Educational Diagnostician Certification - Online Program
Overview
The Educational Diagnostician certification program prepares certified teachers for certification as an Educational Diagnostician in Texas. The program incorporates the professional standards of Council for Exceptional Children. In addition to completing the 15 credit-hour coursework including a 6-hour practicum, students must successfully pass the TExES Educational Diagnostician (253) certification exam to be certified.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Educational Diagnostician Certification program, prospective candidates must meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- Earned master's degree in special education from an accredited institution of higher education.
- GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the master's degree.
- Current/valid teacher certification (any area).
- Statement of Intent.
- Resume/Curriculum Vitae.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Service record or other evidence demonstrating applicant has three years of classroom teaching experience. Of the three years, two years must be in special education.
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
Admission is determined based on the combination GPA, letters of recommendation, statement of intent, resume, and demonstrated commitment to the chosen field of study.
Accepting Formal Admission to the Educational Diagnostician Certification Program
In addition to accepting the offer of admission to UTRGV, per Title 19 of Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 227.17 students must accept formal admission to the University-Based Alternative Educational Diagnostician Certification program as described in the program welcome letter. A student who does not accept formal admission by the deadline will not be able to enroll in certification coursework.
Acknowledgment of the Program Exit Policy
Per Title 19 of TAC 228.20(h) requires all Educator Preparation Programs to have an exit policy for the dismissal of candidates published, reviewed, and signed by candidates when they are admitted to the program.
Progression Requirements
Students must meet all program benchmarks/transition points as described in the program handbook including but not limited to passing a qualifying exam before receiving approval to take the TExES Educational Diagnostician Certification Exam. Students must earn a grade of B or better in EPSY 6380, EPSY 6381, and EPSY 6382 before enrollment in EPSY 6390 and EPSY 6391.
Graduation Requirements
Grade of B or better in all coursework.
Dismissal from the Educational Diagnostician Program
A candidate may be removed from the Educational Diagnostician Program in the event they demonstrate behavior not consistent with the professional and ethical expectations of an educator in Texas. Dismissal from the program is determined by a committee comprised of the program faculty and program coordinator. This may occur at any time. If a candidate is dismissed from the College of Education, they will also be automatically dismissed from the Educational Diagnostician Program. Dismissal action is typically the outcome of careful inquiry and collection of data from multiple sources as well as communication with the student regarding his or her unsatisfactory performance in basic or, where appropriate, remedial work, as outlined in a Performance Improvement Plan. However, immediate dismissal may occur under dangerous (e.g., threat of bodily harm, slander, libel), unusual, or other serious circumstances. All decisions of dismissal can be appealed through college policies.
Dismissal from the program may be based on grounds including but not limited to:
- Failure to meet coursework requirements
- Failure to abide by policies and/or procedures established by the UTRGV Educator Preparation Program and/or program requirements established by the State Board for Educator Certification as published in the Texas Administrative Code.
- Failure to contact your field supervisor for your formal observations.
- Any action deemed a violation of the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators.
- Any action deemed a violation of the UTRGV Student Code of Conduct.
- Any action deemed a violation of school district and/or campus policy during the field-based experiences or clinical teaching or internship.
Withdrawal from the Educational Diagnostician Program
A candidate who decides to voluntarily withdraw from the Educational Diagnostician Program needs to send a written notice of that intent from a UTRGV email account including their Student ID. The candidate also needs to submit a signed Withdrawal Form (see Office of Educator Preparation and Accountability). Withdrawal from the College of Education translates to withdrawal from the Educational Diagnostician Program.
Re-entry into the program will be considered on an individual basis. Program requirements change over time because of revisions in licensing rules or educator standards; therefore, re-admittance could mean that there are new criteria that the re-admitted candidate would have to meet.
Applicants or Candidates Convicted of an Offense
An applicant or candidate who has been convicted of an offense may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate upon completion of the Educational Diagnostician Program. Please refer to the current State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rules prescribed in TAC 249.16 of Title 19 (relating to Eligibility of Persons with Criminal History for a Certificate under Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 53, and Texas Education Code, Chapter 21). Applicants/candidates have the right to request a criminal history evaluation letter as provided in TAC 227, Subchapter B of Title 19 (relating to Preliminary Evaluation of Certification
Program Requirements
Required Courses - 15 Hours
| EPSY 6380 | Introduction to Cognitive and Academic Assessment | 3 |
| EPSY 6381 | Advanced Cognitive and Academic Assessment | 3 |
| EPSY 6382 | Bilingual and Multicultural Psychoeducational Assessment | 3 |
| EPSY 6390 | Practicum in Diagnostic and Intervention Procedures I | 3 |
| EPSY 6391 | Practicum in Diagnostic and Intervention Procedures II | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 15