In the year 2000, 76.6 million students were enrolled in US schools, and that number continues to grow annually. Those 76 million are your children, or maybe even your parents, and their education is serious business, with almost 9 billion dollars budgeted to education in America each year.
Beneath the ‘summers off’ exterior, teaching can be as demanding as it can be rewarding. The look of comprehension in a student’s eyes, or a positive trend in test results, balances out the stress of classroom management, coping with administration, or communicating to parents.
Ensuring student quality is a vital component of education, and the first step is making sure that teachers are competent and qualified. That’s why there are specific criteria for Texas teacher certification.
Texas Teacher Certification
Teacher Certification in the State of Texas is governed by the State Board for Educator Certification. The SBEC requires prospective teachers in Texas to pass examinations evaluating Board-approved professional and subject matter knowledge.
To obtain certification in Texas, a teacher also has to satisfy other requirements outlined by the state. Candidates are required to participate in a university-based or alternative teacher preparation program of schooling. Once these steps have been completed, a teacher needs to apply for certification on the Texas Teacher Certification web site.
Taking the Test
There are two required tests for teachers seeking certification in Texas. First is the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES). The TExES tests are based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, also known as TEKS. TEKS is a list of educational benchmarks by grade level. The minimum passing score for the TExES is 240 out of a possible 300.
The second test is the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET). The ExCET is designed for prospective school administrators that focuses on both content knowledge and philosophy of education. The ExCET is scored 1-100, and scores of 70 or above are passing.
Both the TExES and the ExCET are administered by the Education Teaching Service (ETS). Their texas teacher certification page is a great resource for the latest updates and test information.
Getting certified in Texas is a rigorous and stressful process. Teaching Solutions, a provider of test success systems for the Texas Teacher Certification tests, offers programs to help prospective teachers prepare!
Teaching Solutions Test Mentoring
14525 S.W. Millikan Way, Suite #8323
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(Testing Research Executive Building, 4th Floor)
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