Texas Community News Letter – December 11, 2017
Professional Development Offerings to be Removed for CTE Math and Science Courses
With the adoption (2015) and implementation (2017) of new and revised CTE TEKS, the following professional development (PD) courses are no longer current and will be removed from Gateway Courses on December 29, 2017.
- Advanced Animal Science
- Advanced Biotechnology
- Advanced Plant and Soil Science
- Engineering Design and Problem Solving
- Engineering Mathematics
- Food Science
- Forensic Science
- Mathematical Applications in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
- Statistics and Risk Management
The PD courses listed above must be completed by the close of business Friday, December 29, 2017, to receive a certificate of completion. If you have completed one of these courses and need a certificate, log into the system at and download a copy before the course removal date.
All other CTE PD courses will remain published.
Future Professional Development Requirements for CTE Math and Science Courses
Recent actions by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and the State Board of Education (SBOE) have revised the rules found in 19 TAC Chapter 231, Requirements for Public School Personnel Assignments, Subchapter C, Grades 6-8 Assignments, and Subchapter E, Grades 9-12 Assignments. These new rules will take effect on December 17, 2017.
Beginning with the 2019-2020 Year
Effective with the 2019-2020 school year, all teachers assigned to teach CTE courses for mathematics or science credit shall participate in new Texas Education Agency-approved training prior to teaching the courses. Additional information about this approved training will be available on the TEA website in the coming months.
2017-2018 and 2018-2019 Years
Pending the new approved training, CTE teachers who are not certified in science and who wish to teach one of the CTE courses for science credit may want to complete the online course titled “Science Safety for High School.” Science or math teachers who are not certified in CTE and who wish to teach one of the CTE courses for mathematics or science credit may want to complete CTE 101. CTE-certified teachers may complete CTE 101, if they wish. Both online professional development courses can be found in Gateway Courses (
Other Important Information
The revised teacher assignment rules contain other important changes in addition to the ones mentioned above. All district personnel responsible for assignment of teachers are encouraged to review the revised 19 TAC Chapter 231, Subchapter E at:
Texas Teacher Externships Program
The University of Texas at Austin Center for STEM Education has launched the Texas Teacher Externships Program (TEX2) and announced a Request for Application for organizations wishing to join the program. Funded by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the externship program will provide opportunities for STEM classroom teachers to learn about local industry trends, needs, and opportunities that they can then bring back to their classrooms to enhance instruction and, ultimately, student learning and achievement. Applications will be accepted through February 1, 2018.
For more information, click on the link below.
Conference on Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention
The State Board of Education and the State Board for Educator Certification on January 31, 2018, will host a free one-day conference called Learning Roundtable: Recruiting, Preparing, and Retaining Top Teachers.
The event will be held on the fourth floor of the Austin Convention Center.
The keynote speakers are Doug Lemov, author of "Teach Like a Champion," and Peter Dewitt, author of "Collaborative Leadership: Six Influences that Matter Most."
For more information click here.