TExES And Graduation Deadlines

This page is designed to serve as a general guideline to the various deadlines and other important dates in the student-teacher semester. Please keep-track of these dates and contact your university supervisor and/or the ETBU department of teacher-education as soon as any issues arise.

The Abridged Version

(Each step is described in more detail below)

Before Student Teaching Semester

• Take your practice exams (Content and PPR)
• Apply to the student-teaching program
• Apply for Graduation

During Student-Teaching Semester

• Apply for certification
  • Pay the fee
  • Apply for finger-printing
  • Pay the fee
• Take your TExES Exams
  • Get the forms signed & handed-in
  • Register
  • Pay the fees 

Before you leave your schools

• Get the Clearance form signed
• Get your evaluation of student-teaching form completed by campus mentor.

The Unabridged Version

This section contains detailed instructions for each step in the process toward graduation. *Note: these steps and the applicable fees are assigned by the State Board for Educator Certification and the Texas Education Agency and not ETBU.

Prior to student-teaching you should have:

• Taken your practice exams
  • Content (administered by the ETBU Music Department)
  • Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (EC -12 Practice Test)(Administered by the Teacher Education Department)
• Applied to the student-teaching program (in Dr. Sargent’s class)
• Apply for graduation in the Registrar’s Office. Pick-up a form in the Registrar’s office or down-load from the following site:

http://www.etbu.edu/Registrar/forms.htm

You may also:

• Apply for certification (see instructions below). Specifically, this will create an account for you and give you a TEA I.D. number.
• Complete your fingerprinting (see  instructions below)
• Pay the certification / fingerprinting fees (see below). The fee does not “expire” so this does not lock you into a specific time-frame.

During the Student Teaching Semester – If you have not already done so

• Apply for graduation (you may be expected to pay a late-fee)
• Re-take all practice exams you have not yet passed

Applying for Certification

At this point you are creating a profile

• Log-on to www.sbec.state.tx.us
• Follow the links to apply for certification
  • You will need social-security number, date of birth, other related information
  • Be sure to:  Provide a permanent address (not your ETBU address)
                 Provide a permanent phone number (not your dorm number)
• The computer will assign you a TEA I.D. number
• Pay the fee: $77.00

Fingerprinting:

• Can be done at Davis Insurance in Longview (across from Walmart)
• You must set – up an appointment
• You must pay the fee: $47.00
• You will get a “fast pass” once you pay the fingerprinting fee that will allow you to complete this task. 

Taking your Exams

Once you have passed all your practice exams

Step 1: The forms

• There are 2 forms in your student-teacher handbook that must be signed

1.      TExES Approval form (PPR) – must be signed be Education Department Faculty

2.      TExES Approval form (music) – must be signed by Dean of music department and Music Education faculty

• Get these forms signed and handed-in to the Education Department receptionist

Step 2: Registration

• Go to www.texes.ets.org

• Find the “Register” link and follow that link
• Use your TEA ID number to create an account
• The test you have been approved for will show-up on your screen
• If you see nothing, either you have missed a step or your information has not yet been entered (contact the education office)
• Pay the necessary fees: Each test cost 82.00 

Test dates for 2008 - 2009

                        Excerpted from http://www.texes.ets.org/texes/testDates/

Once you have taken your exams

• Scores are reported to the Education office and to you within 4 to 5 weeks
• Pending passing scores on all domains, the Education office recommends you for certification SBEC (Certification office)
• Within 2 to 3 weeks, you should receive your certification (assuming you passed your tests)
• If you do not receive notification and/or confirmation from the TEA office (in Austin) after 3 weeks following graduation, you need to contact the education office to double-check your status.
• You are done!!!

Miscellaneous (before you leave your assigned schools)

Have all miscellaneous forms completed by Cooperating Teacher and/or University Supervisor and handed-in to the University Supervisor.

1. Student-Teacher Clearance Form from 1^st and 2^nd assignments (elementary and secondary)
2. Evaluation of Student Teaching Form from 1^st and 2^nd assignments (elementary & secondary

A Summary of Fees

       1. Certification               $77.00

       2. Fingerprinting             $47.00

       3. PPR Exam                 $82.00

       4. Content Exam            $82.00