001Welcome everyone. My name is Jennifer Gonzalez. I'm an education specialist here at the TEA and today we're walking through the midyear data set release. What's in the files, why they matter, and what actions your EP can take. Now, midyear data is not final, but it's incredibly important for catching issues early. This webinar is being presented in an asynchronous way so that you can access it at your convenience. Please note that in this presentation when we refer to you, we are referring to your educator preparation program or EP since you are here as a representative of your EP. Here are today's learning goals. In this short webinar, you will learn to identify the three data sets provided by the TEA. You'll understand what each data set contains and how to use the data to do some
002cleanup in EOS. And finally, you will learn where to locate additional support resources. Here are some acronyms today that will be important for you to know as you are following along with the presentation. First, ECOS or ECOS refers to the educator certification online system that houses educator and EP data for the state. You are most familiar with the ECOS for entities which is the green screen your EP uses to create admission records, grant test approval and recommend certificates for candidates and report EP data such as candidate enrollment, clinical experience and observation data. Second, ASP or ASP refers to the accountability system for educator preparation. It is also a menu option within the EOS for entities green screen. EP admission data, enrollment data, clinical experience data, and observation data are entered and managed through the links
003on the ASAP menu. The terms ASAP reporting or state reporting are referring to the required data that each EP must report to the TEA each year by September 15th and the related activity around entering and submitting that data. TAC or TAC stands for the Texas Administrative Code. It contains the state rules and regulations that govern educator preparation programs and outline the legal requirements EPS must follow. Finally, the term clinical experiences is referring to the supervised experience candidates must complete successfully as part of their training, which includes clinical teaching, an internship or residency for candidates pursuing teacher certification or a practicum for candidates pursuing certification in non-teer classes such as principal and superintendent. This timeline represents the academic year which is also the ASAP reporting year. With respect to state reporting, you can see that we
004are halfway through that year. The blue circle at the center that is highlighted is our current point in the year. So we have before us as much time as we have behind us for data collection and organizing ourselves for reporting. Now is a great time to pause, self assess, and realign the A's data reporting process and to get going on data entry. This is a reminder that TAC requires EPS to report specific types of data each year by September 15th following the end of that academic year. For your reference, that citation is in 19 TAC 229.3E. For more detail about the data that TEA is required to collect and that EPS are required to report, see 19 TAC 229.3 F1 and the related figure. This September 15th date is fixed and non-negotiable. Everything you do
005now helps to ensure you're not rushing to complete corrections in early September. Make sure you are entering in your data as you go. cover the what, why, and where of the data sets. What are the data sets? There are three data sets that the team pulls for EPS to help with reporting. The data sets or files are pulled directly from ECOS based on data entered in by your EP up to March 26 of this year. The first data set covers field supervisor observations. These are your clinical experience records and observation data. The second data file is your finisher or other enrolled file. This contains information about your finishers and candidates listed as enrolled in your program. And lastly, the third data set is your exam pass rates. This includes content, exams, and pedigogy. Now, let's
006talk about the why. Why is this data important? You'll see incomplete information, and that's expected. What matters is that mid-year data sets reveal structural problems, maybe missing observations, missing clinical records, or outdated other enrolled statuses. The midyear data check serves as an early warning system and serves as a quick checkup of your data reporting. The data submitted each year by your EP is important, and there are a lot of different data pieces that you must pull together, ensure are accurate, and submit to the TEA. As such, we know data reporting crunch time in late August and early September can be stressful. So, we continue to encourage you to plan at the beginning of the year and implement processes to collect and report data throughout the year. This is important to avoid lastminute problems that may
007disrupt your EP's ability to add and review all of your data prior to the September 15th deadline. So, just to rephrase in another way, you are encouraged to begin with the end in mind. So, where is this data? You're probably asking, "Where can I get these files?" The instructions on accessing the data were sent to your EP's legal authority via email. Your legal authority received an email with instructions on how to locate the data in your EP's share file folder. Please communicate with your EP's legal authority for access to this data. they will be able to download the data sets and make decisions about whom to share that data with on your team. Now that we have covered the what, why, and where, let's dive deeper into each of the data sets. The first one
008we will cover is your observation data set. This data set is all about ASAP indicator 4A. It tells you who is meeting observation standards and where your missing documentation is. This Excel file is named with your EPC CDN OBS observations and the date the data was pulled from ECOS. Make sure to look at the tabs on the bottom of the file. These tabs include information about your teachers on intern or probationary certificates, clinical teachers, residency teachers, and clinical experience records. The first tab you will see is an overview summary tab. Use this tab as your dashboard. Look for demographic groups disproportionately not meeting requirements that signals a possible improvement opportunity for your program. The intern probationary tabs show candidates on an intern or probationary certificate with an expiration date during this reporting year. You will
009see observation completion status, in-person versus virtual observations, and demographic data. The fail tab is your possible action list. These are candidates who may require observations or data corrections before their certificate expires. Now, let's take a look at an example. This slide shows an example of an EP's list of clinical experience candidates who are marked as pass, meaning they have met all required observation criteria. I have selected that tab on the bottom. For each candidate listed, you can see their TEA ID number along with key details about their clinical experience. In column E, the report shows the date the clinical experience began, the date the clinical experience ended as in column F, and the total number of observations completed during that experience in columns G and H. To help you verify compliance more closely, column G
010shows how many observations were conducted in person. That's the P. And column H shows how many were conducted virtually with a V. Together, these columns allow you to quickly confirm that candidates are meeting both of the required observation and types of observations outlined in TEA rules. In contrast, the next slide will show an example of candidates not meeting observation requirements, which helps illustrate what gaps or risks may appear in your own data and what to look for during your midyear review. Now, let's look at another tab within the same file. This tab shows clinical teaching candidates who are currently marked as fail, which means they are not meeting the required number of observations at this point in time. Just like the previous example, you'll see each candidate's TA ID number along with key details about
011their clinical experience. In column E, you'll find the clinical experience begin date. And in column F, the clinical experience end date. Columns G and H show how many observations have been completed in person and how many have been completed virtually. Reviewing these totals helps you quickly see where observation gaps exist. It's important to remember that this is midyear data pulled based on information that your EP entered through March 26. At the time the data was captured, these candidates were not meeting observation requirements in this example, which makes this tab a key action list for follow-up and correction before the end of the reporting year. Now let's look at other tabs in data set one. The clinical teachers and clinical records tabs. These actually show which candidates have clinical experience records that will conclude during this
012reporting year. Let's look at a specific example from the bottom tab of this file. Here I've selected all intern clinical records. This list shows each candidate's TA ID number along with key information about their certification and clinical experience. In column C, you'll see the type of certificate the candidate holds, either an intern or probationary certificate. Column D shows the certificate expiration date. In column E, the report indicates whether the candidate has a clinical record on file. Remember, any candidate on an intern or probationary certificate should have a clinical experience record because that record is where observations are documented. In this example, you can see that two candidates with TEA IDs WW and RR do not have clinical experience records even though they hold active intern or probationary certificates. This is a clear data issue that
013the EP should review and correct since these candidates will be observed and must have a clinical experience record in ECOS. Now, let's focus on the concrete actions your EP can take right now based on the midyear data set. Even though this data isn't final, it's our early warning system. These steps help ensure candidates finish the year fully compliant and prevent a rush at the end of the reporting cycle. Your EP can review missing observations. Start by scanning the major reports for any candidates who currently show missing observations. Double check that candidates are on track to complete all required observations. This includes reviewing candidates who do have some observations completed but may not have enough. look at both in-person and virtual totals to determine whether they're on track. Your EVP can also check in with field
014supervisors on their timelines. Often missing observations don't reflect a problem with the candidate, they reflect timing, scheduling, or documentation gaps on the supervisor side. Midyear is the perfect moment to realign expectations, confirm who's observing whom, and ensure supervisors can complete observations before deadlines. You can also correct observation entries. When you see entries that don't look accurate, wrong dates, incorrect observation type, or missing minutes, fix those right away. Many midear errors are data entry issues, and correcting them now keeps your endofear reporting clean. Add missing clinical experience records. Every candidate who is interning on a probationary certificate or in clinical teaching or residency must have a corresponding clinical experience record in ECOS. Missing clinical records are one of the most common reasons EPS get TEA follow-up requests. Use this time to fill those gaps. You should
015also ensure observation counts meet TEA rule requirements in 19 TAC 228103 107 and 109. Remember TEA rules specify both the number and duration of observations. Double check that your candidates totals meet the required minimums and that each observation meets the 45minute requirement for teacher candidates. The midyear data set tells you which candidates may fall short unless intervention happens. Now, the second data set your EP received is the finisher and other enrolled data set. It's named with your EPC CDN, Y2D, year-to-ATE enrollment, and date the data was collected. When candidates remain in other enrolled for years, it usually means their records were never updated after they withdrew, stopped engaging, or left the program. Leaving these records untouched can create reporting inaccuracies, inflate your enrollment numbers, and raise potential compliance concerns. TAC expects programs to maintain accurate
016and current candidate statuses. Remember that TAC requires EPS to have an updated exit policy. Please ensure compliance with 19 TAC 22831B exit policy. Here's an example of data set 2 finisher and other enrolled. Starting in column A, you'll see the candidates TEA ID number, followed by their last and first name, the CDN organization name, the program they're enrolled in, and their current enrollment status. Column H shows how many years the candidate has been enrolled in your EP. In this example, you can see some candidates who have been enrolled for four, five, or even 6 years. If a candidate has been enrolled longer than your program is designed to take, that's a good signal to pause and review their status. This data set also provides helpful context for that review. In column I, you can see
017the last time a certificate was issued for the candidate. Column J shows the last time the candidate took a content exam and column K shows the last time an observation was conducted. For example, the last candidate on this list, Fred, has been enrolled in the EP for 5 years. He last took an exam in 2024 and also last had an observation in 2024. As an EP, this would be a candidate you may want to follow up with. Should they be contacted? Should they be exited from the program based on your EP's exit policy? This data set is designed to help you ask those questions and take action to ensure your enrollment data records and EOS accurately reflect your active candidates. Using this data, your EP can confirm whether the candidates listed are still active. If
018they are not active and they have been contacted, make sure to mark them as removed. Longstanding other enrolled candidates often signal gaps in exit procedures or inconsistencies in recordkeeping. Midyear is an ideal time to clean up these records and ensure your data accurately reflects the status of your candidates. All right, this brings us to our final data set which focuses on test performance. This file gives you several important pieces of information. First, you'll see the content exam pass rate for all candidates. That's followed by a demographic breakdown, which allows you to look for how different groups of candidates are performing across content areas. This file also includes the pedigogy exam data for teacher candidates, the PPR pass rate, again with a demographic breakdown, so you have both content and pedigogy performance captured in one place.
019This first tab here shows the pedigogy totals. In this example, we're looking at Luna University. In column C, you can see that 26 candidates attempted the PPR or EdTPA exam. In column D, you'll see how many of those candidates passed. Here, 24 candidates successfully met the passing standard. This tab gives you a high-level snapshot of pedigogy exam performance and helps you quickly see whether your program is on track or may need additional support for candidates. Now, let's look at the certification test tab. This view breaks the data down by individual certification exam. In column C, you'll see the test ID and in column D, the test name. This allows you to quickly identify which certification exam the data is referring to. Moving across the row, column E shows how many candidates attempted each certification exam,
020and column F shows how many of those candidates passed. Reviewing the data this way helps you see exam level performance and identify specific certification tests that may need additional candidate support or targeted preparation. These are some action steps your EP may take using this data. If a particular certificate area shows consistently lower performance that may point to a need for curriculum support, tutoring, or targeted test preparation. So, as you move forward with your team's midyear review, keep these four practices in mind. Always have more than one set of eyes on your ECOS's entries. Continue to update outdated records and/or mark candidates as removed if they are no longer in your program. Look for trends in your data for opportunities to strengthen your practices. And finally, document program improvement decisions. Any datadriven changes you make, big
021or small, should be clearly recorded in your internal EP records. Now that we have your attention, we wanted to remind you about certificate deactivations. It's important that your EP keeps up with certificate deactivations and the timelines linked to deactivations. Remember, this is a TAC requirement. Your EP must deactivate a candidate certificate if any of the reasons listed on the screen occur. If the candidate resigns, is non-renewed or terminated, discharged, or withdraws from your EP, fails to meet late hire requirements, or their internship no longer meets TAC requirements. Remember, if any of these happen, you must deactivate their certificate. Now, let's walk through the required deactivation timelines because these are not optional. These timelines are set intact. When a candidate leaves their assignment, three parties must communicate with each other. The EP, the campus or district
022personnel, and the candidate. All three must notify one another within one calendar week, that's 7 days, from the candidates's last day in the assignment. This ensures everyone is aligned and that the EP is aware quickly enough to begin the activation process on time. Next is the 14-day rule found in 19 TAC2873 H2. Once the candidates's last day occurs, the EP has 14 calendar days, two full weeks to submit the certificate deactivation request to the TEA. That request must include all required documentation. If the documentation is incomplete, the TEA cannot process the deactivation, which may put the program out of compliance with TAC timelines. To help you with this, we have a detailed resource on the program provider page that outlines the entire deactivation process and the documents you need. EPS are required to notify both
023the candidate and the campus or district of deactivation timelines before the internship begins as required by 19TC 22873i. This matters for ASEP reporting because TEA cannot release an EP from observation accountability if a certificate is not deactivated within the required timelines. Before we close out today, I want to highlight the support resources that the TEA has made available for you. All of these can be found on the program provider resources page and anyone at your EP can access them. This page is updated regularly and it truly contains some of the most valuable tools for program staff. One of the most important resources is the data reporting manual. This manual walks you step by step through how to enter data into ECOS and it includes screenshots to guide you through each action. It also provides troubleshooting
024tips for many of the most common questions EPS ask. So, it's a great first stop when you run into challenges. You'll also find last year's ASP data reporting webinar which is available in video format. Along with the video, there's a PDF of the slide deck and a related FAQ document. These materials are very helpful if you're new to data reporting or if you just want a refresher on the process. We also mentioned certificate deactivations earlier in this session. The program provider resources page includes full instructions for completing deactivations along with all the related forms such as data correction forms so you have everything you need in one place. I really encourage you to take time to explore the resources on the page. They're there to support and make your work easier. The slides from this
025webinar are also available to you for reference and to access the links. And of course, we're here to support you throughout the process. Use the resources available to you and reach out to your assigned specialist or the help desk if you need additional support or clarification. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch this webinar and we thank you for the important work that you do to support candidates and maintain program quality.