Undergraduate/Transfer Checklist

 First Steps

• Meet with an Academic Advisor in your major to develop a degree plan.
• Call 972-883-2730 and schedule an appointment with a TDC Certification Advisor.
• Meet with the TDC Certification Advisor to develop your certification plan, complete all the necessary paperwork including a writing sample for Texas Education Agency (TEA) and watch a short video. This process takes approximately an hour a half.
• Bring a copy of your degree plan to the TDC meeting.
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Official Admission

• Students must have met with the TDC Certification Advisor, developed a certification plan, completed all the necessary paperwork (including an application for admission), provide a writing sample and watch a short video prior to Official Admission.
• Possess an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher or a GPA of 2.75 or higher for the last 60 semester hours of course work.
• Completed 12 SCH-15 SCH in major/teaching field with no grade lower than a “C”.
• TSI- Complete or Exempt
• Students will need a Social Security number. A Social Security number is later required for Teacher Certification to complete the fingerprinting process.
• Students are required to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators, Fitness to Teach Policy and the TDC Student Handbook.
• Students are notified by UT Dallas email when they have been Officially Admitted to the Teacher Certification Program. Students must reply to the email immediately (within 7 days) to accept their admittance to the program.
• In the email, students will be given directions to establish their TEAL (TEA Login), ECOS (Educator Certification Online System) and NES (National Evaluation Series) accounts.

Next Steps

The following are critical to your timely completion of your teacher certification plan and/or degree:

• Set up your TEAL, ECOS, and NES Testing accounts.
• Visit the NES (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program) website for information about the TExES certification exams.
  • Select Preparation Materials to view the Content and PPR Test Manuals.
  • Print the Test at a Glance for both of your required TExES certification exams.
  • Take the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) exam after you complete all of your ELAR/Reading courses. (If applicable for your certification.)
• Plan ahead for Clinical Teaching or Residency and your TExES certification exams:
  • You are required to pass all TExES certifications exams for your teacher certification to be eligible for Clinical Teaching.
  • Make sure you have the opportunity to retake each test if necessary.
  • View the TDC’s Education Professors’ TExES Review Videos section for studying for the EC-6 Core Subjects, EC-8 Core Subjects, STR and the ESL Supplements exams.
• Suggested testing timeline for TExES certification exams:
  • Take the PPR exam midway through or upon completion of Classroom Management.
  • Take the Content exam after you complete most or all of your content (subject area) courses.
  • ESL: Take ESL Supplemental Exam after completing and passing the ESL course and ESL practice test.
• Make an appointment to take TExES practice tests — free of charge to TDC students — before taking the official TExES exams.
• Reserve a spot for the TExES review workshops for the PPR and Content exams. Workshops are offered each semester at no cost to you.
• Register to take your required TExES exams at NES (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program).
• Pass all required TExES exams for your specific certification.
• You must pass all your TExES certification exams prior to Clinical Teaching or Residency II (two semester paid residency).
• Make an appointment in the TDC office to attend a mandatory Sign-Up Meeting prior to the Classroom Management course and Clinical Teacher or Residency II. This meeting is the SEMESTER PRIOR to you starting your Clinical Teaching or Residency II.  These meetings usually occur within the first 4 weeks of each semester.