Program closed This program is no longer accepting students, applications, or enrollments.
Teachers for the 21st Century, Texas Teacher Preparation Program, established 2004

Program & curriculum

How candidates were trained.

Historical program information, provided for reference. The program is closed and no longer accepting students or enrollments.

Overview

A structured route to Texas educator certification

Teachers for the 21st Century ACP (T21CACP) provided focused pre-service training, a paid internship under an Intern or Probationary certificate, targeted coaching, and assistance through testing and certification.

  • Aligned to TEKS and STAAR expectations
  • Emphasis on classroom management, planning, and assessment
  • Mentoring and performance feedback throughout the internship

At a glance

21weeks pre-service
30field experience hours
5formal observations
50district PD hours

Stage one

Pre-service training, 21 weeks

Pre-service blended foundational pedagogy with hands-on practice. Candidates completed seminars, lesson design labs, and field-based observations to build classroom-ready skills.

  • Texas Code of Ethics and professional responsibilities
  • Lesson planning and unit design using backward design
  • Classroom management routines and positive culture
  • Differentiation for emergent bilinguals and students with disabilities
  • Assessment, data use, and progress monitoring
  • Reading, language arts, and content-specific strategies

Milestones

  1. Enrollment and admission
  2. Pre-service coursework, 21 weeks
  3. Content exam and PPR preparation
  4. Placement assistance and hiring

Stage two

The paid internship

During the paid internship, candidates served as the teacher of record with structured support: implementing standards-aligned instruction, gathering evidence of impact, and receiving targeted feedback.

  • Observed lessons and coaching cycles
  • Campus and program mentors
  • Professional growth goals
  • Certification test support
See the full cycle Who was admitted

Curriculum areas

What the coursework covered

Planning & instruction

  • TEKS alignment and exemplar tasks
  • Unit and lesson planning, checks for understanding
  • Accommodations and differentiation

Classroom culture

  • Routines, procedures, and positive behavior supports
  • Restorative practices and family partnership
  • Legal and ethical responsibilities

Assessment & data

  • Formative and benchmark design
  • Data analysis and re-teach planning
  • Progress monitoring

Literacy & content methods

  • Reading and writing across the content areas
  • Mathematics, science, and social studies strategies
  • English learner and special education supports

Coaching & support

Feedback that continued past the classroom door

Every candidate received observation cycles and actionable feedback. The program partnered with districts and mentor teachers to support classroom success and steady progress toward certification.

  • Ongoing mentor support
  • Observation feedback and goal-setting
  • Test preparation resources for content exams and PPR

Related pages

  1. Review the admission requirements
  2. Explore the certification areas
  3. Follow the full program cycle