Curriculum Overview

Candidates begin coursework in one of four cohort times (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer). The Texas Education Agency requires at least 300 clock hours for all candidates in Educator Preparation Programs. At least fifty (50) of these clock hours are from field-based experiences.

The Region 7 EPP coursework consists of four (4) phases. Phase 1 covers approximately 95 hours, and Phase 2 approximately 100 hours. Phase 3 begins your internship and covers 50 clock hours. The program concludes with 50 hours in Phase 4. All coursework is aligned to the state standards found in Texas Administrative Code Chapter 149 and is delivered online through Canvas. The online coursework also meets Program Design and Teaching Support Certification by Quality Matters.

All coursework has been planned and designed to prepare you to succeed on state certification exams and effectively teach in the classroom. Throughout the coursework, candidates will become proficient at:

designing clear, well-organized, sequential, engaging, and flexible lessons that reflect best practices, align with standards and related content, are appropriate for diverse learners, and encourage higher-order thinking, persistence, and achievement.
formally and informally collecting, analyzing, and using student progress data to inform instruction and make needed lesson adjustments.
ensuring high levels of learning, social-emotional development, and achievement for all students through knowledge of students, proven practices, and differentiated instruction.
clearly and accurately communicating to support persistence, deeper learning, and effective effort.
organizing a safe, accessible, and efficient classroom.
establishing, communicating, and maintaining clear expectations for student behavior.
leading a mutually respectful and collaborative class of actively engaged learners.
meeting expectations for attendance, professional appearance, decorum, procedural, ethical, legal, and statutory responsibilities.
reflect on their practice.
effectively communicating with students, families, colleagues, and community members.
instruction in digital learning, virtual instruction, and virtual learning as defined in TEC, §21.001

Phase 1 Description

The coursework begins with foundational training prior to entering a classroom as an intern. Phase 1 consists of foundational learning experiences that include:

Orientation – An overview of program requirements, expectations, documentation, and introduction to the online coursework management system, Canvas.
Field-Based Experiences – At least 25 hours of classroom observations, including student contact, observing instruction and classroom environments, and conversations with certified teachers. You will gather data on teacher and student behaviors and the learning environment during these observations. Reflecting on this data will strengthen your understanding of effective instruction throughout the online coursework.
Online Coursework – Various courses developed to cover the material required in Texas Education Code, focusing on the lesson cycle, classroom management, and effective teaching practices that the candidate will be able to implement in their classroom. The strategies presented and modeled are appropriate for teachers of all grade levels and certification areas.
One In-person Check-in – This optional professional learning community will be located at Region 7 ESC main site or another designated area on one Saturday for three hours.

Phase 2 Description

Phase 2 adds learning experiences that include:

Content Area TExES Preparation – Use the 240 Tutoring diagnostic to identify weak areas. Then complete the required content modules including study notecards, quizzes, and practice tests.
Field-Based Experiences – Complete any remaining field-based expereinces for a total of 50 hours.
Online Coursework - TEA required 30 hours of G/T Basics, Professional Demeanor and Ethics, communication, data-driven instruction, achieving expectations, and effective teaching practices that the candidate will be able to implement in their classroom.
One In-person Check-in – This optional professional learning community will be located at Region 7 ESC main site or another designated area on one Saturday for three hours

Phases 3 and 4 Description

This portion of the program includes all coursework after the candidate has accepted a full-time, year-long (180-day) teaching position as a paid intern. Candidate MUST hold an internship certificate that can only be awarded after completing 150 clock hours of coursework, 50 hours of field-based experiences, and passing the content TExES exam(s). Phase 3 and 4 coursework builds on the foundational understanding that was gained during Phases 1 and 2. The coursework is designed to assist the intern in strengthening and refining their teaching skills. These phases include:

Internship Orientation - In person overview of internship requirements, expectations, and documentation.
Online coursework – Continues to review and build upon understanding the learning environment, monitoring and adjusting instruction, professional demeanor and goal setting, and knowledge of diverse students.
In-person Check-ins – This optional professional learning community will be located at Region 7 ESC main site or another designated area on one Saturday for three hours.
TExES Pedagogy & Professional Responsibilities (PPR) Exam Preparation – In addition to our coursework, a book study about educational psychology will help prepare you for being an educator as defined by the PPR standards.
District/Campus Training - With appropriate documentation such as a certificate of attendance, sign-in sheet, or other written school district verification, 50 clock hours of training may be provided by a school district and/or campus that is an approved Texas Education Agency (TEA) continuing professional education provider to a candidate who is considered a late hire.
Other Training - Candidates seeking certification in content areas requiring conference attendance (e.g., TMEA for Music EC-12 candidates, TCEA for Technology Application EC-12 candidates) may submit conference attendance documentation to the Region 7 EPP to determine credit. Decisions on training credit are at the discretion of the program director.