State Exams

The TExES Certification Examination

In order to take a TExES exam you must be in good standing with the ACE Program. You will be given approval to take the exams through the vendor called ETS upon your acceptance into the ACE Program. Your profile on the SBEC site must be up-to-date. The exact same information must be used to register for a test. In order to register for a test please go to www.texes.ets.org. Instructions on how to register are given in the quick-start guide on the welcome page.

General Information
Texas Administrative Code §230.5(b) requires every person seeking educator certification to perform satisfactorily on comprehensive examinations. The purpose of these examinations is to ensure that each educator has the prerequisite content and professional knowledge necessary for an entry-level position in the Texas public schools. The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) program and the Examination of the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) program were developed for this purpose.

The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) is part of the certification program currently implemented by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). These examinations are based on the beginning educator standards that have been developed by SBEC and Texas educators. These standards are aligned with the state-mandated student curriculum, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and define the rigorous content and professional knowledge and skills that a beginning educator should possess for an entry-level position in Texas public schools.

The change is the result of the evolution of public education in Texas. Since 1998 Texas has been on the forefront of a national movement to improve education and advance student learning by improving the way the school curriculum is aligned from grade to grade from kindergarten through college. SBEC, working in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, developed the K–16 Initiative, that is designed to promote a seamless system of education.

The redesign of the educator certification structure is an integral part of the K–16 Initiative. The first step in this process was the development of new standards for beginning Texas public school teachers. These standards are based on the state's required curriculum for public school students, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Developing the new standards and introducing new teacher certificates have been a cooperative process involving numerous committees, each comprised of as many as 25 experts from all educational arenas, from classroom teachers to deans of education, as well as interested citizens.

State Board for Educator Certification

• Probationary Certificates
  Probationary certificates are for individuals who meet the highly-qualified requirement for NCLB. This aids school districts in hiring individuals not yet certified to serve as teachers and to provide credentials that represent similar circumstances. The probationary certificate would be valid for one calendar year and may be renewed for up to two more years.

• Standard Certificates
  Standard certificates are for individuals who have completed teacher preparation programs and the certification exam requirements. These certificates replaced the lifetime Provisional and Professional Certificates and must be renewed every five years at the end of the educator’s birth month.
  

For more information contact the ACE Program staff at (409) 882-3043. You may also e-mail your questions toJudy. Williams@lsco.edu