Houston Daily

University of Houston researchers have received a $1 million grant from the Houston Endowment to study teacher certification pathways and their impact on Texas classrooms. The funding will support the Center for Research, Evaluation, and Advancement of Teacher Education (CREATE) at UH as it examines how school districts are using various certification programs—such as residency and grow-your-own initiatives—to address teacher recruitment, retention, and student outcomes.

The research aims to provide new statewide data and policy analysis to help reduce the number of uncertified teachers in Texas. According to data from the University of Houston’s Education Research Center (ERC), uncertified teachers made up 52% of new hires in Texas classrooms during the 2023-24 academic year.

Cathy Horn, dean of the UH College of Education, emphasized the importance of collaborative work with school districts and partners. “Being in collaborative, data-centered work with districts and other key partners allows us to be better stewards of our responsibility — to infuse extraordinary teachers into public schools,” said Horn. “Every student deserves to have an amazing teacher; this grant helps us do our part in making that happen.”

CREATE will use data from ERC, which includes K-12 information from the Texas Education Agency as well as higher education and workforce statistics from several state agencies.

The percentage of uncertified teachers in traditional public school classrooms in Texas has increased significantly over the past decade—from 7.8% in 2012-13 to 14.5% in 2022-23, based on ERC findings. Studies also indicate that students taught by uncertified teachers may experience up to six months less academic progress compared to those taught by certified educators.

Over two years, CREATE plans to provide localized research for school districts and Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs). The project will also analyze how districts are adapting to new certification requirements set by recent legislation and offer recommendations for policies that could increase certified teacher numbers.

A statewide advisory committee consisting of education leaders and stakeholders will guide CREATE’s efforts throughout the project.

“This investment will expand CREATE’s efforts to strengthen the teacher workforce and support the state’s 5 million public school children,” said August Hamilton, education program director for Houston Endowment. “CREATE will equip state leaders and districts with the evidence they need to increase the number of certified teachers in Texas classrooms.”

The initiative aligns with legislative reforms such as House Bill 2 passed during the 89th Texas Legislature. This law limits uncertified teachers in core subjects while providing incentives—like $1,000 per newly certified teacher—to encourage certification by 2026-27.

Toni Templeton, principal investigator on the grant and senior research scientist at ERC, noted that while lowering entry barriers expanded candidate pools during shortages, these measures did not address fundamental issues like low pay that affect interest in teaching careers. “While reducing the barrier to entry for teaching allowed for a greater pool of candidates, it didn’t solve the underlying issues diminishing interest in the teaching field, such as comparably low pay,” Templeton said. “The guardrails put back into place by the Legislature are a first step in the right direction of supporting a thriving teacher workforce.”

Although CREATE applied for funding before House Bill 2 was enacted, its scope now includes evaluating district responses to these policy changes through reports intended for lawmakers and educational leaders.

“There’s this whole cafeteria list of options to become certified, and what we’re interested in understanding is which of these are working and for whom,” Templeton said. “What teachers are thriving under each of these programs? How are those programs related to student outcomes for different groups of students?”