Texas A&M University
College of Education
Department of Educational Psychology
(979)845-2599
Fax (979)458-0192
E-Mail: bilingual@tamu.edu

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How can I become a bilingual (Pk-4) teacher in Texas? Click on the link that reflects your situation to receive more information.

Certification Exams required of teachers

For more detail and a comprehensive overview of teacher certification routes and programs visit the State Board of Educator Certification.

I do not have an undergraduate degree:

First, one must obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Degrees in education are no longer offered. One must obtain an academic major and also take some teacher training courses; at Texas A&M, students major in Interdisciplinary Studies. The bilingual teaching degree is a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Early Childhood Through Fourth Grade (EC-4) Bilingual Generalist Certification.  Students will be eligible for certification after passing the state teacher TExES exam in bilingual generalist (EC-4) and the Professional Responsibilities & Pedagogy (EC-4). The Bilingual teacher candidate must also demonstrate Spanish fluency through the TOPT exam. Before being recommended for these exams students must take and pass a Departmental Bilingual ExCETt/TExES and TOPT pre-test. 

See the Undergraduate Program Degree Plan

I am in the process or have already completed the required hours for a Pk-4 teaching certification in Texas and the required Spanish Language Courses: 

If one has completed the coursework for PK-4 certification, and has completed or will complete (a) 15 hours of bilingual education coursework and (b) the necessary Spanish courses, next one must take a Departmental Bilingual ExCET/TExES and TOPT pre-test before receiving a recommendation to take the Bilingual Teacher ExCET or TExES and the TOPT state certification exams.

I have a bachelor's degree in something other than education.

If one has a college degree already, one can enter a post-baccalaureate program or an Alternative Certification Program (an accelerated route into teaching for high-need areas). At Texas A&M University, one can enter as post-baccalaureate and complete the necessary courses on the student's bilingual teacher deficiency plan (courses lacking to complete the Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Early Childhood Through Fourth Grade (EC-4) Bilingual Generalist Certification). Alternative Certification Programs (ACP) focus on courses in becoming an effective teacher as well as subject area specific courses. Many of these programs can be completed in one year; many individuals enjoy a teaching position as they participate in these programs. Texas A&M does not have a Bilingual ACP program; for more information about Bilingual ACP contact your Education Region Center or SBEC for a list of available programs. Region IV (Houston) and Region VI (Huntsville) are two area ACP programs. .  

Texas Examinations of Educator Standards and ExCET: 

After August 31, 2003 the ExCET will no longer be administered. Only those teachers that are in the process of completing training under the ExCET are eligible to take the ExCET exam before that date. Most teacher candidates are now being prepared under the new teaching standards and will thus focus on the TExES. For additional information about the TExES or preparation manuals see the SBEC TExES site. 

Pedagogy & Professional Responsibilities:

The Pedagogy & Professional Responsibilities exam assesses the teaching skills and classroom management practices of beginning teachers in Texas. The new Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) tests became available for the first time in fall 2002. The PPR tests are available at four grade levels, EC-4, 4-8, 8-12, and EC-12. These exams overlap, however, if you are going to be certified in EC-4, taking the other exams will not certify you for the other grade-levels.

Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT): 

The TOPT is an exam for teachers seeking to teach Spanish or French, or in a bilingual classroom.