Reading Specialist Certification

Submit Application

• Select “Create a new graduate school admissions application.”
• Select “East Texas A&M University (Commerce)” as your “Target University.”

• Select “Reading, MED” as your “Major.”

Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.

• After you submit your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email within two business days to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.

Note: Acceptance into the Graduate School does not give automatic admission into the Alternative Certification Program.

Submit the following documents to your graduate coordinator after you receive an application confirmation email.

• Upload your documents at myLeo > Apps > Check Admissions Application Status & Test Scores or email your documents to your graduate coordinator unless otherwise specified below.

Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status

• Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.

• Go to the Educator Certification page on MarketPlace
  • Click Educator Professional Fee
  • Click the shopping cart plus icon
  • Fill in your personal information to be associated with the fee and click “Continue”
• Go back to the Educator Certification page on MarketPlace
  • Click TEA Assessment Fee
  • Click the shopping cart plus icon
  • Complete your payment
• Download and save your receipts to upload to TK20

You will need to have the following documents ready for upload in order to submit the application:

• Certification fee receipt
• TEA Assessment fee receipt
• Resume
• Teaching service record
  • A minimum of one year of experience is required. The application will not submit if this required attachment is missing.
• Standard Texas Teaching Certificate
  • Note: Candidates on emergency permits, intern or probationary certificates will not be admitted.
• Official transcripts from the Graduate Office will be reviewed by the certification office.
  • Applicants must meet one of the following GPA requirements for certification admission:
    • Minimum 2.75 overall GPA; or
    • Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a conferred master’s degree; or
    • Minimum GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 hours
  • Please note that certification admission requirements may differ from those of the Graduate School and are separate requirements.

If applicable:

• TEA Transfers
  • If you have previously been admitted to another educator preparation program for reading specialist certification.
  • Request that a completed TEA transfer form be sent from your previous program to [email protected].
• Transcripts from outside the United States
  • Contact [email protected] for any questions about TEA requirements for transcripts from outside the United States.
  • If your official transcripts are from institutions outside the United States and the country of origin is not exempt by TEA, send the following documentation to [email protected]:
    • A course-by-course evaluation from a TEA-approved Foreign Credential Evaluation Service
    • Minimum scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT). Please note that TOEFL scores are only valid for a period of two years. Required minimum scores are 24 for Speaking, 22 for Listening, 22 for Reading and 21 for Writing.
      • As of 3/4/2022, a valid standard Texas educator certificate will be accepted in lieu of TOEFL iBT scores.

• Go to tamuc.tk20.com
• Scroll down and click “Admissions”
• Select “Click here to create your account.”

• Complete the “Create Applicant Account” form.
• Note: You will be creating a password for this account.
• Store the password you create in a secure location so you can refer to it later.
• After completing the “Create Applicant Account” form, TK20 will provide your username.
• Store your TK20 username and password in a secure location so you can refer to them later.
  • You will use the username to log in to review your admission application once submitted.

• Log into your TK20 account
  • Click on the “back to login” link.
  • Enter your username and password.
  • Click the green “Log Into Your Account” button.

• Click on the “Create New Application” button.

• Select “Reading Specialist” application
• Click the “Next” button.

• Complete the application.

• Upload documents by clicking on the “+ Select File(s)” button for the item you are uploading.
• Once you have completed all fields in the application, click the “Submit” button.

• Look for an email from TK20 confirming your submission.

To check your application status:

1. Log in to your TK20 Student Admissions account
2. On the “Home” tab, locate your application under “Recent Messages”
3. Click on the application.
4. If you are admitted, the message will indicate your application was “Admitted”
5. If you lack admission requirements, the message will indicate “Denied.”
   • Click on “Review Document” to view your deficiencies and reason(s) for denial.

Once accepted, please sign and return the “letter of invitation” you are sent via email. This is an official document needed for your certification file per Texas Education Agency rules.