Is there an application deadline?
Yes. November 8, 2013. All applications, transcripts, and other required documentation for the 2013-2014 program cycle must be received in the Region 6 Education Service Center, TPCP office before the close of business on Friday, November 8, 2013. Please submit all application materials as soon as possible.
Applications must include official transcripts from every college attended. All transcripts from foreign institutions of higher learning must include a course-by-course evaluation from an approved credential evaluation service. Applicants are responsible for any fees incurred obtaining official transcripts or credential evaluations.
If I do not have all the necessary course work at this time, may I still submit an application?
Yes, but only if you will graduate from college in May 2014, complete required course work by May 31, 2014, or provide passing scores on the appropriate PACT exam by December 31, 2013. All other application requirements must be met by November 8, 2013.
What is the PACT exam, and who needs to take it?
Pre-Admission Content Testing (PACT) is a provision that allows applicants to take a TExES test (state certification test) BEFORE being admitted into an educator preparation program, such as the TPCP. This option is for applicants who have a bachelor’s degree with an acceptable GPA and at least 12 hours of the required core content courses. A passing score on the appropriate TExES exam will substitute for the remaining core courses. A person who passes a TExES exam under the PACT provision DOES NOT have to retake the exam for certification. Click here for more information on the PACT.
Does Region 6 Education Service Center place participants with school districts?
The TPCP staff will assist participants with clinical teaching placements. Participants seeking paid internships are responsible for securing school employment, and the TPCP staff will assist with locating vacancies, notifying participants about job fairs, etc. The practicum (either clinical teaching or internship) must be completed with a Texas public school district, approved private school, or approved charter school. The practicum may NOT be completed at a state school or the Windham school district.
Am I paid a salary during the internship?
Yes. The Texas state-base salary is $27,320 (11-12), however, many school districts pay well above this minimum amount and provide supplements, benefits, and staff development opportunities. Generally, teachers are paid on a monthly basis. Most new teachers receive their first paycheck in September, even though they begin working in August.
Will the program require a major time commitment?
Yes. The TPCP is an intense, fast-paced, high-quality program. Participants will be expected to attend pre-assignment training in the spring and summer, and continued training throughout the 2014-2015 school year.
TPCP participants attend an orientation in either December 2013 or January 2014. The TPCP is a 17-month program, beginning in January 2014 and ending in May 2015. Participants observe in classrooms and attend monthly Saturday training sessions from January through May 2014. Daily, weekday training sessions are held in July and participants begin teaching in August. During the internship (August 2014 through May 2015), participants continue monthly Saturday training sessions, conduct mentor observations, complete online courses, and compile a digital portfolio of the school year.
The TPCP also has an option for participants to complete a 12-week, unpaid clinical teaching practicum (student teaching) instead of the full-year paid internship. Participants in the clinical teaching option attend all training sessions and complete all activities required of those in internships. This option allows participants to become certified without being employed by a school.