Texas Special Education Certification & Requirements

Featured Programs:

Texas Special Education

Education Week reports that Texas’ special education system was rated “Needs Intervention” by the U.S. Department of Education, as of the 2010/2011 school year. Nine percent of this state’s student population has been identified as having disabilities, significantly lower than the national average of 13 percent. However, due to Texas’ large size and multiple urban areas with dense populations, the state employs nearly 20,000 special education teachers to serve in its 1,265 districts, according to Concordia University. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) oversees issues pertaining to Texas educators; its Special Education Division provides information for teachers working with students with special needs.

Licensure Requirements

For Undergraduates

According to the TEA’s Becoming a Classroom Teacher in Texas guide, the traditional route to licensure requires earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution as well as completing a teacher preparation program approved by the state. Select Texas bachelor’s degree programs provide the coursework necessary to quality for a teaching certificate, but additional classes in special education may be required. Special education teachers must also demonstrate they are highly qualified according to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) standards, meaning they must exhibit subject matter competency. For more details regarding these standards, refer to the Texas Education Agency page on Highly Qualified Teachers.

For Graduates

Graduate students must have a special education teaching certificate to teach in special education settings in Texas public schools. They can either attend an accredited teacher preparation program focusing in the area of special education they wish to teach or they can complete a master’s degree program in special education that includes coursework that meets the TEA’s licensing requirements. For detailed information regarding certification requirements, refer to the TEA’s Educator Resources for Special Education Certification and Professional Development.

Types of Licenses

The educator certification section of the TEA website outlines state regulations regarding licensure. In general, teachers apply for a Standard Certificate, which must be renewed every five years.

Reciprocity

The TEA’s guidelines for out-of-state educators require that educators from other states who wish to teach in Texas must create an online account on the TEA website, and then submit copies of their transcripts and out-of state certificates for review. If approved, these candidates receive a non-renewable One-Year Certificate; they must then complete any additional state-mandated requirements within a year to qualify for a Standard Certificate. The same guidelines apply to out-of-country applicants with the added requirement that all transcripts, degrees and certificates must be analyzed by a TEA-approved Foreign Credential Evaluation Service. For more information, refer to the TEA’s guidelines for certification based on credentials from another country.

FIND SCHOOLS

Special Education Degrees in Texas

Consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as having one of the top special education programs in the nation, the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin offers several courses of study for would-be special educators. Both master’s degree and doctorate programs are offered in the areas of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Early Childhood Special Education, Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders, Multicultural Special Education and Rehabilitation Counselor Education. This school’s location in the arts-friendly city of Austin is considered a major plus. Texas A&M University, located in College Park, offers special education programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate levels, including an entirely online master’s degree program. Texas Women’s University awards bachelor’s degrees in special education at several grade levels. At the master’s degree level, the university offers two special education programs, Special Education: Intervention Specialist and Special Education: Educational Diagnostician. This school also offers a doctorate program with a focus on professional development for special educators.

For profiles of all the schools in Texas that offer master’s in special education programs, click here.

Alternatives to Certification

The TEA has approved alternative certification programs that allow would-be educators to teach in Texas classrooms as paid or unpaid interns under the supervision of an experienced mentor while completing certification requirements, provided that these candidates meet criteria such as demonstrable basic skills and content area knowledge. Texas Troops to Teachers advises veterans and military personnel on how to transition to high-need areas in Texas public schools. The Texas Institute for Teacher Education offers an online alternative certification program for aspiring teachers, and helps graduates find teaching positions upon completion of the program.

Special Education Teaching Jobs in Texas

Public schools

The TEA’s Statewide School District Job Search webpage allows prospective employees to find job opportunities in Texas public and charter schools.

Private schools

Connections Kids maintains a list of Texas specialized schools, private schools and preschools for special needs populations.

Other programs

The University of Texas at Austin hires special education teachers for both non-tenure and tenure-track positions.

Professional Development

The TEA’s basic professional development guidelines can be found on this agency’s Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Information webpage. The Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE) provides online training and other professional development programs. Education Service Center, Region 20 (ESC * 20) provides workshops and other training opportunities, support and resources for Texas special education teachers.

Texas Professional Groups for Special Education Teachers

Texas has several state teachers unions, including the Texas State Teachers Association, the state branch of the National Education Association. Other unions for educators in the state include the Association of Texas Professional Educators, the Texas Classroom Teachers Association, the Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers and the Texas Community College Teachers Association. The Arc of Texas is the state branch of a national organization that offers training, resources and support for individuals with disabilities and their families, as well as for educators. The Learning Disabilities Association of Texas is a non-profit volunteer organization for educators and other professionals concerned with special education, as well as individuals with disabilities and members of their families.

FIND SCHOOLS

Texas Special Education Bloggers

The Dynamic Duo: Kelley Hively and Orlanda De Los Santos work as a special education and speech therapy team at an Austin public school. They share curriculum, printable resources, techniques and tools for special educators.
Awesomeness and Autism: Read stories and gain insight about teaching students with autism from Erin Stevenson-Bennett, a teacher who has spent 14 years working with students with learning disabilities, and the past four years teaching middle school students with autism.