Essential Actions

Essential Actions describe what the most effective EPPs do to support powerful educator preparation.

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Essential Action 1

Admission Standards

Program’s admission standards are rigorous and fair, requiring teacher candidates to show potential and/or fit for the teaching profession. 

KP 1.1

Aligns admission standards with the program’s vision, mission, and guiding principles, and ensures standards reflect high expectations for the teaching profession.

KP 1.2

Uses multiple measures (i.e., screening tools, standardized test scores, pre-selection GPA, essays, interviews, micro-teaching auditions, resumes, work experience, and dispositional surveys) in its admission process that require teacher candidates to demonstrate potential and/or fit for teaching.

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Essential Action 2

Recruitment and Selection

Program teacher candidate recruitment and selection decisions are informed by the needs of partner school(s) and LEAs.

KP 2.1

Uses state, district, and partnership data to set goals for recruitment and selection of teacher candidates that address LEA partners’ teacher quality needs and shortage areas (i.e., subjects, grade levels, school settings) and reflect the student demographics of partner LEAs and schools.

KP 2.2

Implements specific strategies (i.e., financial assistance, academic support, flexible schedules) to attract teacher candidates for high needs and/or shortage areas in their local and partner districts.

KP 2.3

Recruits and selects teacher candidates based on a set of normed criteria and offers counseling and support for prospective teacher candidates to consider preparation in areas of need as identified by partner LEAs and schools.

KP 2.4

Collects data, reflects, and adjusts their efforts to recruit, select, and support teacher candidates that meet partner(s) needs and reflect the communities in which they will serve.

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Essential Action 3

Demonstration of Teacher Candidate Proficiency

Program provides teacher candidates with regular opportunities to demonstrate proficiency of priority competencies, including knowledge and skills aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), Texas Teacher Standards, Educator Code of Ethics, certification exam frameworks, and applicable teacher evaluation systems. 

KP 3.1

Designs and/or adopts evaluation instruments to measure the proficiency of practice-based knowledge and skills to reflect the iterative process for teacher candidate development.

KP 3.2

Consistently assesses teacher candidates using valid, reliable, fair, calibrated, and consistent evaluation instruments to monitor progress toward priority competencies.

KP 3.3

Establishes quality monitoring benchmarks throughout the program to evaluate teacher candidate performance so that early support and intervention efforts may be implemented.

KP 3.4

Uses multiple, varied measures (e.g., formative, performance, competency-based) to assess teacher candidate progress and provide continuous improvement opportunities for teacher candidates.

KP 3.5

Designs and implements intervention plans that include targeted and defined supports that address challenges and growth opportunities for teacher candidates based on data from regular progress monitoring benchmarks.