College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Educator Preparation Program (EPP)

The Educator Preparation Program (EPP) is an integral part of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.  The EPP office provides numerous services for students seeking to become professional educators, including:

  • Assisting students during the process of applying for acceptance into the Houston Christian University Educator Preparation Program (EPP)
  • Coordinating field experience placements with university professors and area schools
  • Providing students information regarding the Texas Examination of Educational Standards (TExES), practice materials, practice exams
  • Facilitating approvals for students to take the TExES and to create an account with the Texas Education Agency
  • Providing information on how to request a Service Record
  • Assisting students during the process of applying for clinical teaching, and partnering with area schools to place clinical teachers
  • Preparing the Clinical Teaching Handbook
  • Training clinical teachers’ supervisors and mentor teachers
  • Providing information for students who have completed all of the requirements for certification to apply for certification in Texas
  • Assisting students who have a grievance or complaint during participation in EPP
  • Conducting surveys of employers and graduates to evaluate the level of preparedness of candidates

HCU Testing Services in Moody Library.

Applying for Admittance into the Educator Preparation Program (EPP)

Applications for admittance into EPP are due the semester a pre-education student completes 45 hours and all other requirements as listed on the application.

Program Activity Calendars and Pathways

Each EPP must develop and implement a calendar of program activities that must include a deadline for accepting candidates into a program cycle to assure adequate time for admission, coursework, training, and field-based experience requirements prior to a clinical teaching or internship experience. (TAC 228.2)

Program Activity Calendars – Calendars for each certification program can be found here

Undergraduate Pathways – Course progression pathways for undergraduate initial certification

Graduate Pathways – Course progression pathways for graduate programs

Applying for Placement into Clinical Teaching (formerly Student Teaching)

Applications for Clinical Teaching are completed during EDUC 4100 for placement the following semester. Graduate students who choose to clinical teach rather than complete a year of internship are required to submit the application by the sixth week of the semester prior to the clinical teaching semester (please email EPP office for application).

For a clinical teacher candidate, an educator who is collaboratively assigned by the educator preparation program (EPP) and campus administrator; who has at least three years of teaching experience; who is an accomplished educator as shown by student learning; who has completed cooperating teacher training, including training in how to coach and mentor teacher candidates, by the EPP within three weeks of being assigned to a clinical teacher; who is currently certified in the certification category for the clinical teaching assignment for which the clinical teacher candidate is seeking certification; who guides, assists, and supports the candidate during the candidate’s clinical teaching in areas such as planning, classroom management, instruction, assessment, working with parents, obtaining materials, district policies; and who reports the candidate’s progress to that candidate’s field supervisor (TAC 228.2).

View Clinical Teaching Handbook

Preparing for Educator Exams for Certification in Texas

Undergraduate students complete EDUC 4100 TExES State Certification Prep the semester prior to clinical teaching. All enrolled students are also provided a subscription to online test preparation resources. A passing score (80% or above) on the Education Practice Exams qualifies students to take state TExES exams for both undergraduates and graduate certifications.

(b) An EPP is responsible for ensuring that each candidate is adequately prepared to pass the appropriate content pedagogy examination(s) required for certification, unless that content pedagogy test is used for admission purposes.
(d) An EPP shall determine the readiness of each candidate to take the appropriate certification examination of content, pedagogy, and professional responsibilities, including professional ethics and standards of conduct. An EPP shall not grant test approval for a certification examination until a candidate has met all of the requirements for admission to the EPP and has been contingently or formally admitted into the EPP. An EPP may make test approval contingent on a candidate completing additional coursework and/or training to show that the candidate is prepared to pass the test if the candidate is seeking test approval from the EPP in an area where the standards and/or test changed since the candidate completed the EPP or if the candidate has returned to the EPP for test approval five or more years following the academic year of completion. (TAC 228.4)

HCU TExES Study Resources

Military Service Waivers

In accordance with 19 TAC §228.35(a)(5)(A), military service members or military veterans may be given credit for certain verified military service, training, or education toward the training, education, work experience or related requirements (other than certification examinations) for educator certification requirements, provided that the military service, train, or education is directly related to the certificate being sought. Contact the education department for additional information.

In accordance with 19 TAC §228.35(a)(5)(B), those who are not military service members or military veterans may be able to substitute prior or ongoing service, training, or education, provided that the experience, education, or training is not also counted as part to the internship, clinical teaching, or practicum requirements, and the aforementioned was provided by an approved EPP or an accredited institution of higher education within the last five years, and is directly related to the certificate being sought.

Military and Non-Military Credit

 

Information regarding Military Service Members, Military Spouses, and Military Veterans may be found in the Texas Administrative Code 234.

 

Effective September 1, 2015, the TEA waives certain fees for eligible military service members, military veterans, and military spouses. For more information, please see the TEA website.

Applying for Texas Educator Certification

The process for applying for standard certification, initial certification, and additional certification (principal, school counselor, educational diagnostician, and superintendent) should be initiated after successful completion of coursework, graduation, and passing TExES required for the certification.

How to Apply for Texas Certifications

Educator Supply and Demand

State and Federal Reports

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education regulations, effective July 1, 2020, Title IV institutions are required to share professional licensure disclosures. Directly contacting that state’s department or entity responsible for state certification or licensure will ensure the most accurate information.  The following resources provide such data: 

Teacher Certification by State

Licensing Boards by State

Teacher Preparation Program Report

EPPs must make available to the public an annual report containing institutional and state-level information.

EPP Compliance Report

Program Accountability

Teacher Preparation Program Report

EPP Consumer Info

Houston Christian University teacher and professional certification candidates successfully complete the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES). More specific information about passing rates on individual content exams or results for a specific sub-population can be accessed at the following link:

Certification Pass Rates

Complaint Policy

The EPP shall post on its website a link to the TEA complaints website and information regarding how to file a complaint under the EPP’s complaint policy. (TAC 228.7)

Comments from Employers of Graduates of HCU’s EPP

Based on a previously conducted employer survey, it was evident that employees feel that graduates of the HCU School of Education are well-prepared for employment and continue to demonstrate such levels of classroom performance after one to five years.

Comments from employers indicated that HCU graduates are:

“well prepared for the curriculum and diverse student populations”
“dedicated to their job and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed”

 

When comparing HCU graduates to graduates of other universities, employers described our graduates as “above others” and “higher level”