The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met April 24 to give final approval to several rule changes that were necessary to comply with bills passed during the 2025 legislative session:  

• Three chapters of the Texas Administrative Code housing SBEC rules—19 TAC Ch. 227, 228, and 230—were modified in response to changes made in educator certification provisions in House Bill (HB) 2 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado).   
• Two additional chapters—19 TAC Ch. 247 and 249, pertaining to the Educator Code of Ethics and educator discipline—were amended to align with Senate Bill (SB) 12 by former Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe) and SB 571 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston).   

These rules were all approved with no substantive changes and now will head to the State Board of Education (SBOE) for either approval or veto at its June meeting. 

Educator preparation program rules  

The board started with discussion and approval of proposed rules in 19 TAC Ch. 228, which contain requirements for educator preparation programs. The Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership (PREP) allotment in HB 2 provides funding to school districts to partner with educator preparation programs (EPPs) to create paid teacher residencies and “grow your own” pathways. SBEC was given authority under statute to draft the rules and requirements that districts and EPPs must follow in order to receive the funding.   

ATPE previously reported on changes made to the rules in February in response to ATPE and our partners in the Texas Coalition for Educator Preparation. ATPE submitted both public comments and written testimony before this meeting regarding the need to include lesson design in Ch. 228.41. As we reported in February, TEA continues to favor lesson internalization of the state’s so-called High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) over the need to teach educator candidates the skill of lesson design. Since the passage of HB 1605 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado) in 2023, the agency has placed a high priority on familiarizing educators with these state-approved HQIM and moving them away from using their independent expertise to deliver differentiated content to Texas students. These materials, which have been approved by the State Board of Education, are provided to teachers with the intention of having them internalize the pre-made documents rather than draft their own lesson plans. Even if a one-size-fits-all approach was appropriate, HQIM is not available in all subject areas nor being used by all school districts, as it is not mandatory under the bill. ATPE emphasized in our written testimony that lesson design is a foundational pedagogical skill that must continue to be part of educator preparation.  

The board also finalized rule revisions in Ch. 227 and 230. These items have not substantively changed since the December 2025 meeting. You can find the list of items ATPE was monitoring in these two chapters in our December 2025 SBEC meeting recap here on Teach the Vote.  

Educator Code of Ethics and educator discipline  

The board also finalized Ch. 247 and 249 rules regarding educator discipline and the Educator Code of Ethics. ATPE’s lobbyists and legal staff actively engaged in multiple rounds of stakeholder feedback on these rule changes. ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter also testified before SBEC in February concerning the board’s proposed definition of a “continuous and imminent threat” and suggested changes to the rule language to create a better definition of the term. Since then, ATPE has submitted public comments and written testimony ahead of the April meeting. However, the board approved the rules Friday without making any substantive changes.  

Test development updates 

Following approval of rule changes, SBEC shifted to a discussion on the development of several new tests by the agency. 

First, the board received an update on general test development through 2028. In September 2025, TEA launched the Special Education Specialist EC-12 and Deafblind Supplemental exams, which were required following rule changes to 19 TAC Ch. 231 subchapter F last year.  The Bilingual Spanish Supplemental exam, which will replace the current Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT), is expected to launch in September 2026. In September 2028, TEA plans to launch a redesigned ESL supplemental exam and a bilingual special education supplemental.  

Staff recommended a shift in the calendar from 2027 to 2029 for redesign of the core subject exams in order to ensure alignment with the SBOE’s work in updating the ELAR and Social Studies TEKS. This will give staff the time to include TEKS changes in the new updated core subject exams. 

Next, TEA staff offered an update on the development progress of the Texas Test of Educator Proficiency, or T-TEP. This test is being developed to replace the PPR exam. Like the content exams, the T-TEP development timeline is being shifted to align with the redesign of the T-TESS. Based on the T-TESS redesign timeline, staff told SBEC that launch of the T-TEP exam is anticipated during the 2028-29 school year, rather than 2027-28 as previously anticipated. Staff members told the board they anticipate opening board discussion and opportunities for stakeholder feedback on rulemaking for the T-TESS exam in December. The refreshed T-TESS pilot will begin in the 2026-27 school year, with the full launch expected in the 2027-28 school year. The pilot for T-TEP will take place in the 2027-28 school year, with full implementation taking place in the 2028-29 school year. 

Finally, SBEC heard an update concerning its review of National Board Certification Teacher (NBCT) standards, which was another requirement under 2025’s HB 2. In December, the board appointed a subcommittee, with ATPE member and National Board Certified teacher Bobbie Lynn Weir chairing it, to study the content of modules provided to educators going through the National Board Certification process and ensure it complies with Texas law. This is being done in order to determine if National Board Certification should continue to be used to designate teachers for the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA).  The board must renew the authorization of this designation by December 2026 or it will be automatically revoked.  

Staff shared that six educators have been contracted to review the National Board Certification standards, some of whom are NBC teachers themselves. The reviewers also have expertise in reading and interpreting statutes, content knowledge, and the IMRA suitability rubrics, all of which are qualifications SBEC set for the reviewers at their December 2025 meeting. The reviewers are expected to submit their first report to the SBEC subcommittee chaired by Weir at the July SBEC meeting. Staff said that it anticipated the reviewers will meet the December SBEC deadline for review and final decision. 

SBEC is scheduled to meet again in July. July SBEC meetings are usually two-day meetings with the first day being a workday devoted to digging into new items the board will work on for the following year. Stay tuned to ATPE’s Teach the Vote for updates.