All candidates seeking certification through the Sul Ross State University (SRSU) Educator Preparation Program (EPP) are required to successfully complete the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) required certification trainings and provide evidence of course completion.

• This requirement applies to all certification candidates, including those pursuing teacher, principal, educational diagnostician, school counselor, or superintendent certification, regardless of certification route, including undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and alternative certification.
• Completion of all required TEA/SBEC trainings is a mandatory certification requirement. SRSU cannot recommend a candidate for certification to SBEC until all required trainings have been successfully completed.
• The required trainings are provided through the SRSU Blackboard Organization “TEA Certification Resources”. Upon successful completion, candidates submit training records Watermark Student Learning & Licensure by clicking a link in the Blackboard Organization.
• Candidates are strongly encouraged to complete all required trainings before beginning their student teaching, residency, or practicum semester(s). Completing the trainings early helps ensure that certification requirements are satisfied well before program completion and avoids delays in certification processing or needing to complete a training during a very busy clinical semester.
• Access to the Blackboard Organization TEA Certification Resources is available only to candidates who have been formally admitted to the SRSU Educator Preparation Program. As stated earlier, candidates should complete the required trainings in a timely manner.
• Lastly, students should be aware that faculty are free to create assignments that may appear to be similar or identical to these TEA trainings; students should be aware that a requirement in a course does not take the place of a TEA training completed in the Blackboard Organization, and vice versa: completing a TEA training in the Blackboard Organization does not exempt you from the course requirements.
• If you have been admitted to the EPP and cannot access the Blackboard Organization above, please send an email to sll-help@sulross.edu.

As of 2026, the required trainings include:

• Classroom Management Training
• Digital Literacy Training
• Dyslexia Training
• Educator Roles and Responsibilities
• English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) – only required for teacher candidates
• Ethics and Boundaries Training
• Mental Health Training
• Open Education Resources (OER) Training
• Substance Abuse Training
• Suicide Prevention Training
• Special Populations Training
• T-PESS Training
• T-TESS Training
• Virtual and Distance Learning Training