School District Personnel Certification Information

Assignment information can be found on the Teacher Assignment Chart. This information will let you know which certificates can be used to teach a particular course. Assignment information can also be found in the Texas Administrative Code Chapter 231.

When staffing for the school year, school districts are encouraged to review the grade levels and subjects taught, population served, and educator’s qualifications and to use their best judgment to ensure that the educator has the proper certification and has demonstrated appropriate knowledge and skills. Employment decisions are made at the local level, so you must determine what is appropriate for the assignment.

Yes. The Certification Assignment Flexibility webpage outlines options available to districts to address some of the most common certification assignment challenges and scenarios. However, these flexibilities are not applicable for special education, bilingual, or ESL assignments due to federal requirements and state statutes.

Districts may have other options to fill assignments. Districts should review their DOI plan for each claimed exemption to ensure compliance with the law and rules. We encourage all districts to consult with their legal counsel regarding the effect of any exemption claimed. The Texas Education Agency does not have the authority to approve a district's innovation plan.

There are three types of permits; emergency, non-renewable and temporary classroom assignment permits (TCAP).  The Emergency Permit Guide is a helpful resource to determine which permit would apply.

Permits for the upcoming school year can only be submitted beginning on July 1st. Applications submitted prior to this date will be processed for the previous school year. School district personnel with permit access in ECOS for Entities can submit a permit application.

The emergency permit is for individuals who are either already certified, serving in an assignment for which they are not certified and registered for the next available exam, or an individual enrolled in an approved Texas Educator Preparation Program (EPP), with a certification/deficiency plan from the EPP. District personnel must contact the educator and the candidate’s EPP before submitting a permit application, as doing so may affect program completion.

Student Services positions, such as counselor, librarian, or educational diagnostician, may be eligible for an emergency permit. Emergency permits are not available for principals or superintendents; however, districts may utilize the general certification waiver for teacher, principal, and superintendent roles.

Educators who hold a standard certificate in another state or country must apply for a review of credentials. Upon successful completion of a review of credentials, educators may be eligible for a One-Year Certificate. Our detailed out-of-state check list and detailed out-of-country check list can be used to guide educators through the entire process.

Texas does not have full reciprocity with other states. Educators who hold a standard certificate in another state(s) must apply for a review of credentials. Verification of work experience and official test score reports must be submitted to determine out-of-state test exemptions.

A standard certificate is a certificate or other credential issued to a person who has completed a state-approved certification program by an authorized licensing agency in another state or territory of the United States.

Note: Temporary permits, a credential issued locally by a city or school district, or a certificate for which academic or other program deficiencies are indicated are not acceptable.

The educator preparation program will advise the educator of the specific requirements needed for the grade level and certification area that they are seeking and will determine which certificate they qualify for.

The Intern certificate is available to candidates enrolled in a EPP who have passed all required content exams and hold completed Statement of Eligibility from the district. The intern certificate is valid for a 12-month period from the date of issuance and cannot be renewed or extended.

The Probationary certificate is available to candidates enrolled in a EPP who have passed all required content exams and PPR exam and hold completed Statement of Eligibility from the district. The probationary certificate is valid for a 12-month period from the date of issuance and may be renewed for two additional 12-month periods if program benchmarks are met.

A candidate must hold an intern or probationary certificate while participating in an internship. 

Yes. Authorized school district personnel with access to ECOS for Entities, which provides school district human resources personnel access to educator application information, may view an educator’s application status by clicking on Educator Information, then Educator Search. After entering the educator’s information in the search bar, you will be able to see a list of documents received by TEA in the Document link column. You will not have access to select and view the actual document. If the list is empty, then documents either have not been received or not yet uploaded into the system. Please allow approximately two weeks for documents to appear in an educator's file after they are submitted by the educator. Document Upload Access for Entities will assist you with viewing documents. Documents received prior to February 2020 will not be available for view in ECOS for Entities.

Yes. District employees with access to ECOS for Entities may upload a verified official transcript on behalf of an out-of-state applicant. An official transcript is one that is an original, or one directly emailed to district personnel by the institution or servicer. It does not include photocopied, printed, or forwarded electronic versions that were provided by the educator. Document Upload Access for Entities will assist you with uploading documents into a TEA file. Documents that are not required or labeled properly will not be addressed and deleted. Electronic transcripts can be sent directly from the educator’s institution or servicer via email. Institutions must email the transcript directly to our office. We will not accept emailed transcripts from the educator. Submission of electronic and official transcripts can be found on the Out-of-State Certified Educators page.

Yes. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards tests are accepted for certification testing requirements in Texas. Applicants must also hold a standard certificate in a corresponding subject area and grade level that was issued by their state's department of education. Educators must apply for a review of credentials to qualify for test exemption.

Effective May 3, 2018, our test exemption process allows for the exemption of Texas tests for eligible individuals certified outside the state, in accordance with 19 TAC Chapter 152, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning Examination Requirements, §152.1001, Exceptions to Examination Requirements for Individuals Certified Outside the State. Therefore, if the educator is exempt from testing, then test history would not be available. Educators who were exempt from TEA exams based on their review of credentials would have received a test exemption letter, shared and available for download in the My Documents tab in ECOS. This letter may be requested from the educator for placement in the district file, if needed.

Authorized school district personnel with access to ECOS for Entities can verify any educator certification with the educator’s social security number or TEA ID number. When verifying a certificate, we recommend using Google Chrome, as other browsers may not reflect the most current certification information.

Division of Educator Certification staff are available by phone Monday through Friday, 8:00am until 4:30pm at 512-936-8400, option 2. If it is not convenient to call the office, we also offer assistance via Help Desk Ticket. Tickets are answered in the order received. Please do not submit duplicate tickets as this will cause a delay in response time.

If you are Human Resources Personnel and you need access to ECOS for Entities, you must confirm with your primary approver before applying for this access. Typically, the primary approver for school districts is the superintendent or their designee. Once advised by your primary approver, you may then apply for access. Requesting Access to an Application will assist you with requesting access to ECOS for Entities.

ECOS for Entities allows school districts, charter schools, and educator preparation programs to view certain information on educators and apply for Educational Aides certificates and Emergency Permits. ECOS for educators allows them access to their certification account to verify or apply for certification.

District personnel must have educational aide access in ECOS for Entities to recommend an individual for an educational aide certificate. The application will require the district to select the appropriate certificate level.

The educator will log into their TEAL account. If no account exists, the individual will set up a new online TEAL and ECOS account.  If the individual needs to link their TEAL account to their ECOS account, the educator can refer to page 9 of the TEAL and ECOS Access Instructions for Educators.

Once logged into the ECOS account, select the Applications tab and then Educational Aide Certificate and follow the prompts to apply and pay the fee. More information can be found in this Applying for Educational Aide Certificate document. 

As of January 1, 2018, Educational Aide certificates cannot be renewed.  An individual who holds a Standard 5-year Educational Aide certificate will no longer be able to renew and must reapply for the 2-year, non-renewable Educational Aide certificate. Every two years, they will need to apply for a new aide certificate and be recommended by their school district.

Due to amendments of the Educational Aide rules in February 2020, specific CTE students may be eligible for an Educational Aide I certificate. We recommend having a conversation with your school district CTE administrator. Certain steps of the application process will vary across school districts and require participation from other district staff members. You may also contact CTE@tea.texas.gov for more information regarding student eligibility for the Educational Aide I certificate or view their frequently asked questions. 

Educational Aides are responsible for payment of their certification. However, your district may choose to pay on behalf of the individual. This is optional for the district, not required. Educational Aide certificate fees must be paid online via ECOS Entities (green screen). Mailed payments are no longer acceptable. Please view the Paying for Educational Aides Online document for additional assistance and step by step directions.