Alternative Teacher Certification Program

The Alternative Teacher Certification Program (ATCP) at Houston Community College is a state-approved comprehensive educator preparation program (or EPP) that trains individuals for Texas standard certification in elementary and secondary education.

An EPP provides the training necessary for individuals without experience in a college-level teacher training program or with a major in another field, such as biology or art, to obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to be a classroom teacher.

The following items are needed to become a certified classroom teacher in Texas:

Obtain or possess a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
Complete an approved Educator Preparation Program (EPP)
Register, take and pass required state certification exams for the certificate sought
Apply for state certification upon the EPP’s recommendation (Fingerprinting is required as part of a criminal background check)
Obtain a Texas Classroom Teacher Standard Certificate awarded through TEA

Once certified, Texas Standard Certificates are renewable every five years, provided you have completed required continuing professional education (CPE) credits.

Don’t have a Bachelor’s degree? See Teacher Education for Associate of Arts in Teaching.

Have a Bachelor’s degree? Apply directly to the Alternative Teacher Certification Program.

Already a Certified Classroom Teacher? See Out-of-State Certified Educators, Out-of-Country Certified Educators, Renewing a Standard Certificate, Additional Certification by Exam, or Professional Development Hours.

Degrees and Certificates

Learn more about the Degrees and Certificates offered by this program by visiting the HCC Catalog.

View Degrees & Certificates by Program

Program Accreditation

Overview

Certification Areas

Financial Assistance

Houston Community College — Alternative Teacher Certification Program is accredited by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) oversees all aspects of the preparation and certification as well as standards of conduct of public school educators. The Texas Education Agency is the state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education. TEA provides staff support to the SBEC board.

For additional information regarding EPP accreditation ratings, pass rates, and annual performance reports, please visit Consumer Information.

For information on Supply and Demand for teachers in Texas, please read the following report from the Texas Education Agency.

To view HCC’s Performance Over Time Reports, please click this link and scroll down the page until you see “Accountability System for Educator Preparation Annual Reports” with the latest reporting years. Please also see our recent status reports.

To file a complaint, refer to the Student Handbook for the complaints process. If the student is not satisfied with the complaint process or outcome, the student may file a complaint against the program with the Texas Education Agency. The official Texas Education Agency complaint process can be found at tea.texas.gov at the bottom of the page.

Mission

The mission of the Houston Community College Alternative Teacher Certification Program (ATCP) is to provide aspiring educators with a quality education that equips program participants with the skills, competencies, knowledge, and cultural responsiveness necessary to provide effective student-centered classroom instruction to the twenty-first-century learner.

Vision

ATCP will transform K-12 Education by training, coaching, and mentoring highly qualified, effective classroom teachers to provide rigorous, data-driven, best practice instruction that will accommodate the needs of the twenty-first-century learner.

HCC's ATCP is considered an alternative certification program. It is designed primarily to prepare students for employment as an educator at the primary or secondary level. Upon successful completion, candidates receive a recommendation for their Standard Texas Educator Certificate.

ATCP- Course Schedule

Primary and Secondary Certification Area Scheduling Sequence

Course Plan by Certification Area:	Rubric Number	Course Description	Contact Hours
EC-6 Core Subjects; 4-8 Core Subjects; 4-8 ELAR; 4-8 ELAR/SS
	ACP 4103	Cognitive Development, Literacy Strategies, and Special Education	48
	ACP 4201	Pre-Service Field Observation *Contingent on campus availability	32
	ACP 4113	Content Preparation	48
	ACP 4203	Pedagogy for Curriculum and Instruction	48
	ACP 4213	Science of Teaching Reading I	24
	ACP 4223	Science of Teaching Reading II	24
	ACP 4303	Managing Culturally Diverse Classrooms	48
	ACP 4403	Professional Practices in an Educational Environment	48
	ACP 4513	Internship I	48
	ACP 4523	Internship II	48
		Total Certification Contact Hours	416
*Additional Supplemental Certification* *Bilingual or ESL*	ACP 5007 (Supplemental Certification Areas)	*Total Certification Contact Hours + Supplemental Certification Area*	*464*
*Please note that courses should be taken in sequential order*

Course Plan By Certification Area: Mathematics (4-8)/Science (4-8)/ Social Studies (4-8)/Life Science (7-12)/Mathematics (7-12)/ Physical Science (6-12)/Science (7-12)/English Language Arts & Reading (7-12)/Special Education (EC-12)/Physical Education (EC-12)	Rubric Number	Course Description	Contact Hours
	ACP 4103	Cognitive Development, Literacy Strategies, and Special Education	48
	ACP 4201	Pre-Service Field Observation *Contingent on campus scheduling and availability	32
	ACP 4113	Content Preparation	48
	ACP 4203	Pedagogy for Curriculum and Instruction	48
	ACP 5006 (Secondary & Non STR))	Foundations of Reading	24
	ACP 4303	Managing Culturally Diverse Classrooms	48
	ACP 4403	Professional Practices in an Educational Environment	48
	ACP 4513	Internship I	48
	ACP 4523	Internship II (Sat. 16 weeks)	48
		Total Certification Contact Hours	392
*Additional Supplemental Certification* *Bilingual or ESL*	ACP 5007 (Supplemental Certification Areas)	*Total Certification Contact Hours + Supplemental Certification Area*	440
*Please note that courses should be taken in sequential order*

Elementary

Core Subjects (EC-6)

Middle School

Core Subjects (4-8)
English Language Arts & Reading/Social Studies (4-8)
Mathematics (4-8)
Science (4-8)
Social Studies (4-8)

High School/Secondary Grade Levels

Life Science (7-12)
Mathematics (7-12)
Physical Science (6-12)
Science (7-12)
English Language Arts & Reading (7-12)

All Levels

Special Education (EC-12)
Physical Education (EC-12)

Supplemental (Not stand-alone certificates) (Mandated for all students accepted into the program on/after March 2022: Candidates must choose one of the following supplemental areas to add to their core certification area.)

Bilingual Education Supplemental-Spanish
English as a Second Language (ESL) Supplemental

Even though you think you might not qualify, applying for financial aid and/or scholarships may help determine what resources are available to assist you with your educational goals.

Please see the Continuing Education Financial Aid Website for any available scholarships or grants approved for the Alternative Teacher Certification Program.

Individuals may qualify for the following:

HCC Foundation Workforce Scholarship
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
Applicants must be seeking Mathematics, Science, Special Education, or Bilingual Certification for WIOA funds. An Individual Referral/Cost Obligation Form will only be issued to students that have been admitted into the program. It is recommended students apply to Workforce Solutions' scholarship at least 30-45 days prior to the term start date but earlier if possible.

The Alternative Teacher Certification Program (ATCP) at HCC is a state-approved comprehensive educator preparation program (EPP) that trains individuals for Texas standard certification in elementary and secondary education.

Online resources

New Student Orientation Virtual Information Session

Additional Resources

Resources

ATCP Student Handbook

If a student is not satisfied with the complaint process or outcome, the student may file a complaint against the program with the Texas Education Agency. The official Texas Education Agency complaint process can be found http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Contact_Us/Complaints/

Program Cost

Description	Due Date		Cost
ACTP Tuition	Same as HCC payment deadlines.		**tuition assessed per class Contact program for more information
Books	Varies according to certification area		Cost not included in tuition
TEA Technology Fee		Upon enrollment - payable to Texas Education Agency	$55.00

Other fees associated with completing the requirements for Teacher Certification by TEA (such as exams, background checks, finger printing, etc.) are outside of Program costs or expenses and are managed by other organizations. HCC ATCP keeps an updated requirements list with current costs and provides this information to students. However, HCC cannot guarantee that costs have not been changed recently by other organizations.

Background Check / Program Eligibility

Accord to the Texas Education Code chapter 227.1 (b):

Educator preparation programs (EPPs) shall inform all applicants that:

(1) pursuant to the Texas Education Code (TEC), §22.083, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator; and

(2) pursuant to the TEC, §22.0835, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching.

Accord to the Texas Education Code chapter 227.1 (d):

EPPs shall notify, in writing by mail, personal delivery, facsimile, email, or an electronic notification, each applicant to and enrollee in the EPP of the following regardless of whether the applicant or enrollee has been convicted of an offense:

(1) the potential ineligibility of an individual who has been convicted of an offense for issuance of a certificate on completion of the EPP;

(2) the current State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rules prescribed in §249.16 of this title (relating to Eligibility of Persons with Criminal History for a Certificate under Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 53, and Texas Education Code, Chapter 21); and

(3) the right to request a criminal history evaluation letter as provided in Chapter 227, Subchapter B, of this title (relating to Preliminary Evaluation of Certification Eligibility).

Texas Education Code 227

HCC Veteran Information

According to TAC 19 Section 228.35(1)(5)(A), each educator preparation program is required to develop and implement specific criteria and procedures that allow:

(a) Military service members or military veteran candidates to credit verified military service, training, or education toward the training, education, work experience or related requirements (other than certification examinations) for educator certification requirements, provided that the military service, training, or education is directly related to the certificate being sought.

Further information is available at VMASS Resource Centers on campus, on the website at www.hccs.edu/support-services/veteran-affairs, or by phone at 713-718-8522.

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