Program Requirements:
To be eligible for a Principal as Instructional Leader certificate, the individual must:
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be state licensed with a valid educator certificate and provide a copy of certificate;
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have a minimum of two years teaching experience in an accredited school and provide copies of teacher service records with signatures;
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provide all official transcripts;
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meet requirements for admission to the SAGU educator preparation program;
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complete structured, field-based training through a practicum component;
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pass the representative and state examinations of educator standards;
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complete the Principal as Instructional Leader program; and, have earned a master’s degree from an accredited university.
State Certification
Students seeking Texas State Teaching Certification must follow specific guidelines for certification. Students are encouraged to discuss these guidelines with the SAGU Director of Teacher Certification and SAGU Teacher Education Testing Coordinator. Graduating with an Education degree from SAGU does not guarantee state certification. Students seeking certification in professional areas such as Principalship and School Counselor must meet one of the above criteria and have 70% of the degree plan coursework completed prior to testing approval.
Our goal at SAGU Teacher Education is to prepare students to pass certification exams on the first attempt. The Educational Leadership degree is designed to give candidates the necessary content knowledge and practice needed in each course.
State and Federal Reports
SAGU Teacher Education graduates have achieved a 98% TExES Certification Exam pass rate for the 2014-2015 academic year. According to the national Title II report, which ranks universities by state, SAGU achieved a high ranking by the federal government by scoring in the top quartile in the state of Texas for students passing state certification requirements.
In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education regulations, effective July 1, 2020, Title IV institutions are required to share professional licensure disclosures. For any certification or licensure, directly contacting that state’s department or entity responsible for state certification or licensure will ensure the most accurate information.
The following resources provide such data:
Military Service Waivers
In accordance with 19 TAC §228.35(a)(5)(A), military service members or military veterans may be given credit for certain verified military service, training, or education toward the training, education, work experience or related requirements (other than certification examinations) for educator certification requirements, provided that the military service, train, or education is directly related to the certificate being sought. Contact the education department for additional information.
Effective September 1, 2015, the TEA waives certain fees for eligible military service members, military veterans, and military spouses. For more information, please see the TEA website at:
https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Certification/Military_Community
Information regarding Military Service Members, Military Spouses, and Military Veterans may be found in the Texas Administrative Code 234 at
https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=234&rl=1
In accordance with 19 TAC §228.35(a)(5)(B), those who are not military service member or military veterans may be able to substitute prior or ongoing service, training or education, provided that the experience, education or training is not also counted as pare to the internship, clinical teaching, or practicum requirements, and the aforementioned was provided by an approved EPP or an accredited institution of higher education within the last five years, and is directly related to the certificate being sought.
Criminal History Checks
Prior to clinical teaching and field-based experiences, students will undergo school district criminal history checks. The state of Texas also requires a criminal background check before an individual can receive a Texas teacher certification. Information regarding requirements for certification may be found on the TEA website at:
https://tea.texas.gov/texas-educators/certification/educator-certification-online-system
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) may suspend or revoke an existing valid certificate, deny an applicant a certificate, bar a person from being assessed or examined for a certificate, or take other disciplinary action because of a person’s conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or certain other criminal history.” 19 Tex. Admin. Code § 249.16
Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 227.101c) states that a person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in a State Board of Educator Certification-approved educator preparation program or planning to take a certification examination may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person’s potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense. For more information about the Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation, go to the link:
https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/Preliminary_Criminal_History_Evaluation-FAQs
Calendar of Events
This document
provides important deadlines and events for the education programs.
