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Texas teacher certification renewal requires classroom teachers with a standard certificate to complete 150 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) every five years and renew online through the Educator Certification Online System (ECOS). TEA requires 25 percent of those hours, 37.5, in a set of listed topics that includes digital learning and educating diverse student populations, and state law caps that requirement at 25 percent. CPE must come from approved providers. This guide explains the rules in 19 TAC Chapter 232, how districts can plan CPE, and why emergent bilingual students belong in every teacher’s renewal plan.
Table of contents
Executive Summary
Texas issues standard certificates that are valid for five years. To renew, a classroom teacher completes 150 CPE clock-hours during the period, keeps the documentation, and applies through ECOS. Principals, counselors and several other roles need 200 hours.
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) does not leave the content of those hours entirely open. A classroom teacher must complete 37.5 hours in a group of listed topics, and all educators must receive training on educating students with disabilities, including students with dyslexia. Texas also has the largest population of emergent bilingual students in the country, 1,290,293 students or 23.6 percent of enrollment in 2025-26, so CPE on teaching them is relevant to almost every classroom.
Key Takeaways
- Classroom teachers need 150 CPE hours per five-year renewal period; principals and counselors need 200.
- TEA requires 25 percent (37.5 hours) in listed topics, which can be combined; the Education Code caps the requirement at that share.
- The five listed topics are collecting and analyzing information, dropout early warning indicators, digital learning, educating diverse student populations, and appropriate educator-student relationships and boundaries.
- All educators must receive CPE on educating students with disabilities, including dyslexia.
- CPE must come from a pre-approved provider (such as a district or ESC) or a registered private provider.
- Teachers keep their own documentation for five years and submit it only if audited.
What District Leaders Need to Know
- Districts and ESCs are pre-approved CPE providers. District professional development counts toward renewal when it meets the rules.
- Outside providers need a path. A private company must register with SBEC, or deliver its training on behalf of a pre-approved provider that answers for quality and documentation.
- The 37.5-hour block is an opportunity. Digital learning is one of the listed topics, so a course on using technology to support emergent bilingual students can count toward the block.
- Extra hours still count. Since 2023, hours in listed topics beyond 37.5 also count toward the 150 total.
- Audits happen. Teachers must be able to produce certificates of completion for five years.
Funding Options
| Funding source | Eligible uses for CPE | How to access |
|---|---|---|
| Title II, Part A | Evidence-based professional development, coaching | Formula grant through TEA |
| Title III, Part A | Supplemental PD for teachers of emergent bilingual students | Formula grant or shared services arrangement |
| Title IV, Part A | PD on the effective use of technology | Formula grant through TEA |
| Bilingual Education Allotment | State funds for bilingual and ESL programs, as allowed by TEA | State funding formula |
| ESC services | Regional CPE, cooperative purchasing | Service agreements with your ESC |
See what Title II funds can be used for and what Title III funds can be used for.
District Benchmark
A district with 1,000 classroom teachers needs 150,000 CPE hours per five-year cycle, about 30,000 a year. Of those, at least 37,500 per cycle fall in the listed topics.
At the state average of 23.6 percent emergent bilingual enrollment, a typical teacher with 25 students in a class teaches about six emergent bilingual students. CPE that helps teachers serve them is not a specialist add-on; it is core to most classrooms.
How Texas Teacher Certification Renewal Works
Definition. Texas teacher certification renewal is the process by which a holder of a standard certificate keeps it valid for another five years by completing the required CPE hours, meeting any other requirements, and applying through ECOS.
- Know your renewal date. A standard certificate’s renewal date is five years after the last day of the holder’s next birth month.
- Complete 150 CPE hours during the five-year period, including 37.5 hours in listed topics.
- Use approved providers and keep certificates of completion.
- Renew online in ECOS, attesting that you completed the hours and paying the renewal fee.
- Keep documentation for five years in case of an audit.
The 25 Percent Topic Rule
For classroom teachers renewing on or after September 1, 2023, TEA requires 25 percent of CPE hours (37.5 of 150) in a set of listed topics. Texas Education Code 21.054(d) caps that requirement: the state may not require more than 25 percent of a teacher’s hours in these topics, and since HB 2929 (2023), hours beyond 37.5 still count toward the 150 total. The listed topics, which may be combined in a single activity, are:
| Listed topic | Example of qualifying CPE |
|---|---|
| Collecting and analyzing information to improve classroom effectiveness | Using assessment and speaking data to adjust instruction |
| Early warning indicators of dropout risk | Attendance and engagement monitoring |
| Digital learning, digital teaching, integrating technology | Using AI tools safely in lesson planning |
| Educating diverse student populations, including students who are educationally disadvantaged and students at risk of dropping out | Strategies for students who are educationally disadvantaged or at risk of dropping out |
| Appropriate relationships, boundaries and communications between educators and students | Professional boundaries in digital communication with students |
Separately, 19 TAC 232.11(l) lists educating emergent bilingual students among the activities a classroom teacher’s CPE may include, but the 25 percent list itself does not name them. A course on using technology to support emergent bilingual students is therefore acceptable CPE content and can count toward the 37.5-hour block through the digital learning topic. Under 19 TAC 232.21, the provider must state which 232.11 content each activity addresses.
Approved CPE Providers in Texas
Under 19 TAC 232.17, several types of organizations are pre-approved CPE providers, including SBEC, TEA, school districts, education service centers and institutions of higher education. Under 19 TAC 232.19, private companies, private entities and individuals must apply for registration with SBEC to provide CPE on their own behalf.
When a private company delivers training on behalf of a pre-approved provider, such as a district or ESC, the pre-approved provider is responsible for meeting the quality and documentation requirements. Under 232.19, teachers are responsible for verifying a provider’s approval status before they complete the activity.
Texas Renewal by the Numbers
- 150 CPE hours for classroom teachers; 200 for principals, superintendents, counselors, librarians, educational diagnosticians and reading specialists (TEA).
- 37.5 hours in listed topics for classroom teachers, the 25 percent maximum the Education Code lets the state require.
- 5 years of validity per standard certificate.
- 1,290,293 emergent bilingual students in Texas, 23.6 percent of enrollment, in 2025-26 (TEA).
What This Looks Like in Practice
Consider a district that partners with its ESC to offer a 15-hour course on serving emergent bilingual students with digital tools. Teachers would complete it over a semester, try each strategy in class and bring back student work. Because the ESC is a pre-approved provider, the hours would count as CPE, and they could fall within the listed topic of digital learning.
Common Mistakes
- Taking hours from a provider without checking its approval status.
- Ignoring the 37.5-hour topic block until the final year.
- Losing certificates of completion before the five-year audit window closes.
- Missing the required training on students with disabilities and dyslexia.
- Treating CPE for emergent bilingual students as a task for bilingual and ESL teachers only.
Recommended Actions
Immediate (this month)
- Remind staff of their renewal dates and how to document CPE.
- Confirm that every outside PD provider is registered or delivers through your district or ESC.
Medium-Term (this year)
- Offer one sustained course that covers digital learning and emergent bilingual students.
- Track which teachers have completed their listed-topic hours.
Long-Term (strategy)
- Align CPE with your bilingual and ESL program goals and TELPAS results.
- Measure whether PD changes practice for emergent bilingual students.
Questions District Leaders Should Ask
- What share of our teachers have completed their 37.5 listed-topic hours?
- Which outside providers deliver our CPE, and how are they approved?
- How much of our CPE addresses emergent bilingual students in general education classrooms?
- Can teachers find and keep their CPE records easily?
FAQ
How many CPE hours do Texas teachers need?
Classroom teachers need 150 CPE hours every five years. Principals, counselors and several other roles need 200.
What is the 25 percent CPE rule in Texas?
TEA requires 37.5 of a classroom teacher’s 150 hours, or 25 percent, in listed topics, such as digital learning and educating diverse student populations. State law caps the requirement at 25 percent, and hours beyond 37.5 also count toward the total.
How do I renew my Texas teaching certificate?
Complete your CPE hours, then apply and pay the renewal fee through ECOS on the TEA website.
Do I have to submit my CPE hours to TEA?
No. Teachers keep documentation for five years and submit it only if selected for an audit.
Who can provide CPE hours in Texas?
Pre-approved providers such as districts, ESCs and universities, and private providers registered with SBEC.
What happens if I let my Texas teaching certificate expire?
It becomes inactive, and you cannot be employed in a Texas public school in a position that requires the certificate until you meet the renewal requirements (19 TAC 232.1). You do not retake certification exams: you complete the missing CPE hours, apply in ECOS and pay the renewal fee plus a late fee (TEA).
How much does it cost to renew a Texas teaching certificate?
TEA’s Renewal FAQs list for an on-time renewal of a standard certificate, for a late renewal in the first six months after expiration and after six months. All of a teacher’s standard certificates expire on the same date and renew together for one fee (TEA).
Are Texas teaching certificates lifetime?
Only those issued before September 1, 1999. Under 19 TAC 230.31, provisional and professional certificates issued before that date are valid for life unless suspended, surrendered or revoked; standard certificates issued since then must be renewed every five years.
>Related Resources- Teacher Professional Development Requirements by State
- English Learners in Texas
- Texas Bilingual and ESL Certification
- Florida Teacher Certification Renewal
- What Can Title II Funds Be Used For?
Conclusion
Texas sets a clear frame for renewal: 150 hours, a 37.5-hour topic block, and approved providers. With nearly a quarter of students learning English, the districts that get the most from that frame are the ones that make serving emergent bilingual students part of every teacher’s plan.
Sources: TEA, Classroom Teacher CPE Requirements (revised August 2025); 19 TAC 232.11; 19 TAC 232.17; 19 TAC 232.19; 19 TAC 232.21; TEA, Standard Certificate Renewal and CPE Information.
One in Four Students, Every Teacher
In many Texas classrooms, a quarter of the students are still learning English, and the teacher in front of them was trained mainly for the other three quarters. We ask those teachers to plan for several proficiency levels, integrate technology and track progress, all inside a schedule that leaves little room for practice.
Districts can use CPE hours to give teachers one sustained course they apply with their own students. Telo AI’s 15-hour course for a whole staff, AI for Every Teacher, is one example: eight weeks with three live sessions, core modules on safe AI use, planning and feedback, a track for each teacher’s context, including an English Learner track that plans from language standards such as the ELPS, and three classroom cycles. In Texas, whether its hours count as CPE depends on the approved provider, such as a district or ESC, that offers it.
The best use of 37.5 required hours may be the one that helps a teacher hear more from the six students who speak least.
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