Texas-Sized Impact Starts with Educator Readiness
Across Texas, educator preparation programs and the Texas Education Agency are doing important work to raise the bar for teacher candidate readiness and scale.
EdPrep Partners supports the Texas Education Agency, educator preparation programs, P-12 districts, and partners by strengthening preparation systems where they matter most - strong teacher educator practices, well-designed coursework and clinical experiences, and the systems that intentionally connect them to support candidate development and readiness to lead outcomes with P-12 students.
Our role is to work alongside teams to identify high-leverage priorities, build capacity to strengthen how preparation shows up in practice, and support improvements that endures across all preparation pathways, at scale.
We welcome the opportunity to connect around educator preparation in Texas. Let’s make teacher preparation better together.
Get in Touch!
Let us know how we can help and we will get back with your shortly. Thank you!
What the Evidence Shows
Texas hires at scale, but preparation lags.
Texas consistently hires tens of thousands of new teachers each year, yet a substantial share enter classrooms without completing robust preservice preparation or supervised clinical teaching. This pattern is no longer an exception. It is a defining feature of the system.
Readiness gaps show up immediately in classrooms.
Research from Texas-based institutions and national studies consistently finds that underprepared teachers are more likely to struggle early, leave the profession sooner, and negatively impact student learning. Preparation is not a formality. It directly shapes instructional quality and teacher retention.
The strongest programs prioritize and focus the change.
Programs that improve outcomes do not attempt to change everything at once. They identify a small number of high-leverage shifts, sequence improvement deliberately, and protect focus through strong processes and systems. This approach leads to deeper implementation and stronger candidate readiness.
Preparation begins with teacher educators.
Across Texas, the strongest programs invest first in the development of faculty, field supervisors, and mentors. When teacher educators share clear expectations for practice, use high-quality feedback, and model effective instruction, candidates experience preparation that is rigorous, connected, and grounded in the realities of today's P-12 classrooms.
Quality preparation at scale is possible in Texas.
Texas programs have demonstrated that rigorous, practice-based preparation can scale without lowering standards for many program types (ACP, Residency, and Traditional). When coursework, clinical experiences, coaching, and performance expectations are intentionally aligned, programs can grow enrollment while strengthening candidate readiness.
Moving Beyond Pathway Debates
In Texas, the conversation is shifting. The question is no longer which pathway candidates enter through, but how well they are prepared. When preparation is intentionally designed around practice, feedback, developmental trajectories, and evidence of performance, any and all pathways can produce teachers who are ready to succeed.
What This Means for Our Work in Texas
At EdPrep Partners, we support Texas educator preparation programs and partners across four connected areas of work. Together, they address the preparation challenges programs can control and the systems that most directly shape candidate readiness for P-12 schools.
Technical Assistance for Quality Preparation
We work alongside programs to strengthen preparation in practice, not just in design.
Our technical assistance focuses on improving teacher educator practice, strengthening the connection between coursework and clinical experiences, and supporting programs as they move from planning to implementation. We prioritize high-leverage shifts, provide hands-on coaching, and build internal capacity so improvement is sustained over time.
Program Quality and Pathway Performance Reviews
We help programs see how preparation is actually showing up for candidates.
Through comprehensive, evidence-based reviews, we identify strengths, surface gaps, and provide prioritized findings grounded in practice. Our reviews examine coursework, clinical experiences, educator practices, data use, and candidate readiness, producing clear direction that programs can prioritize and act on.
Pathway and Program Expansion
We support growth without lowering standards.
Texas relies on multiple pathways into teaching. We help programs design, refine, and expand pathways in ways that increase access while maintaining rigorous, practice-based preparation. Our work ensures pathways are aligned to candidate development, P-12 district needs, and long-term sustainability before they scale.
Data-Informed Practices and Decision-Making
We help programs use data to drive improvement, not compliance.
We support programs in establishing focused data routines that monitor candidate development, educator practice, and program effectiveness. By using the data programs already collect, we help teams prioritize improvement, track progress, and refine preparation over time.
EdPrep Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing high-quality teacher preparation nationwide.
