Teacher Orientation and Preparation Program (TOPP)

From orientation until you begin your teaching internship, you will work to meet the intern eligibility requirements:

• Study for and pass your content (TExES) certification exam.
• Take classroom foundations courses, including ethics, classroom management and instructional design and delivery.
• Document 50 hours of field-based experiences by volunteering or substituting in a K-12 school.
• Enroll in asynchronous, online courses aligned with Texas Teacher Standards.
• Take intensive summer pre-service teacher courses, including instructional strategies, understanding poverty, human development, family engagement and English as a Second Language strategies.

You will secure a teaching internship after you have met the eligibility requirements (TExES passed, 50 hours of field-based experiences documented, and 150 training hours completed). During the teaching internship, you will:

• Teach full-time with full teacher pay as the teacher of record in a school
• Have the support of your field supervisor, who will observe your teaching and give you constructive feedback
• Attend internship Saturday sessions once per month focused on understanding the teacher evaluation tool, T-TESS
• Complete the Texas Teacher Standards-based, asynchronous online courses
• Study for and pass the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities TExES

You will be able to learn on the job during your teaching internships. Before starting the internship, you must participate in hands-on, interactive field-based experience by volunteering or substituting in K-12 schools for at least 35 hours.

ESC-20 TOPP is committed to preparing you to succeed in the culturally rich San Antonio community and its surrounding areas. You will take courses on relevant topics such as:

• Understanding poverty
• ESL strategies
• Introduction to special education
• Special education accommodations and modifications
• Differentiated instruction
• Social/emotional learning
• Migrant education

As an intern teacher at ESC-20 TOPP, you will have a mentor and a field supervisor assigned to support you throughout your first year of teaching.

Mentor

Your mentor will be a successful teacher from the campus who is certified in a similar certification to the one you are pursuing. Your mentor will be available to provide daily guidance and support on campus.

Field Supervisor

Your field supervisor, a former administrator, will visit you regularly throughout the year. They will guide you through the coaching cycle, including pre-observation conferences, observations, and post-observation feedback, ensuring you receive continuous support and feedback.

ESC-20 TOPP has an advisory committee of representatives from local education agencies and other partners dedicated to continuous program improvement. Strong connections with local districts' HR professionals give you an edge in the hiring process.

Several local school districts have implemented "grow your own" programs to fund teacher certification through ESC-20 TOPP for their employees who meet program admission requirements.