Frequently Asked Questions: EC-3 Texas Certification

Table of Contents

Currently Certified Educators ......................................................................................................................... 1

Candidates Enrolled in an Educator Preparation Program ......................................................................... 2

Out-of-State Certified Candidates ................................................................................................................... 2

Educator Preparation Programs ..................................................................................................................... 3

General Questions ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Currently Certified Educators

1. What are the requirements for a Texas certified teacher who wants to add the new Early

Childhood: Pre-kindergarten – Grade 3 (EC: PK - 3) certificate?

There are two ways for currently certified educators to obtain Early Childhood: Prekindergarten

– Grade 3 certification.

A candidate who holds a valid Texas teaching certificate in a certificate category found in 19

TAC§227.10(g) must meet the program’s admission requirements and complete a minimum of

150 clock-hours of coursework that is directly aligned to the EC: PK-3 educator standards,

including the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) standards. A clinical teaching or internship

assignment is not required. The program may recommend the standard certificate once the

candidate completes the coursework requirement, passes the required exams, and meets

standard certification requirements.

A candidate who holds a valid Texas teaching certificate in a certificate category that is not

found in 19 TAC§227.10(g) must meet the program’s admission requirements and complete all

certification requirements, including a minimum of 300 clock-hours of coursework that is

directly aligned to the EC: PK-3 educator standards, including the STR standards, and clinical

teaching or internship assignment. The program may recommend the standard certificate once

the candidate completes all program requirements, passes the required exams, and meets

standard certification requirements.

2. Can a Texas-certified teacher sign up for the Early Childhood: Pre-kindergarten – Grade

3 through the Additional Certification by Exam route?

No. Texas-certified teachers are not eligible to take the Early Childhood: Pre-kindergarten –

Grade 3 TExES certification exam through the Additional Certification by Exam route.

Educators who hold a Texas teaching certificate are required to obtain test approval from a

TEA-approved educator preparation program for this certification.

Early Childhood: Pre-kindergarten – Grade 3 Certification FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions: EC-3 Texas Certification

Candidates Enrolled in an Educator Preparation Program

1. I am currently enrolled in a TEA-approved EPP working towards my initial teacher

certification in Early Childhood: Pre-kindergarten – Grade 3. What requirements do I

need to complete?

Once admitted to the program, candidates are required to complete, at a minimum, 300 clock

hours of coursework, including 30 field-based experience hours, either a clinical teaching

experience or a full-year internship, and pass the required TExES certification exams. TEA

advises candidates to follow certification guidance from your EPP.

2. What exams are required for the Early Childhood: Pre-kindergarten – Grade 3

certification?

Passing scores on the exams listed below are required for EC: PK – 3 certifications. You will

either be required to take the TExES PPR or complete the edTPA Early Childhood Education

assessment depending on your program’s exam requirements.

• TExES #292 Early Childhood: PK-3

• TExES #293 Science of Teaching Reading (STR)

• TExES #160 Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) or edTPA:

Early Childhood Education

3. Am I required to pass the Science of Teaching Reading exam to work in an internship?

Yes. To obtain an intern certificate, passing scores on the STR and Early Childhood: PK –3

exams are required. To obtain a probationary certificate, passing scores on the STR, EC: PK-3,

and PPR (or edTPA) exams are required. Please note that depending on the internship

placement, additional exams (ex: English as a Second Language supplemental) could be

required as well.

Out-of-State Certified Candidates

1. I am currently certified out -of-state in a certificate category similar to the Early

Childhood: Pre-kindergarten-Grade 3 certificate. What am I required to complete

to obtain Texas EC: PK-3 certification?

Educators certified out-of-state may apply for a review of credentials through TEA’s

Division of Educator Certification. Please review the Out-of-State Certified Educators

page on TEA’s website for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions: EC-3 Texas Certification

2. Will I be required to take the Science of Teaching Reading exam if I am certified

out-of-state?

Certification examination requirements will be determined based on the standard

certificates you have been issued in another state and the required examinations. Adopted

amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 152, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning Examination

Requirements, 152.1001, Exceptions to Examination Requirements for Individuals

Certified Outside the State, outlines the process that individuals certified outside the state

must follow for consideration of an exception to the state-mandated examination

requirements for certification and specifies requirements for exemption to the new Science

of Teaching Reading TExES examination.

Educator Preparation Programs

1. What data is the educator preparation program required to report to TEA in

Accountability System for Educator Preparation (ASEP) for Texas certified teachers who

are only completing the 150 clock-hours of coursework and testing requirements?

The program is required to create an admission record for each candidate that is admitted for

EC: PK –3 certification. The admission record will automatically populate the candidate’s test

approval and the candidate’s enrollment information to the program’s Finisher Records List.

2. How can I verify that the admission record populated the educator preparation

program’s Finisher Records List?

The program can view the candidate’s enrollment record on the Finisher Records List by using

the “Maint Finishers” or “Student Search” links in the ASEP drop down menu. Page 19 of the

2020–2021 Educator Preparation Program Data Reporting Manual provides information about

the Finisher Records List.

General Questions

1. Where can I find a list of educator preparation programs that are approved to offer Early

Childhood: Pre-kindergarten – Grade 3 certification?

TEA provides this information through an interactive map accessed via the Approved Texas

Educator Preparation Programs link. Once you get to the map, you can filter by certificate

category (ex: Early Childhood: Pre-kindergarten-Grade 3) and certification route (ex:

undergraduate).

There are 3 different routes to certification: Traditional Undergraduate, Post-Baccalaureate, and

Alternative Certification.

Frequently Asked Questions: EC-3 Texas Certification

• The Traditional Undergraduate route requires that you earn a bachelor’s degree with teacher

certification.

• The Post-Baccalaureate route is designed for those seeking an advanced degree (master’s or

doctorate) with certification.

• The Alternative Certification route is designed for those who already hold a bachelor’s

degree (or master's degree if applicable to the certificate) and are seeking certification only.

2. Where can I find information about the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) exam?

The STR exam was mandated by the Texas legislature in the 2019 House Bill 3. There is more

information about the Science of Teaching Reading exam on the TEA website.