Testing & Certification

Courses have carefully been selected and crafted to meet the educational needs of students, as well as the requirements of the Texas Educational Agency and the State Board of Education. Students must successfully complete all certification exams required for initial certification, all requirements of the College of Education Educator Preparation Program, and a conferred degree from Texas Christian University to be eligible for recommendation for certification.

• Early Childhood Education (EC-6)
• Middle School Education (4-8)
• Secondary Education (7-12)
• All-Level Certification
   

All-level certification is available for those who wish to teach:

• Music
• Art
• Physical Education
• Theatre
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Generally speaking, students follow the same sequence of courses as secondary education students. All-level certification students complete a clinical teaching experience that includes elementary and secondary schools.

Courses have been carefully selected and crafted to meet the educational needs of students, as well as the requirements of the Texas Educational Agency and the State Board of Education.

For information about certification, see the School Counseling & Human Services Program Handbook or Educational Leadership Program Handbooks or contact the Director of Accreditation, Certification, and Assessment. Students must meet all TCU and TEA requirements, which are listed on the Certification Checklists on the Forms and Documents page.

A person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in a SBEC educator preparation program, or planning to take a certification exam may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person’s potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense (TAC §227.1).

Note to students or alumni seeking Principal or Superintendent Certification:
Upon graduation from the M.Ed. or Ed.D. program, students seeking principal certification are encouraged to complete the TExES exam within one year. Alumni will not be given approval to attempt a certification exam more than five years after their date of graduation. To obtain permission to test, those who have exceeded the five-year time allotment must take additional coursework, including Law & Ethics, Instructional Supervision and a two-semester, 160-hour practicum, and must pass a practice certification exam.

In order for TCU to make a final recommendation to SBEC regarding certification, certification-seeking students must have completed the required curriculum, including the 160-hour campus- or district-based practicum, and passed the appropriate certification exam. 

Certification Checklists:

• Principal
• School Counselor
• Superintendent

Graduate Admissions Requirements

• Pearson General Exam Information (select manual for area of study)
• Alternative Testing Arrangements
• Score Report Review
• Science Of Teaching Reading/EC-6
• Science of Teaching Reading/4-8
• Certification Testing-Pearson
• Digital Literacy Resource (Teacher)
• Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL)-ETS
• PASL-Candidate and Educator Handbook
• PASL Videos
  • PASL Video One
  • PASL Video Two

There is a 5-time limit on taking any single certification exam under Texas Education Code. If the student does not pass after five tries, then the candidate must complete a waiver through the Texas Education Agency to take the exam again.

Important Test Redesign Updates

Certificate	Test Being Discontinued	Last Date to Test	Last Date to Apply and Recommend for Certificate
ELAR: Grades 7-12	231-ELAR 7-12 TExES	September 1, 2024	September 1, 2025
Physical Education: Early Childhood-Grade 12	158-Physical Education EC-12 TExES	September 1, 2024	September 1, 2025

• Texas Educators Code of Ethics
• Complaint Process
• TEA Help Desk
• TEA Login (TEAL)
• Requesting New User  Account
• TEAL Set Up Process/Information
• Certification Applications and Status
• Educator Certificate Lookup
• Military Community (Fee Exemption)
• TEA Consumer Information about EPP
• Re-test Information

 

The new federal rule by the U.S. Department of Education (34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v)) that went into effect on July 1, 2020, requires institutions of higher education to inform students if their program of study will fulfill educational requirements for licensure/certification for each state.  Professional licensure/certification requirements vary from state to state.  Texas Christian University College of Education educator certification degrees fulfills the Texas educational requirements for teacher and professional certifications. 

The licensing requirements are subject to change at the discretion of each individual state educator licensing board.  It is a strong recommendation that students inquire with the applicable state educator licensing board to confirm eligibility for licensure prior to enrolling in a degree program leading to licensure/certification.  Students can contact the state/territory education agency directly with questions.

Licensing/certification requirements vary by state/territory and may affect eligibility to meet requirements for licensure/certification in the event of relocating.  Prior to relocation, it is a recommendation to contact that state/territory to ensure eligible licensure/certification or reciprocity.  Please review the educational and testing requirements for the intended state/territory licensure to determine whether the current program meets those requirements.  Use the contact information provided below for verification of any requirements for educator licensure.

Upon reviewing the information provided below, if further questions remain or clarification is necessary please contact the Director of Accreditation, Certification, and Assessment.

The State Licensing Requirements should indicate if the program curriculum Meets the requirements in these states and US Territories, Does NOT Meet the requirement in these states and US Territories or Undetermined if the program has not yet determined if the curriculum requirements are met for these states and US Territories.

* Meets with Successful Completion of Praxis Exam (PE), State Exam (SE), Basic Competency Exam (BCE), State Required Coursework (SRC),  Graduate Degree (GD), Performance Assessment (PA), Grade Point Average (GPA), Mentoring Program (MP), Valid Certificate (VC), State Background Check (SBC), Verification of Experience (VE), and/or Educator Preparation Program Verification (EPPV)

An additional resource is the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC).  Learn more about Licensure/Certification requirements for out-of-state educators with a listing by state, including an interactive map by state.  Contact information for each state licensure/certification office is available.