Path to Texas School Leader Certification

Path to Texas Principal Certification

Requirements for obtaining the principal and superintendent certificates are prescribed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). State certification for Texas school administrators consists of three types: full, intern, and probationary. Full certification is sought by candidates who have successfully completed their respective certification programs. Intern and probationary certification may be obtained only in special cases where candidates are contractually employed in an administrative position prior to the completion of their certification programs, the director of the West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) program recommends the candidate for an intern or probationary certification, and TEA grants the temporary certificate. For more detailed information about Texas certification, refer to the Educator Certification webpage on the TEA website. The university director for guidance for the principal certification processes at WTAMU is Dr. Amy Clifton.

Full Certification

The steps to full certification include the following:

Completion of coursework and associated field experiences (practicum) as prescribed on an approved degree or certification plan. The coursework and practicums have been carefully designed to promote success on the master's comprehensive exam for degree-seeking candidates, the licensure exams for certification-seeking candidates, and for success in leadership roles in the profession of education.

The graduation requirement applies only to degree-seeking candidates. Eligibility for the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership hinges on successfully completing all course and practicum requirements and passing the master's comprehensive exam. Certification-only candidates entered their certification program with an earned master's degree and are not required to pass a master's comprehensive exam. 

State certification is granted by the Texas Education Agency once a candidate has fulfilled the requirements for becoming a principal or superintendent in Texas. After completion of the appropriate certification program (which may or may not include the conferral of a degree), the candidate must pass the required Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) for the desired area of certification. There are four steps in this process:

a. Register for and Take the Practice TExES

The WTAMU Education Testing Service administers the practice TExES monthly. Register for and take the practice TExES as applicable to the certification you are seeking per guidance from your adviser. Since principal certification has two exams as of September 2019, candidates will need to follow the testing procedures to prepare for Pearson's 268 Principal as Instructional Leader and ETS's 368 PASL.

b. Attend a TExES Review Session

TExES review sessions are conducted each semester by program faculty. Review sessions should be attended at the end of your certification program.

c. Register for and Take the TExES

Following your attendance at a test review session and upon approval of your adviser, you will register for and take the TExES for the certification you are seeking. This is a two-step process as follows:

1). Complete Part 1 of the Request for TExES Approval form and email it to your adviser.

2). Upon notification of approval from the certification office, register for the appropriate exam on the TExES website.

d. Add Credential to Texas Educator Certificate

Complete the following steps:

1). Login to your TEAL account on the TEA website.

2). Verify/update your Educator Profile.

3). Choose “Applications” then click on “Standard Certificate Texas Program.” 

4). Follow the instructions to apply for your standard certificate.  Choose WTAMU (University-Based) option as the entity route.

5). Submit the appropriate fee to TEA.

6). Download and complete Part 1 of the Certification Application Recommendation, email it to your adviser who will verify, sign, and send it to the certification officer. (Note: Confirmation of a Master’s Degree and date on an official transcript is required before WTAMU can recommend you for certification).

TEA approves applications within 5 days of receiving them and the WTAMU certification office processes applications on Monday of each week. TEA approval must be granted before the WTAMU certification office may recommend approval.

 In your email correspondence with the WTAMU certification office, always include the following:

• Your TEA ID
• Date of Master’s Degree (mm/dd/yyyy) that is verified on an official transcript
• Number of years of teaching experience
• Date TExES was passed
• Number of attempts required to pass TExES (number of times you took the TExES)

Temporary Certification

Principal Temporary Certification

Due to the new TEA principal two-part/exams (September 2019), WTAMU Ed Leadership program does not give any probationary certifications stated in TAC§228.  For probationary or intern certificates, you must have passed one of the exams (268 exam or 368) to be eligible.  Here is the law if you want to learn more: Intern and probationary certificates are permitted in 19 TAC §230.36 (e)(4)(B) and stated,

“Effective September 1, 2019, the SBEC may issue an intern certificate to a candidate who meets requirements specified in paragraphs (1)-(3) of this subsection and has passed the Principal as Instructional Leader examination specified in Subchapter C of this chapter.”

NOTE: It does not say parts where the Principal as Instructional leaders has 268 and 368.

and 19 TAC §230.37 (e)(3) and stated,

“Effective September 1, 2017, to meet the subject matter requirements for issuance of the probationary certificate in a certification class other than classroom teacher, the individual must pass the appropriate content pedagogy examination(s) for that certificate.”

However, a condition of both certificates is that you have passed the principal 268 TExES.  There is no possible way for any candidate to pass all requirements of the principal 268 TExES, including the 368 PASL requirements, in the absence of completion of the principal certification program to gain the probationary or intern certificates.