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Transitioning from Principal 068 to 268 and (PASL) Performance Assessment for School Leaders.

Principal Certification Redesign

TEA is redesigning Texas’ principal certification standards and corresponding tests. For more information, visit the . The TExES Principal (068) exam will be available to first-time test takers through December 31, 2018, and for retesters only through August 31, 2019.

Given the evolving role of the principal as an instructional leader and the needs of Texas schools and communities, the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) adopted new principal standards in 2016. Informed by the expertise of practicing principals, principal preparation program faculty, and other educators and aligned with the Texas Principal Evaluation and Support System (T-PESS), the new standards emphasize the critical role of the school principal with an increased emphasis on instructional leadership.

With the implementation of the new standards, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) began working with principal preparation program faculty and practicing principals to develop a new test framework and new test instruments to certify Texas principals. The new instruments have been created to reflect the skills needed for beginning principals to be effective.

A comprehensive communication plan has been initiated by TEA to ensure that Texas principal preparation programs and candidates are informed of the upcoming changes. The information below reflects the current plan, which is subject to revision as additional information becomes available.


How does this impact principal certification?

Principal certificate candidates can expect the following changes:

  • All candidates will need to pass the new TExES Principal (268) and complete the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) to obtain a standard principal certification starting on 9/1/2019.
  • Candidates who pass the TExES Principal (268) assessment by 8/31/2019 will be exempt from the PASL and will receive their standard certification with a passing score on the TExES Principal (268) test if they complete all other certification requirements (e.g., course work, practicum) by 8/31/2019 and apply and are recommended for certification by 10/30/2019.
  • The TExES Principal (268) test will be offered for free to eligible candidates during the initial testing windows in December 2018 through January 2019. Eligible candidates include only those candidates who have never attempted the TExES Principal (068) test. Scores for the initial testing period will be reported in late June or early July 2019.
  • The PASL will become available to candidates in fall of 2019.
  • Given the timing of the changes above, it is recommended that all principal candidates entering programs on 1/1/2018 or later begin preparation for the TExES Principal (268) and PASL assessments.

How does this impact the current TExES Principal (068) test?

The TExES Principal (068) test will be available to first-time test takers through 12/31/2018 and for re-testers through 8/31/2019.

New Vendor Pearson: Educator Testing Transition

The will transition to a new vendor, NCS Pearson, Inc., beginning September 1, 2018, for the following tests: TExES, TExMaT, TASC, and TASC-ASL. ETS will administer the new Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) when it becomes effective in fall 2019.

Educator Certification Examination Retake Limit Change

Candidates are limited to a total of 5 attempts to pass a certification examination under . A subsection of the law, which currently counts all attempts of the same examination taken before September 1, 2015 as only one attempt, is set to expire. Beginning September 1, 2018, all attempts of the same examination, no matter when they occurred, will count toward the 5-attempt testing limit regardless of when the examination was first attempted.

Candidates, educators, and others who took certification examinations before September 1, 2015 and have not yet passed those examinations will find more information in the . Testers impacted by the change must take their examination(s) by August 31, 2018 if the new test attempt counting method will make them ineligible on September 1, 2018. Candidates who reach the 5-time testing limit must apply for a test-limit waiver to retest.

Note: Individuals who did not test before September 1, 2015 are not affected by the change since all examination attempts have always been included in the attempt count for these testers.


Test-Limit Waiver Information

Test takers are limited to 5 attempts on any certification examination under . The State Board for Educator Certification has defined the waiver application process in and authorized TEA staff to administer the waiver process. Application information is provided on the webpage.