The two-year project is intended to generate data, research and policy recommendations that could help reduce the number of uncertified teachers in classrooms across Texas, according to a Sept. 22 news release.
The gist
According to the release, the grant will support the work of UH's Center for Research, Evaluation, and Advancement of Teacher Education, or CREATE.
Key outcomes will include:
- Sharing useful, local data and research with school districts and teacher training programs
- Learning how school districts are preparing to meet new teacher certification rules set by the state, and offering ideas on how policies can help get more certified teachers into classrooms
Professor Toni Templeton, principal investigator on the grant, said student achievement will be measured through standardized test scores, attendance, course completion and graduation rates, with input from school district advisors potentially expanding those metrics.
Why it matters
According to data from the UH Education Research Center, or ERC, uncertified teachers accounted for 52% of new hires in the 2023-24 academic year. The proportion of uncertified teachers in traditional public school classrooms has increased significantly over the past decade, rising from 7.8% in 2012-13 to 14.5% in 2022-23, per the release.
Additionally, a UTeach Institute study shows uncertified teachers are more likely to leave early, and their students can lose up to six months of learning.
The bigger picture
The initiative aligns with recent legislative efforts to address teacher shortages, which sought to lower entry barriers into the profession.
Out of the $8.5 billion allocated to public education between 2025-27 from the 89th Texas Legislature, $200 million was allocated to teacher preparation and certification programs, including $1,000 stipends to prospective teachers who complete educator certification programs, Community Impact reported.
Legislators also opted to limit the use of uncertified teachers in core subject areas in the same law, according to the release.
Templeton said in addition to easing barriers to certification, long-term sustainability for teacher hiring and retention will require addressing broader challenges in the field, such as teacher compensation and job satisfaction.
“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 in the release. “The guardrails put back into place by the Legislature are a first step in the right direction of supporting a thriving teacher workforce.”
Zooming out
To curb the teacher shortage during the 2024-25 school year, Community Impact reported that Fort Bend, Georgetown and Leander ISDs had waived teacher certification requirements for certain subjects and opted to require their staff to enroll in alternative certification programs, or nontraditional programs that can often be completed online.
Meanwhile, Katy ISD launched its alternative certification program last year, training 80 new teachers, seven of whom were hired directly at the inaugural Boundary Elementary campus.
Moving forward
Templeton said the research application is currently under review and must be approved before work can begin.
“This investment will expand CREATE’s efforts to strengthen the teacher workforce and support the state’s 5 million public school children,” August Hamilton, education program director for the Houston Endowment, said in the release. “CREATE will equip state leaders and districts with the evidence they need to increase the number of certified teachers in Texas classrooms.”
