end of the two semester field experience placement.
• A candidate is enrolled in EDTC 5700--You Are Hired, a field experience.
• A candidate applies for a Probationary Certificate. A candidate cannot be recommended for a Probationary Certificate until he/she has demonstrated being Highly Qualified either through hours or testing.
• A candidate is assigned a Program Supervisor.
• A Payroll Deduction form is processed.

Recommended for Certification

• A candidate is recommended for a standard teaching certificate after successfully fulfilling the following program requirements:
• Pass the required certification tests.
• Complete the instructional courses.
• Complete the field experience with recommendation from Supervising Mentor and campus administrator.
• Submit required reflections in EDTC 5700
• All program fees paid
• Submit evaluation survey