Applying for Your Certificate

After you have finished your coursework, passed student teaching, passed the certification examinations, submitted an electronic portfolio based on Texas Geography teachereducator standards, and your degree is posted, you are ready to be recommended for a teaching certificate. Before we can recommend you, you must apply online for your teaching certificate at www.sbec.state.tx.us.

 

 

How to Apply for Your Certificate

With TEA (Texas Education Agency)

 

  •  Go online to http://www.tea.state.tx.us and click on the red “Certification Information” on the left hand column, then click on “Apply for Certification” 
  • Login … you created an account when you set up your profile with TEA and registered for your certification exams.  Update your profile, especially your mailing address (required to mail your certificate to you) and email.
  • Click on “Applications” (left side-bar menu)
  • Select “Standard Certificate Texas Program”
  • Enter requested information.  You will apply for a standard teaching certificate and you will write in the area(s) of certification (for example, 4-8 math/science or EC-6/Generalist and ESL)
  • Make sure you choose “Texas Tech University – University Based” as the recommending entity.
  • There is a fingerprinting fee.  You can either request the card for an inked fingerprint or use the electronic provider (faster, more accurate, but more expensive).  To use the electronic provider:
    • Pay the $42.50 fingerprinting charge to SBEC and select electronic fingerprints.  SBEC will email you a “FAST pass.”
    • Set up an appointment at www.ibtfingerprint.com
    • Take the “FAST pass” and $9.95 to your appointment.
  • Your name will appear on Tech’s electronic list of certification applicants.
  • When you have finished your courses and passed your exams (all degrees, courses and tests must be posted), the certification office will recommend that TEA issue your certificate.
  • TEA will complete the background check and then certify you. Your OFFICIAL certificate will be the electronic one in the TEA files. However, there will be a link to print a copy of your certificate.
  • You will receive email notifications as these steps progress.

 

 

You must meet the following requirements in order to be recommended for your certificate:

 

·         All coursework must be completed and grades posted.

·         Degree must be awarded and posted on your transcript.

·         All required TExES exams must be passed.

·         SOME certifications (counselor, principal, diagnostician, etc) require a service record be mailed to us prior to                   recommendation.

 

 

Please remember:

·       The application process may take 3-4 weeks from the time that you apply online.

·       TEA will process your application only after (a) your $77 payment has been received; (b) you have submitted your TEA-initiated digital fingerprints with the $47 fee and TEA has completed a national criminal background check; and (c) TTU has confirmed to TEA that you have completed all requirements of its approved program and have recommended that they issue your certificate.

·       Your certificate will be mailed to the address that you have on your TEA profile.

 

 

How to Challenge a Test and Add On Another Certification Area

 

 

Once you have your initial teaching certificate “in hand” – that means you have (1) passed the exam, (2) finished student teaching, (3) have your degree “posted” on your transcript, (4) applied for your teaching certificate, (5) passed your fingerprint background check, and (6) received your certificate in the mail from TEA – you can challenge another certification area “by exam only.”

 

To do this, logon to the ETS website (www.texes.ets.org) and register for the desired test as “certification by exam.”  After you pass the exam, apply to TEA for your certificate “certification by exam” (do not list TTU as your recommending entity).  Please note that many school districts will want you to have the recommended coursework in the field even though you have added the certificate by exam.