COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - Certification - Supplemental Teacher Certification

These supplemental certificates are available to certified teachers who wish to enter into employment with a school district on an emergency permit and complete a prescribed University program of instruction in a new content area. It can also serve as a guide for those certified teachers who wish on their own initiative to add another content area and receive some additional instruction before attempting the State option of certification by exam only.

The supplemental certificates and areas offered through the University are as noted below. The grade level assigned to the student's certificate will be aligned with whatever the current grade level the certified teacher holds in his/her initial teaching certificate. Course details are available online for review in the College of Education section of the graduate catalog at www.tamucc.edu.

Certification Area	Required Examinations

Bilingual Education	TExES #102, BTLPT
English as a Second Language	TExES # 154
Gifted and Talented	TExES # 162

The State of Texas has created a new category of teacher certificates called Master Teachers which are assigned in a number of content areas. The University is approved to offer instruction for the Master Reading Teacher certificate. This certificate is available to certified teachers who will serve to be in a master trainer status for the certified reading teachers in their school site. Additional pay stipends are made available by the employing school districts for those who hold this level certificate.

There are two methods of instruction offered through the University for meeting this objective.

For those who already hold the Reading Specialist professional certificate, nine semester hours of prescribed graduate courses in Reading are taken. No state-licensing exam is necessary to pass before application to the State for issuance of this certificate.

For those who do not hold the Reading Specialist professional certificate, twelve semester hours of prescribed graduate courses in Reading are taken. Passing the state-licensing exam, TExES #85, is also required to apply for this certificate.

Contact the Reading faculty of the College of Education for more details.

The State of Texas makes available to certified teachers the option of adding new content/teaching field areas to their existing teaching credential through a method called certification by exam only. Although many currently certified teachers prefer to have formal preparation prior to attempting a new state-licensing exam (TExES) in a content area, the State will allow the individual to challenge the content area TExES exam, without any formal preparation (except Trade and Industrial Education and Health Science Technology Education). If a certified teacher wishes to pursue this initiative, the individual can register online with the testing agency at www.texes.ets.org and indicate “By Exam Only.”