Program Selection and Admission

What are the characteristics of EPP applicants? What is the academic profile of candidates admitted to EPPs? What are the recent EPP admission trends?

After someone decides to become a teacher, they must then apply to an Educator Preparation Program in Texas. Analyzing the motivational factors of the applicants and enrollees in an EPP, along with the make-up and structure of the candidate pool, helps to provide an understanding of the EPP landscape. These factors can reveal opportunities for intervention and candidate support that might significantly increase the diversity of the teaching profession (Rae & Montenegro, 2020).

Figure 3. EPP Entry: Self-Reported Motivations and Barriers

Encouragement from social network Diverse funding sources for tuition and living costs

Intrinsic motivation to teach

Concern for program reputation and quality

Program structure founded on applied learning and skill development Limited financial stress

Program structure flexibility (parttime, online, asynchronous)

Traditional Alternative (IHE) Alternative (non-IHE) Post-Baccalaureate

Low level of awareness of and preparation for certification requirements High program costs

Misalignment between expectations and reality High admission standards Less encouragement from social network to teach Competing personal commitments (e.g., dependent children, part-time jobs)

Source: (Rae & Montenegro, 2020)

It is also important to understand the characteristics of applicants for each EPP type. However, the demographics of Educator Preparation Program applicants are not publicly available. The relationship between TC demographics and program type is explored further in the Completion and Certification section.

Additionally, little is known about the academic qualifications of TCs; only average GPA (3.23), SAT (1114), ACT (22), and GRE (278) scores are routinely reported to consumers. In 2018–2019, 7 programs did not meet the statutorily required 3.0 cohort GPA for incoming candidates (Texas Education Agency, 2020d). Programs are not required to report SAT, ACT, or GRE scores if those standardized tests are not used for admission purposes. These averages also include all candidates admitted to Educator Preparation Programs, including those admitted to advanced certification programs (e.g., principal, superintendent or school counselor). As a result, it is unclear to what degree these data represent the full academic profile of admitted TCs (Texas Education Agency, 2020d).

Most teacher certifications in Texas require the recipient to hold a bachelor’s degree. At Texas public institutions, 14% more bachelor’s degrees were awarded in 2020 than were awarded in 2017 (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2017; Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2021). Additionally, interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary degrees, which are the degrees elementary- and middle-level TCs receive, were the third most frequently awarded degrees every year between 2017 and 2020 (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2017; Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2021). The increase in bachelor’s degree awards results in a greater number of Texans being eligible to become teachers.

The increase in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded has coincided with an increase in the number of applicants to EPPs. Since 2018, the number of applicants admitted to EPPs has increased by 10%, but candidate completion of EPPs has decreased by 11% (U.S. Department of Education, 2020). Publicly available data are not disaggregated by gender or ethnicity. These data could help identify areas where admission practices could be improved to ensure that a diverse and sufficient candidate pool is being admitted to teacher preparation programs.

Additionally, the ways admission, enrollment, and completion data are reported make it difficult to determine the attrition rate for EPPs. For example, in the 2020 academic year, Texas Teachers of Tomorrow (the largest EPP in Texas) had 29,542 candidates apply; 11,765 candidates admitted; 61,690 candidates enroll; and 5,585 candidates complete the program (Texas Education Agency, 2020d). However, these data are not based on one cohort of candidates, so it is impossible to determine the percentage of a cohort that completed the program. Additionally, the way EPPs operationalize and report application, admission, and enrollment data are not standardized, so deriving an accurate picture from publicly available data is difficult. These data would be helpful in identifying EPPs that excel at producing teachers.