The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met July 23-24 in Austin for a two-day meeting. Agenda topics included whether National Board Certification should remain a tier within the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), the processes used to evaluate educator preparation programs (EPPs), and certification exam redesign strategy. See the full agenda here and here. 

SBEC votes to require National Board Certification content changes for program to remain part of TIA 

Of major interest was the board’s consideration of whether National Board Certification should remain a recognized designation within the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program.  

On Thursday morning, the SBEC subcommittee reviewing the issue received an initial report from a panel examining National Board materials for potential conflict with Texas law. The review panel identified several areas of concern and potential conflicts. Following discussion, the subcommittee voted to require the National Board to make changes to its content to align with Texas law by Nov. 2.  

The recommendation was then made to the full board, which approved the subcommittee’s recommendation. If the National Board does not make the required changes by November, the program will likely face revocation as the lowest tier in the TIA. A final vote on whether to continue or revoke National Board inclusion in TIA is expected in December as required in statute.  

TEA staff estimated approximately 900 teachers could be affected if National Board Certification is removed from TIA. Staff noted that about half of these educators have also earned another TIA designation—but for some, this could mean that once their current designation period ends, they will no longer be eligible for TIA because teachers of subjects such as special education or fine arts are not included in local TIA programs.  

Round Rock ATPE member Stephanie Stoebe, a National Board Certified Teacher and the 2012 Texas Teacher of the Year, testified about how the National Board’s rigorous content and reflection tools have helped her refine her teaching. She also shared research from Dr. Jacob Kirksey at Texas Tech University showing that National Board Certified Teachers perform as well as teachers who are rated exemplary under the TIA and that their students also perform at a higher level than those of non-NBCT teachers.  

Board discusses EPP evaluation programs 

The bulk of the board’s Thursday work session centered on discussion of the Accountability System for Educator Preparation (ASEP) and Continuing Approval Review (CAR) processes. Of particular focus was the desire of Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff to move from a compliance model in reviewing EPPs to one focused more broadly on program quality.  

The CAR is a companion process to the ASEP system. While ASEP measures how well programs prepare educator certification candidates using indicators such as certification exam results, surveys, and other performance data, CAR reviews whether programs are meeting operational requirements, such as curriculum, clinical experiences, candidate support, and recordkeeping.  

During the discussion, board members dug deep into what quality preparation looks like, what it requires of the programs, and the impact these changes may have on educator candidates. Board members emphasized that accountability measures should be rigorous while also providing needed support to programs and opportunities for improvement rather than functioning solely as a punitive system.   

Board members also asked TEA staff to consider creating an additional support step for EPPs that experience challenges during the review process. This would provide programs with additional time and assistance before moving into potentially negative ratings.  

Currently, Texas EPPs can remain in an accredited-probation status for three consecutive years before their accreditation is revoked. SBEC also has the authority to revoke a program’s accreditation at any time during the probationary period if board members feel it is necessary to do so.  

During the formal meeting, the board approved changes to 19 TAC Ch. 229, which governs the ASEP system.  The changes update the ASEP manual to reflect new certification exams, candidate and principal surveys, and classroom observation requirements. SBEC will continue discussing proposed changes to the CAR process throughout the upcoming year.  

SBEC considers redesign strategy for certification exams 

The board also continued discussing redesign of certification exams as part of a broader effort to ensure assessments better measure whether candidates are prepared to be effective classroom teachers. The current exam system has been in place for many years, and TEA staff has argued that redesigned assessments are needed to better align with updated educator standards, revised curriculum standards in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and changes to EPP requirements required by House Bill (HB) 2 (passed by the Legislature in 2025). The overall redesign strategy is meant to move beyond traditional multiple-choice testing toward assessments that require candidates to demonstrate application of knowledge, instructional decision-making, and professional judgment through constructed response or performance-based components.  

TEA staff brought forward several ideas for discussion, including: 

• Requiring EPPs that receive state funding through the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnerships (PREP) program to use a TEA-developed curriculum aligned with state standards and certification exams 

• Creating a standalone ethics assessment that all teacher certification candidates would be required to pass   

• Requiring prospective candidates to pass a Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT) before being admitted to an EPP  

Board members Alma Rodriguez and Veronica Galvan, who represent a university and an alternate certification program, respectively, expressed concerns about tying PREP funding to the use of a state-developed curriculum, questioning whether such a requirement would limit the autonomy of EPPs and reduce opportunities for innovation.  

SBEC appeared more aligned with agency staff on the need for candidates to be tested on ethics, though the board asked why this could not be rolled into the existing pedagogy exam. Staff replied that the pedagogy exam is being redesigned and shifted to a performance portfolio model and thus including ethics in that exam would be difficult. Board members also expressed concern over requiring candidates to pass a PACT test before admission to a program and without any program support. No action was taken as this was a discussion item only, and staff intends to bring this item back for further discussion at the board’s next meeting, Sept. 17–18.