Department of Education (RG)

Phone: (830) 279-3005
E-mail: bradley.carpenter@sulross.edu
Department Chair: Bradley Carpenter, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus: Miriam Muñiz-Quiz, Ph.D.
Director of Teacher Education/Certification: Tonya Senne, Ed.D. (Del Rio)
Professor: Gina L. Stocks, Ph.D. (Uvalde)
Associate Professors: Samuel Garcia, Ph.D. (Uvalde), Maria Gear, Ed.D. (Uvalde)
Assistant Professors: Christopher Tresslar, Ph.D., Dr. Jesse Salazar, Ed.D. (Eagle Pass), Dr. Jennifer Miller-Ray, Ph.D.

Advisors:

Elementary: Monica Gutierrez, Ph.D., Maria Gear, Ed.D.
Graduate-Administration: Christopher Tresslar, Ph.D., Jesse Salazar, Ed.D.
Graduate-Reading: Jennifer Miller-Ray, Ph.D.
Graduate-Counseling: Ronda Hayes, Ph.D.
Secondary English: Sarah Roche, Ph.D.
Secondary History: Jorge A. Hernandez, Ph.D., Mark Saka, Ph.D.
Secondary Mathematics: Patricia A. R. Nicosia, Ph.D., Michael L. Ortiz, Ph.D.
Secondary Spanish: Verónica Mendez-Maqueo, Ph.D.
Secondary Social Studies: Jorge A. Hernandez, Ph.D.

The primary function of the Education Department, within the philosophy of the university, is to provide a teaching-learning environment wherein students acquire a liberal and professional education. Realization of this function is sought by combining academic subject area courses, specialized studies, and professional education. Students are provided opportunities to increase their knowledge, to gain insight into the growth of young children and adolescents, to develop competence in teaching, to formulate a sound philosophy of education, and to realize the need for continuous professional growth.

A student may choose a program that leads to teacher certification in Early Childhood (EC)-Grade 6 Generalist; Grades 4-8 Generalist, English/ Language Arts and Reading, Social Studies, or Mathematics; and a Bilingual Supplement is available for EC-6 or 4-8. Students may also choose a certification for Grades 7-12 English/Language Arts and Reading, Mathematics, History, Social Studies or Science and EC-12 Spanish. Full program description and requirements are listed in this section. It is the responsibility of the student to request an official degree plan at the beginning of the program, to follow it closely, and to complete all the requirements for the degree, as well as all teacher certification requirements. Students seeking certification must pass the appropriate content TExES exams and the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR).

Steps to Traditional Teacher Certification at SRSU RGC

Complete the Core Curriculum hours with at least a 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA).
Decide what grade level (EC-6, 4-8, 7-12) to teach; if 7-12, content area also needs to be determined.
Fill out “Application for Baccalaureate Degree Plan” and submit to Education Department (or if 7-12, submit to the appropriate content area department).
Follow degree plan in degree works and keep track of progress towards degree.
After meeting the minimum hour requirement in the “Academic Support Area” of the degree plan with at least a 2.75 GPA, fill out an “Application for Admission to the Teacher Education Program” and submit to the Education Department. Additional requirements for Teacher Education can be found in this section.
After formal admission into the Teacher Education Program, complete required Professional Education courses.
Seek test approval for the content certification exam and STR exam for (EC-6, 4-8) from the certification and testing coordinator. Passing the content exam is a requirement for student teaching placement.
Requirements for test approval:
- Score a 260 in Certify Teacher for your field of study.
- Score a 90% or higher in 240 Tutoring post-test for your field of study.
Complete 30-hour observation requirement for student teaching placement.
Within the last semester of the Professional Education courses, apply for student teaching by filling out the “Application for Student Teaching” form and submit to the Education Department.
Seek test approval for the PPR exam from the certification and testing officer.
- Score a 260 in Certify Teacher for your field of study.
- Score a 90% or higher in 240 Tutoring post-test for your field of study.
Complete all degree requirements, graduate, and apply for certification. When all certification requirements have been verified by the Certification Officer, the student will be recommended to TEA for certification.

Admission Requirements for the Teacher Education Program

All students seeking teacher certification through the Rio Grande College’s Educator Preparation Program must apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program and schedule an interview with the Director of Teacher Education (TAC 227.10). Professional Education courses cannot be taken until the following minimum requirements have been met and the student is formally admitted into the Teacher Education Program.

Admission Requirements

Grades EC-6 and 4-8

Must have applied and received an official degree plan from the Education Department.
Must have completed College Algebra and Speech course with no grade lower than a “C”.
Must have all General Education requirements complete and grades must be posted.
Must have completed 12 hours in English coursework (to include ENGL 3312) with a GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Must have completed ENGL 3312 with no grade lower than a “B”. *ENGL 3312 serves as a requirement of the Texas Success Initiative under rules established by the THECB, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter C of Texas Administrative Code Rule 4.54. A grade of A or B must be received to satisfy the requirement.
Must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in the Content Mastery courses.
In addition to the requirement of ENGL 3312, a candidate must have completed a minimum of 27 hours in Academic Support Area with NO GRADE LOWER THAN A “C”. Any grades lower than a C must be replaced and posted to the transcript prior to formal admission.

Grade 7-12 Content Majors

Must have completed College Algebra and Speech course with no grade lower than a “C”.
Must have all General Education requirements complete (Core Complete) and grades must be posted.
Must have completed 12 hours in English coursework (to include ENGL 3312) with a GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Must have completed ENGL 3312 with no grade lower than a “B”. *ENGL 3312 serves as a requirement of the Texas Success Initiative under rules established by the THECB, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter C of Texas Administrative Code Rule 4.54. A grade of A of B must be received to satisfy the requirement.
Must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in the content major area.
In addition to the requirement of ENGL 3312, a candidate must have completed a minimum of 21 hours in the content major area with NO GRADE LOWER THAN A “C”. Any grades lower than a C must be replaced and posted to the transcript prior to formal admission.

Approval to Test (take the state exam)

All students seeking a teacher certification through the Rio Grande College’s Educator Preparation Program must seek test approval from the Director of Teacher Education prior to taking official certification exam. The content and STR exams must be taken and significant progress toward passing made prior to student teaching placement. Students are encouraged to contact the Director of Teacher Education or the Certification and Testing Coordinator for more information.

Criteria to get approval for the exams:

Take the exam diagnostic test in Certify Teacher and pass it with a 260.
If needed, re-study and retake the exam practice exam.
Prepare for the exam practice test with 240 Tutoring and pass the post-test with a 90% or better.
If needed, re-study and retake the practice exam

The candidate may only register for exams that correspond to their area of certification through Sul Ross State University RGC.

Teacher candidates are asked to take the content exam first (EC-6 and 4-8 include the STR) before taking the PPR.
Teacher candidates will be eligible to register for one state exam after all requirements have been met.
All candidates must get official “approval to test” every time they want to register for a state exam.

State Exam Registration

All teacher candidates seeking certification through the Sul Ross State University RGC are required to have “approval to test” before they may register for their certification exams. Approved candidates navigate two websites to register for tests, the TEA website and the testing vendor’s website.

The TEA website is like a house with a locked front door and many rooms inside. The front door is the Texas Education Agency Login or “TEAL.” The room candidates want to enter is the Educator Certification Online System or “ECOS.” Candidates must enter through a TEAL account to get to information into and out of ECOS. The TEA systems work best with Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Request a TEAL Login account by completing the following steps on the TEA website.

Logging onto TEAL for the First Time

Click on ECOS for Educators at the top of the page.
Click on Create a New TEAL Account.
Select “Educator” as your Organization Type on the TEAL New User Registration form. TEAL will prompt you to enter your Social Security Number and other information.
After you have created your TEAL User account, you will receive an email with your new username and password. Follow the link in this email to login, using your new username and password.
After changing your password and establishing your security questions, you will be redirected to the TEAL landing page, where you can access the ECOS for Educators application by clicking on the link. TEA provides directions for creating a TEAL account.

Exam Approval Status

To check exam approval status, go to the TEA Website and login to TEAL.
1. Click on “View Examinations.”
“Approval to test” will only be granted to teacher candidates that have successfully completed Sul Ross State University RGC eligibility requirements.

Testing Vendor

Visit the testing vendor’s website to register for a TExES State Exam.
Click the “Register” tab, then “Register Now,” then “Create an account now.” Follow the directions.
You will need your TEA ID Number each time you register for a TExES State Exam.
Be sure you understand the Candidate Rules Agreement and the ID policy. Your unexpired identification documents must match your name in ECOS. If they do not, you must request a name change from TEA.
The testing vendor provides support at (800) 877-4599, (413) 256-2898 or via email or chat at their website.

Proper Identification Required for Testing

In order to take the TExES exam for certification, candidates who indicate non-U.S. citizenship have to provide a passport from their country of origin. Consular, diplomatic, or embassy ID’s are not sufficient. Read the identification requirements at the testing vendor’s website and the Identification section on page 29.

Test Retake Procedures and Rules

Five Times Rule for Taking State Exams

Candidates may only take the same TExES exam for a total of five times. You must follow TEA procedures to obtain a waiver to take the test more than five times. This is difficult, lengthy and expensive.

Core Subjects (211 & 291) Exam Retakes

Every time you take Core Subjects test you should sign up for the whole test unless you only have one subtest left to pass. You may skip through the sections of the test you have already passed by clicking next, next, next, and so on until you reach the sections that you still need to pass. Candidates do not need to answer a single question in the sections that they have already passed. The only time a candidate should sign up for an individual subtest is when that is the last test the candidate needs to pass.

Retake Procedures

If you fail a TExES exam, you must wait 30 days before you can take the test again. You must get the Director of Teacher Education’s approval to retake the test. (TAC §230.21(a)(1)(D))

TExES Exams for Teacher Certification

To be a fully certified Texas teacher, university candidates must pass the examinations required by the Legislature in Texas Education Code (TEC) §21.048 and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §233.1(e). The Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers these tests through a testing vendor. These tests are generally referred to as the Texas Examination of Educator Standards or “TExES” exams. Passing standards for the TExES exams are posted in 19 TAC §151.

Most teacher candidates take two exams, the EC-12 Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam, and a content area exam. Candidates pursuing EC-6 and 4-8 must also pass the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) effective January 2021. Candidates pursuing bilingual certification will also take the Bilingual Education Supplemental (BES) and the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT). Candidates pursuing English as a Second Language certification will also take the English as a Second Language Supplemental (ESL) exam. TEA posts the complete list of required tests, as well as deadlines for applying for certification, on the Educator Testing website or in TAC §230.21.

TEA is working on two major changes to teacher certification testing.

As a result of House Bill 3, 86(R), 2019, Section 2.005, in order to teach any grade level from prekindergarten to grade six you must pass a test on the Science of Teaching Reading (STR).
In 2019-20 and 2020-21 TEA is piloting a new assessment, at different universities, to replace the PPR called edTPA. This performance-based test is much more difficult than the PPR, and 2.5 times as much. Although ultimately the SBEC will decide whether or not to implement this new test, it is in your best interest to take the PPR as soon as you are ready.

Take the Certification Exams as Soon as Possible

Candidates are required to make significant progress toward PASSING the Content TExES exams BEFORE they begin clinical teaching. Here is a generic timeline. Candidates should start as soon as they enroll in our Education program. They should plan ahead and work diligently toward taking the practice tests and then TExES exams.

Retention in Teacher Education

To remain fully admitted to teacher education at Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College, students must meet the requirements for admission. A student who does not maintain satisfactory requirements for admission will be removed from the teacher education program. Students will not be permitted to register for additional professional education coursework until they have obtained full admission status.

Preclinical Field Experience

The completion of the minimum number of hours of fieldwork (30 clock hours) as required by TEA prior to enrollment in student teaching.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is the capstone experience of the Educator Preparation Program and required for certification. It is a semester-long Student Teaching opportunity to enact teaching knowledge and skills under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and a university supervisor. Candidates are placed in a classroom for fourteen-week schedule (70-day assignment) or two-seven-week schedules (70-day assignment).

Criteria for acceptance into Student Teaching

Teacher candidates must meet the following requirements to enter student teaching: Admission to the Teacher Certification program
Student Teaching is to be completed in the last semester upon completion of your degree.
A 2.75 cumulative grade point average in Content Mastery and Professional Education courses.
Pass 3 out of 5 areas of the TExES content test; and other required exams prior to placement in clinical teaching.

Student teaching applicants should consult their advisor and their catalog for specific details regarding their eligibility.

Applying for the Student Teaching Semester

A required meeting is held early in the semester prior to beginning student teaching to explain the application process and procedures. Student teaching application information is provided, and questions are addressed to facilitate the submission of the clinical teaching application. The meeting dates, times, and location are announced on the Education website or by email.

Application Deadlines

Student Teaching Application Timeline

To Student Teach in the	Application Deadline
Fall
Spring

If an applicant does not meet the criteria for acceptance to the student teaching program, he or she will receive an email denying the application to clinical teaching. Denial emails will be sent after the close of the semester prior to the student teaching semester. The email will explain the reason why an applicant has been denied for student teaching. Teacher candidates may contact their academic advisor or Director of Teacher Education with any questions regarding their denial notification.

Certification Requirements

Candidates seeking certification in the state of Texas are required to hold a bachelor’s degree in Education or content field, completed a successful clinical teaching experience and pass all required certification exam for the standard certification sought. Certification requirements are supported by the educator standards and may change when the state standards or exam requirements change. All requirements are valid at the time of this publication, however, in the event there are changes to curriculum in the department, college, or mandates from the Texas Education Agency or the Legislature, these requirements will be adjusted to meet any new standards and/or requirements. All coursework toward a certification area is considered “current” for five years. Certification is expected to be completed within 5 academic years.

Early Childhood-Sixth Grade (EC-6) or Fourth-Eighth Grade (4-8)

Completion of 90 semester credit hours or more.
Submission of the Application to Clinical Teach.
An overall grade point average of 2.5 on the 4.0 scale.
Candidates are expected to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators (TAC 247.2). Candidates who violate the code may be subject to removal.
Completion of 15-27 semester credit hours of professional education with an overall grade point average of 2.75 or better on a 4.0 scale, with no grade lower than a “B.”
Recommendation to Student Teach by the Director of Teacher Education.
No grade lower than a “C” in the 12 semester credit hours of required English with a 2.5 GPA.
No grade lower than a “C” in the combination of subjects (academic support) with a 2.75 GPA.
Select one of the following areas to student teach: EC-6 (EDSR 4607) with proper early childhood courses or grades 4-8 (EDSR 4601) with designated area of study.
Must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.
Must have completed at least 30 hours of classroom observation (documented).

Grades 7-12/Secondary Levels

Completion of 90 semester credit hours or more.
Submission of the Application to Student Teach.
An overall grade-point average of 2.5 on the 4.0 scale.
Candidates are expected to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators (TAC 247.2). Candidates who violate the code may be subject to removal.
Completion of 12 semester credit hours of professional education with an overall grade-point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, with no grade lower than a “B.”
Completion of 24 semester credit hours or more of the prescribed courses in each teaching field(s) for secondary majors, of which 12 hours must be advanced, with an overall grade point average of 2.75 or better on a 4.0 scale, with no grade lower than a “C.”
In the composite field, completion of 36 semester credit hours of the prescribed courses, of which 12 semester credit hours must be advanced, with an overall grade point average of 2.75 or better on a 4.0 scale with no grade lower than a “C.”
Recommendation to student teach by the head of the department of the student’s teaching field or fields.
Recommendation to student teach by the Director of Teacher Education.
No grade lower than a “C” in the 12 semester credit hours of required English with a 2.5 GPA.
Must not be on disciplinary probation.
Must be admitted to teacher education.
Must have completed at least 30 hours of classroom observation (documented).

Certification Requirements

All coursework taken for certification must meet the minimum requirements of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale with no grade lower than a “C” in the Academic Support and Professional Education courses. Students must meet all academic requirements as there is no probationary status accepted in the Teacher Education program.

STUDENT TEACHING IS REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATION. Certification requirements will parallel the state standards and may change when the state standards change. Students must meet the current state standards for certification.

NOTE: All requirements are valid at the time of this publication, however, in the event there are changes to curriculum in the department, college, or mandates from the Texas Education Agency or the Legislature, these requirements will be adjusted to meet any new standards and/or requirements. Alumni students that are not enrolled and are lacking the required TExES exams will be required to take any additional courses to prepare for any changes on their corresponding exams. This includes the Science of Teaching Reading (STR).