How Texas Alternative
Teacher Certification Works
Texas is one of many states in the United States of America that offers alternative certification pathways for prospective teachers who haven’t completed a traditional teaching certification program.
In this article, we’ll explore how alternative teacher certification works in Texas.
How Does Texas Alternative Teacher Certification Work?
If you’re looking to become a teacher in Texas but haven’t completed a traditional teacher training program, don’t worry. Texas has many alternative pathways to teacher certification. There are many alternative educator preparation programs in Texas, including iteach.
If you hold a Bachelor’s degree and qualifying GPA, you may qualify for alternative teacher certification in Texas. To obtain your certification, you will need to find, apply to, and successfully complete an alternative teacher certification program. As part of your alternative certification program, you’ll gain real classroom experience, either as part of a paid Internship or an unpaid Clinical Teaching experience.
In the next section, we’ll explain how to achieve your certification step-by-step.
How to Become a Fully Licensed Teacher in Texas Through Alternative Teacher Certification
There are a handful of steps to becoming a certified teacher in Texas through an alternative teacher certification program.
Research Approved Programs
Once you know that you would like to teach, you should find an ACP (alternative certification program) that fits your needs. Texas has over 100 different ACPs.
Look for a program that offers certification in your subject area and meets your requirements. Other factors you will want to consider include the reputation of the program, its success in placing candidates in teaching jobs, and program cost.
Get Accepted by an Approved Program
Once you’ve found the program or programs you’d like to apply to, it’s time to prepare your application materials. Each program has different requirements and deadlines, so make sure you do your research before applying to ensure you have the best possible chance at success.
Your program will also identify what you’re qualified to teach based on your college credit. They’ll approve you for your applicable certification exam.
Begin Your Alternative Certification Program (ACP)
Once you’ve been accepted at an ACP, it’s time to begin your training! Each program works differently, so you will work with your program to create a plan and follow its structure.
At iteach, you’ll complete several courses on various pedagogical topics. These courses are designed to adequately prepare you for the classroom.
Find a Teaching Position
Depending on the program, you will either complete a Clinical Teaching experience or an Internship.
A Clinical Teaching experience is when you are placed in a classroom alongside a lead teacher, who acts as your mentor. You will work in the classroom alongside the lead teacher for at least 14 weeks, though the exact duration of the experience will depend on your program.
It’s important to note that Clinical Teaching experiences are often unpaid.
Some programs, like iteach, let participants complete an Internship instead of a Clinical Teaching experience. An Internship, also called a Residency or Field Experience, is a two-semester paid position where you are the teacher of record in the classroom.
Pass Your Exams
You will need to pass the TExES content area test for the subject area you teach in before you start teaching. You will also need to pass the Professional Pedagogy and Responsibility (PPR) to qualify for your Standard Certificate before the end of your residency.
Apply for Your Standard Certificate
Once you have passed your exams, completed your teaching experiences, and finished your program’s coursework, you can apply for a Standard teaching certificate. Your program must recommend you for certification, so it’s important to make sure you’ve met all the requirements.
How iteach's Alternative Certification Works in Texas
We’ve got four simple stages to getting your full license in Texas. Let’s take a look at each of these stages in detail.
Apply and Enroll
Your first step is to fill out our application.In Texas, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a 2.5 minimum GPA. You’ll also need to upload your transcripts so we can verify that you have taken the required coursework and so we can identify your content area.
You’ll also need to take the Introductory Course. Learn more about our admissions process and identification of content areas here.
Once we accept you into the program, you’ll sign your letter of agreement and pay your $99 enrollment fee. This payment is deducted from your total program cost.
Train and Prepare
After you pay your enrollment fee and sign your letter of agreement, you are officially enrolled in the program. It’s time to train for the classroom.
You’ll need to set up your payment plan during this stage. You’ll pay $99 a month, which is deducted from your total tuition. After you’re hired, we’ll divide your remaining balance into nine or ten equal payments.
As you budget, bear in mind there are some additional state-required fees that you will pay to outside agencies or companies.
- Certification Exams – $116 (additional fees may apply)
- Background Check / Fingerprinting – $52.20
- Intern Certificate – $78
- Standard Certificate – $78
In this stage, you’ll also complete your pre-hire courses. These online, self-paced courses are:
- 5100: Learning Environments
- 5200: Learner Development
- 5300: Planning Instruction & Assessments
Our coursework is engaging and designed to prepare you adequately for the classroom. We also give you premium access to Khanmigo, Khan Academy’s AI teaching assistant. We’re the only educator preparation program to integrate Khanmigo directly into our coursework.
You will also need to study and take your content area exam. Don’t forget that iteach offers you 90 days of Passage Preparation for you to study successfully.
Texas requires you to complete 30 hours of classroom observation. Fifteen of these hours must be in an early childhood through grade 12 classroom, but you can complete the other fifteen through Teaching Channel.
Once you’ve completed all these steps, you can access your Statement of Eligibility for hire.
Teach with Full Pay
You will complete a two-semester paid residency where you will be employed full-time as a teacher in your content field. In this position, you receive the salary and benefits of a first-year teacher.
You must secure your own residency/ field experience position through a Texas Education Agency (TEA) approved school district application and interview process. Obtain your job in any public, charter, or TEA-recognized private school.
During the residency/ field experience, you will be assigned a highly experienced supervisor who will visit your classroom periodically, offer guidance and support, and work closely with the campus administration to ensure you are successful.
iteach will provide you with 1:1 content-specific instructional coaching to hone your teaching techniques.
In Texas, iteach also offers an intensive unpaid 14-week, five-day-a-week, full-day clinical teaching option to help you hone your teaching and classroom management skills in an expedited timeline. Our statewide clinical program is designed to provide placement based on the content area(s) you have demonstrated mastery of. iteach secures the clinical placement for you. Clinical placements take place in the Spring semester, and you must apply for your placement in the Fall.
You’ll also complete the rest of your iteach coursework before the end of your residency. The remaining courses are:
- 5400: Literacy and 21st Century Instruction
- 5500: Learner Differences and Special Needs
- 5600: Diverse Populations, English Language Learners, and Bilingual Students
- 5700: Residency-specific course, during your first year in the classroom
- 5800: Comprehensive Program Review
Get Licensed
Before the end of your residency, you’ll need to pass your TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam.
Once you complete your residency and pay your tuition in full, you can apply for your full certification through the TEA.
Choosing iteach for Alternative Teacher Certification in Texas
If you’re searching for an accredited alternative teacher certification program in Texas, you may want to consider iteach.
iteach is an alternative certification program that helps prospective teachers enter the classroom with full pay in just a few months. iteach has trained more than 29,000 teachers and boasts an impressive pedagogy exam pass rate.
If you’re accepted as an iteach participant, you’ll receive:
- Two semesters of supervision under an experienced teacher
- Access to an instructional coach in your subject area
- A free year of access to more than 1,600 training videos through Teaching Channel
- Low upfront costs (just $99/month) while you prepare
iteach also offers remote learning so you can access training from a convenient location.
If you’re looking for an accredited alternative teacher certification program with a strong reputation and track record of success, apply to iteach today.
Final Thoughts
Texas is one of many states to offer alternative teacher certification programs which allow prospective teachers to train and work without the long training times and expensive coursework of traditional teacher training programs.
If you’re hoping to be a teacher in Texas but didn’t go through a traditional teaching program, consider alternative teacher certification as a pathway to achieving your career goals.