State Disclosures

TAC §227
Program requirements are based on adopted rule revisions of the Texas Administrative Code Chapter 227.

In order to be eligible for admission, you must meet the following criteria:

• a bachelor’s degree earned from and conferred by an accredited IHE
• a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 before admission (overall GPA or GPA for the last 60 hours)*
• Official transcripts from all colleges or universities previously attended showing
  • a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought for Core Subject EC-6*; or
  • 15 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought if the certification sought is for Mathematics 4-8 or Science 4-8*
• demonstrate basic skills in reading, written communication, and mathematics
• demonstrate English language proficiency skills as defined by TAC §230.11
• submit an application and participate in a screening interview to determine if the applicant’s knowledge, experience, skills, and aptitude are appropriate for the certification sought
• complete a criminal background check (at no cost) as part of the application process

To be eligible for admission into a Texas EPP, you must:

• Be 18 years old
• Have a bachelor’s degree conferred by an institution of higher education that is recognized by one of the regional accrediting agencies in the THECB prior to beginning coursework:
• Have an overall GPA of at least 2.50;
• Be a United States citizen or legal resident;
• Be able to communicate, listen, read, write, and comprehend the English language sufficiently to use it easily and readily in daily communication and teaching;
• Not currently hold a Texas teacher certificate;
• Not have completed another educator preparation program in the same certification field;
• Not have been employed for three years in a public school under a permit or probationary certificate;
• Successfully pass the selection process, including interviews and other screening methods to determine appropriateness for the certification area;
• Successfully complete required fingerprint, background check, and staff processing requirements;
• If a resident of Puerto Rico or a legal resident with a valid U.S. work permit: Pass all four parts of the TOEFL-iBT, including a minimum score of 26 on the oral portion
• If a resident of Puerto Rico or a legal resident with a valid U.S. work permit: Obtain a full foreign credentials evaluation of transcript by a TEA-approved vendor, including: foreign university transcripts, foreign diploma, and U.S. grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale

After an evaluation of transcripts, review of application documents and interview:

• Candidate will receive an email with a formal letter of acceptance
• Candidate must accept or decline the offer within five (5) business days of the letter’s date
• Candidate joining the program will be required to have passing score(s) for the relevant TExES exams on file with the program by the end of Pre-Service Training.
• Candidates entering the program will be provided with next steps and deadlines related to test registration.
• Candidates will be required to successfully complete all components of our pre-service training program, including an evaluation of their performance and an assessment of their ability to demonstrate professionalism before they will be recommended for an Intern Certificate.
• Upon acceptance, the candidate will receive a schedule of the upcoming events including online courses, professional learning sessions, virtual field experience, test preparation, and tuition requirements.
• Candidates who do not qualify for acceptance will receive an email stating deficiencies.

TAC §153
Pursuant to Texas Education Code §22.083, school districts require a criminal background check of all candidates before they may enter a classroom. As such, the program will have candidates complete this step during the application process at no cost. The State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) requires all applicants to submit fingerprints for a national criminal history background check. The fingerprinting process is initiated once an applicant applies and makes the payment for their initial certification through the Educator Certification Online System (ECOS). At the time the applicant pays for certification, he or she will also be prompted to pay for the fingerprint background check. The candidate will pay the fee (currently $51) for completion of this national criminal history background check. The State Board of Educator Certification will conduct the criminal background check based on the fingerprints submitted by the candidate. Please visit the TEA website for more information about fingerprinting.

TAC §249.16 and TAC §227.103
Based on information recorded in a candidate’s criminal history, candidates may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate on completion of The Program Educator Preparation Program. Pursuant to TAC §249.16, the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) may deny an applicant a certificate or bar a person from being assessed or examined for a certificate because of a person’s conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or certain other criminal history. If concerned about potential ineligibility, candidates may request a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation (PCHE) from the Texas Education Agency to determine eligibility for a Texas educator certificate based on a candidate’s self-reported criminal history (see Appendix C for applicable fees) prior to enrolling in the program.

Supply and Demand for Educators in Texas
In 2020, Texas Education Agency (TEA) identified the following state-level teacher shortage areas: Bilingual/English as a Second Language, Special Education, Career and Technical Education, Technology Applications and Computer Science, and Mathematics – Secondary Levels.
The US Department of Education has approved the teacher shortage areas for 2022-23 as follows: Science – Secondary Level, English Language Arts and Reading – Elementary and Secondary Levels, as well as all those listed above.
For more information on the effect of supply and demand forces on the educator workforce in Texas, visit the Texas Workforce Commission.

In order to complete the program and be recommended for the Standard Certificate, interns must complete: all required EPP coursework, an academic year internship experience, pass the required TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12 certification exam, and be recommended for standard certification by the field supervisor and campus supervisor. The Program only recommends interns who have successfully completed all components of the program.

Applicants will be informed about the EPP’s performance overtime for the past five years here once historical data becomes available. Applicants may also review Consumer Information about Educator Preparation Programs on the TEA website.

TAC §228.70
Purpose
The purpose of the candidate complaint process is to provide the candidate an orderly process for the prompt and equitable resolution of grievances. The Program intends that, whenever feasible, grievances be resolved at the lowest possible administrative level.
In using and applying the candidate complaint process, all participants are expected to remain courteous and to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators.
Informal Process
The Program encourages candidates to discuss their concerns with their coach, Assistant Program Director, or other appropriate program staff administrators who has authority to address the concerns. Concerns should be expressed as soon as possible to allow early resolution at the lowest possible administrative level.
Informal resolution is encouraged, but will not extend any deadlines in this grievance process, except by mutual written consent.
Formal Process
A candidate may initiate the formal grievance process described below by timely filing a written complaint form; obtained by contacting the Program Director.
Even after initiating a formal complaint, candidates are encouraged to seek informal resolution of their concerns. A candidate whose concerns are resolved may withdraw a formal complaint at any time.
The grievance process described below shall not be construed to create new or additional rights beyond those granted by law or EPP policy, nor to require a full evidentiary hearing or “mini-trial” at any level.
Freedom from Retaliation
Neither The Program nor any Program employee shall unlawfully retaliate against a candidate for bringing a concern or complaint/grievance.

Definitions
For purposes of understanding the General Candidate Complaints and Grievances Process, terms are defined as follows:
The terms “complaint” and “grievance” shall have the same meaning.
The term “day” shall be defined as a school business day unless stated otherwise in this complaint process. In calculating timelines under these procedures, the day a document is filed is “day zero,” and all deadlines shall be determined by counting the following school business day as “day one.”
Notices
All notices and documentation required under this policy shall be delivered as follows:

By mail:
ResponsiveEd
Educator Preparation Program (The Program)
Attn: Program Director
P.O. Box 292730
Lewisville, Texas 75029

By e‐mail:
EPPadmin@responsiveed.com
Subject heading should read “Candidate Grievance.”

In person:
ResponsiveEd
Educator Preparation Program (The Program)
1301 Waters Ridge Drive
Lewisville, Texas 75057

Filing
Complaint forms and appeal notices may be filed by hand-delivery, by electronic communication (including email and fax), or by U.S. Mail. Hand-delivered filing shall be timely filed if received by the appropriate administrator or designee by the close of business on the deadline. Filings submitted by electronic communication shall be timely filed if they are received by the close of business on the deadline, as indicated by the date/time shown on the electronic communication. Mail filing shall be timely filed if they are postmarked by U.S. Mail on or before the deadline and received by the appropriate administrator or designated representative no more than three (3) days after the deadline.
Scheduling Conferences
The Program will make reasonable attempts to schedule conferences at a mutually agreeable time. If the candidate fails to appear at a scheduled conference, The Program may hold the conference and issue a decision in the candidate’s absence.
Response
At Levels One and Two, “response” shall mean a written communication to the candidate from the appropriate administrator. Responses may be hand-delivered, sent by electronic communication to the candidate’s e-mail address of record, or sent by U.S. Mail to the candidate’s mailing address of record. Mailed responses shall be timely if they are postmarked by U.S. Mail on or before the deadline.
If the administrator addressing the complaint determines that additional time is needed to complete a thorough investigation of the complaint and/or to issue a response, the administrator shall inform the grievant in writing of the necessity to extend the response time and a specific date by when the response will be issued.
A grievance official who fails to meet a time requirement, without providing written notice of an extended deadline, shall be considered to have denied the complaint as of the date of the missed deadline.
Representative
“Representative” means a person designated to represent him or her in the complaint process. A candidate may designate a representative through written notice to The Program at any level of the grievance process. The representative may participate in person or by telephone/video conference. If the candidate designates a representative with fewer than three (3) days’ notice to The Program before a scheduled conference or hearing, The Program may reschedule the conference or hearing to a later date, if desired, in order to include the school’s counsel. The Program may be represented by counsel at any level of the process.
Consolidating Complaints
Complaints arising out of an event or a series of related events shall be addressed in one (1) complaint. Candidates shall not file separate or serial complaints arising from any event or series of events that have been or could have been addressed in a previous complaint.
When two (2) or more complaints are sufficiently similar in nature and remedy sought to permit their resolution through one (1) proceeding, The Program may consolidate the complaints.
Untimely Filings
All time limits for a candidate to file a complaint shall be strictly followed unless modified by mutual written consent. If a complaint form or appeal notice is not timely filed, the complaint may be dismissed, upon written notice to the candidate, at any point during the complaint process.
Costs Incurred
Each party shall pay its own costs incurred in the course of the complaint.
Complaint and Appeal Forms
Complaints and appeals under this policy shall be submitted in writing on a form provided by The Program Director.
Copies of any documents that support the complaint should be attached to the complaint form. If the candidate does not have copies of these documents, they may be presented at the Level One conference. After the Level One conference, no new documents may be submitted by the candidate unless the candidate did not know the documents existed before the Level One conference.
A complaint or appeal form that is incomplete in any material aspect may be dismissed but may be re-filed with all the required information if the refiling is within the designated time for filing.

The formal complaint process provides all candidates with an opportunity to be heard up to the highest level of administrative management. Once all administrative procedures are exhausted, candidates can bring complaints to the Executive Director or his or her designee, as outlined below.

Level One
Level One complaint forms must be filed:

• Within ten (10) days of the date the candidate first knew, or with reasonable diligence should have known, of the decision or action giving rise to the complaint; and
• With the Program Director to remedy the alleged problem.
  If the Level One complaint is against the Program Director, forms may be filed with the Executive Director.

If the complaint is not filed with the appropriate administrator, the receiving administrator will note the date and time the complaint form was received and immediately forward the complaint form to the appropriate administrator.
The appropriate administrator shall investigate as necessary and schedule a conference with the candidate within ten (10) days of receipt of the Level One complaint. The administrator may set reasonable time limits for the conference.
Absent extenuating circumstances, or if there is a need to gather additional information, the administrator shall provide the candidate with a written response within ten (10) days following the conference. The written response will set forth the basis of the decision. In reaching a decision, the administrator may consider information provided at the Level One conference and any other relevant documents or information the administrator believes will help resolve the complaint.

Level Two
If the candidate did not receive the relief requested at Level One or if the time for a response has expired, or if the candidate is directed to do so by The Program, the candidate may request a conference with the Executive Director of The Program or designee to appeal. The appeal notice must be filed in writing, on a form provided by The Program, within ten (10) days of the date of the written Level One response or, if no response was received, within ten (10) days of the Level One response deadline.

After receiving notice of the appeal the Program Director will prepare and forward a record of the Level One complaint to the Level Two administrator.

The Executive Director of The Program or designee will schedule a conference within ten (10) days after the appeal notice is filed. The conference shall be limited to the issues and documents considered at Level One. The Executive Director of The Program or designee may set reasonable time limits for the conference. The Level Two conference may be held via telephone or video conference.

The Executive Director of The Program or designee shall provide the candidate a written response within ten (10) days following the conference. The written response will set forth the basis of the decision. In reaching a decision, the Executive Director of The Program or designee may consider the Level One records and any other relevant documents or information the Executive Director of The Program or designee believes will help resolve the complaint.

The Executive Director of The Program may, at his sole discretion, modify this complaint process or require an alternative process and retains final authority to hear and decide complaints and concerns brought hereunder.

If the candidate is not satisfied with the complaint process or outcome, the candidate may file a complaint against the EPP with the Texas Education Agency. Consult the official Texas Education Agency complaint process. Please note not all complaints fall under the authority of TEA. TEA has jurisdiction to investigate allegations of noncompliance regarding specific laws and rules, generally related to state and federal requirements. Complaints may address educator preparation program requirements listed in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §§ 227, 228, 229, ethics (TAC 247), fingerprinting (TAC §§227, 232) and certification (TAC §§230, 231, 232, 239, 241, 242). TEA staff and the SBEC do not have jurisdiction over complaints related to contractual arrangements with an EPP, commercial issues, obtaining a higher grade or credit for training, or seeking reinstatement to an EPP.

Once a candidate becomes a ResponsiveEd employee, the process to file a complaint changes, and the employee should follow the ResponsiveEd General Employee Complaints and Grievance Process. In order to file a complaint under ResponsiveEd compliant policy the candidate must be in a paid position with ResponsiveEd. If the candidate is not a current employee of ResponsiveEd, he/she will follow the Education Preparation Policy compliant process outlined above.