There are several notable differences between a Probationary Certificate and an Intern Certificate as noted in the table below. Eligibility for each certificate is contingent upon the passing of required certification exams. It is best to pass both the content test and the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities test by the designated deadlines in your certification handbook to be eligible for a Probationary Certificate. Applications for the Probationary or Intern Certificate typically happen in June prior to the start of a lead teaching position.
Example Scenarios:
- Student A passed both content & PPR by the designated deadline. Student A is eligible for a probationary certificate (recommended).
- Student B passed content but not PPR by the designated deadline. Student B is eligible for an intern certificate. An intern certificate requires 2 additional observations ($550) and is not renewable.
- Student C passed PPR but not content by the designated deadline. If student C wants to pursue certification, they will need to take a leave of absence, apply for extended enrollment, or start over with another certification program which can cost thousands of dollars.
- Student D hasn’t passed any certification exams by the designated deadline. If student D wants to pursue certification, they will need to take a leave of absence, apply for extended enrollment, or start over with another certification program which can cost thousands of dollars.
To learn more about internship year certificates and the applicable deadlines, please review your Texas Certification Guide.
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