Teaching Excellence

Review the TE Candidate Guide for information on admissions, programming, and path to certification information.

TE Candidate Guide

Summer 2025 One pager

If your undergraduate or graduate degree was earned at an institution of higher education outside of the United States, including territories of the United States, you need to complete the following steps.

1. In order to evaluate credentials from outside the United States for Formal Admission criteria, it must be determined that the credential is, at a minimum, equivalent to a baccalaureate degree issued by an accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Click here for a list of approved credential review services.
2. Evidence must be provided that the primary language of instruction was English;

OR

Verification of satisfactory scores on the English language proficiency examination (TOEFL). Click here to register for this exam.

Satisfactory Scores are as follows:

• Speaking: 24
• Listening: 22
• Reading: 22
• Writing: 21

Note: An applicant is allowed to retake the TOEFL to cumulatively achieve the required minimum scores on all sections

The Teaching Excellence program is comprised of three main components: Instructional Coaching, Learning and Development, and Certification and Compliance.

Teaching Excellence organizes its program around five core development experiences. These experiences serve as the vehicle for learning the foundational elements of effective teaching:

Induction

Induction is the foundation of teacher learning and development. This experience takes place in the summer and lasts 3 weeks.  The goal of Induction is for teachers to be prepared to set up a strong classroom culture, establish routines and procedures, and begin the work of planning and internalizing aligned lessons.

Teacher Development Saturdays

An immense amount of learning must take place to become an effective teacher.  While Induction lays the foundation, this learning must continue over the course of the year.  Teachers participate in Teacher Development Saturdays (TDS) once a quarter, to continue developing their knowledge and skills around instructional best practices.  These experiences provide opportunities not only for teachers to become aware of best practices but actually implement these practices in their work.

Professional Learning Modules

Online Professional Learning Modules (PLMs) provide teachers with exposure to a wide-range of topics.  These experiences are self-guided and may include reading and reflecting on an article, implementing high impact strategies into an upcoming lesson, or doing a case study on a student or group of students.  PLMs do not follow a particular sequence, so teachers are able to choose experiences that match their current stage of development in the classroom.

Instructional Coaching 

Instructional coaching is the cornerstone of the Teaching Excellence Program.  Each Teaching Excellence Instructional Coach works with a cohort of about 17 teachers. The relatively small size of cohorts allows for frequent and regular touch points throughout the year.  Through observations and debriefs and a variety of other methods, Instructional Coaches provide individualized support that is tailored to the specific needs of their teachers.

Certification

The core development experiences listed above serve two purposes:  First, they provide multiple avenues for novice teachers to master the foundational elements of teaching. Second, with formal admission, each contributes to the requirements necessary to obtain a standard teaching certificate in the State of Texas.  The certification team of the Teaching Excellence Program provides certification candidates with guidance around timelines, test preparation, and costs associated with certification.  Additionally, individualized updates are provided throughout the year to inform candidates of their progress towards obtaining a Texas Standard Certificate. 

Teaching Excellence organizes its program around four areas that serve as the foundational elements of an effective instructional leader.  The following elements guide the framework for preparing and developing teachers:

Teacher Effectiveness & Student Achievement

Our core purpose is to accelerate teacher effectiveness.  We believe exceptional coaching and professional development are the catalysts for this accelerated growth.  Teaching Excellence's Instructional Coaches partner with system-wide staff and campus Instructional Leaders to align feedback and support.  It is this aligned feedback that drives teachers to implement best practices, which results in student achievement. 

Classroom Culture

We believe that a strong classroom culture is dependent on a strong behavior management system, consistent routines and procedures, and building transformative relationships with students and families.

Instructional Planning & Delivery

We develop teachers to utilize research-based planning and instructional methods, ensuring students are being exposed to and mastering content in the most effective way possible. 

Data Driven Instruction

Instructional Coaches partner with teachers to assess their effectiveness based on how students are performing in their classrooms.  By taking a data-driven approach, we ensure that teachers are aware of students' needs and adjusting their instruction accordingly. 

Teacher Leadership

Instructional Coaches assist teachers in building the skills needed to be a leader both inside and outside the classroom.  We encourage teachers to advocate for themselves and their students.  Over the course of the year, Instructional Coaches aid teachers in becoming reflective practitioners who propel their own growth in the classroom.

TE Certification Exam Form

According to TAC 19 Section 228.35(1)(5)(A), each educator preparation program is required to develop and implement specific criteria and procedures that allow:

(a) Military service members or military veteran candidates to credit verified military service, training, or education toward the training, education, work experience or related requirements (other than certification examinations) for educator certification requirements, provided that the military service, training, or education is directly related to the certificate being sought.

At Teaching Excellence we want to ensure you know your rights. Below are  resources that are available to you.

Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation

You have the right to request a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation. This is not required as part of the enrollment process, however you can pursue this option to help guide your decisions to become a teacher. For more information, please see here.

Transfer Process from another Educator Preparation Program

You have the right to request a transfer from one Educator Preparation Program into another. For more information on the transfer process, please see here.

TEA Grievance page Teaching excellence grievance information

Did you know that alternative teacher certification programs were initiated in the state of Texas in response to teacher shortages? Teaching Excellence has additional information about supply and demand on the educator workforce in Texas below.

Any participant in the Teaching Excellence program must gain their official Texas Educators Certification Fingerprints via Morphotrust (the official vendor of TEA/SBEC). The 2007 Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 9 requiring fingerprint-based criminal background reviews for certain school employees in Texas Public schools. Senate Bill 9 is codified in Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 22, Subchapter C.

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You received communication from your partnership district with instructions on how to successfully complete this requirement. Please reach out to your district HR Representative for assistance

Any individual who has been convicted of an offense may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate upon completion of the Educator Preparation Program. For more information, please refer to the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) rules prescribed in §249.16.  Individuals have the right to request a criminal history evaluation letter as provided in Chapter 227, Subchapter B (relating to Preliminary Evaluation of Certification Eligibility).