ExCET - Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas
Texas Educator Certification Program
Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §230.5(b) requires every person seeking educator certification in Texas to perform satisfactorily on comprehensive examinations. The purpose of the examinations is to ensure that each educator has the prerequisite content and professional knowledge necessary for an entry-level position in Texas public schools. These programs were developed for this purpose.
Both the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards™ (TExES™) and the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) are criterion-referenced examinations designed to measure a candidate's knowledge in relation to an established criterion rather than to the performance of other candidates. The TExES Educator Standards, based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), form the foundation for the TExES tests.
Developing the tests was a collaborative process involving classroom teachers and other educators from public and charter schools, university and educator preparation program faculty, representatives from professional educator organizations, content experts, and members of the community. Detailed information about the test development process is available on the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) website.
All of the tests in the TExES and ExCET programs contain multiple-choice questions. Some tests also have additional assessment modes (e.g., open-ended written responses). For more information about individual tests and test composition, see the Preparation Manual for each test.
The Texas Examinations for Master Teachers™ (TExMaT™) program has its origins in legislation passed in 1999 (House Bill 2307) that required the creation of the Master Reading Teacher (MRT) Certificate, the development of standards for the certificate, and the development of a Master Reading Teacher test. With the introduction of the Master Science Teacher Certificates in 2003, there are now four categories of Master Teacher Certificates:
- Master Reading Teacher (MRT)
- Master Mathematics Teacher (MMT) - Early Childhood Grade 4, Grades 4-8, and Grades 8-12
- Master Science Teacher (MST) - Early Childhood Grade 4, Grades 4-8, and Grades 8-12
- Master Technology Teacher EC-12 (MTT)
The Texas Oral Proficiency Test™ (TOPT™) program is an extension of and an addition to the TExES and ExCET programs for certification to teach either Spanish or French, or to teach in a Spanish or French bilingual setting.
The TOPT requires candidates to provide a recorded response to specific speaking tasks to demonstrate their proficiency in speaking Spanish or French.
The Texas Assessment of Sign Communication™ (TASC™) and the Texas Assessment of Sign Communication-American Sign Language™ (TASC-ASL™) are extensions of the TExES and ExCET programs for certification to teach students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or to teach ASL, respectively.
- The TASC assesses sign communication proficiency within one or more of several sign communication systems used in Texas classrooms.
- The TASC-ASL assesses proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL) exclusively.
The tests use an interview format. An experienced interviewer conducts a 20-minute, one-on-one conversational interview with a candidate. The interview is videotaped, and the videotape is viewed by raters who rate the candidate's expressive and receptive sign communication proficiency.