Secondary Certification Prep Hubs

Despite the Texas State Board of Education 2014 mandating that all high schools offer a computer science course, recent data shows that less than half of the high schools in Texas are offering this content to their students. The most significant barrier to providing this content to the next generation workforce is having sufficient numbers of qualified and certified computer science teachers in all state regions. In response to this need, the 89th Texas Legislature passed the Texas Computer Science Pipeline Initiative (Senate Bill 1, Article III, THECB, Rider 50) to address this critical shortage.

Join a Secondary Certification Prep Hub

Find a hub near you!

Contact

Tricia Berry

triciaberry@tacc.utexas.edu

Facilitate a WTCS Secondary Certification Preparation Hub

WeTeach_CS (WTCS), housed in the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin, is seeking Texas Institutions of Higher Education and Texas Regional Education Service Centers to join the WTCS Secondary Certification Preparation Hub (WTCS Cert Prep Hub) Project for the 2027-2028 grant cycle. Regional Hubs recruit and train in-service Texas teachers to earn a teaching certificate by challenging and passing the Computer Science (CS) 8-12 and/or EC-12 Technology Applications TExES exams, with the goal of expanding who can teach computer science in Texas classrooms. Every Hub must offer the CS 8-12 certification pathway; Hubs in Texas regions underserved in K-12 computer science, including several rural Education Service Center regions, may qualify to offer only the EC-12 Technology Applications certification pathway.

Eligible Applicants

Texas Institutions of Higher Education
Texas Regional Education Service Centers

Awards

Between 20-25 awards will be made in this funding cycle

Application Period

Applications open September 21, 2026. Applicants who submit by the early application deadline will be notified by November 17, 2026. Applicants who submit by the final deadline will be notified by December 9, 2026.

Open Date: September 21, 2026
Early Application Submission Deadline: October 30, 2026
Early Application Award Notification: November 17, 2026
Application Submission Final Deadline: November 20, 2026
Award Notification: December 9, 2026

Grant Period

February 1, 2027 - April 30, 2028

Application Form and Resources

The 2026-2027 WTCS Cert Prep Hub Application Form, 2026-2027 Application Guidelines and Statement of Work, and additional supporting resources will be available beginning Monday, September 21, 2026.

Application Support Office Hours on Zoom

Potential applicants may join any of the following Application Support Office Hours hosted on Zoom to ask questions and seek clarification about the application process and content:

Monday, September 28, 2026, 10 – 11 a.m. CT
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 1 – 2 p.m. CT
Monday, October 26, 2026, 10 – 11 a.m. CT
Monday, November 9, 2026, 10 – 11 a.m. CT
Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 10 – 11 a.m. CT

Use the following information to join Zoom at any time during any of the one-hour office hours:

One tap mobile: US: +13462487799,,89798024751# or +17193594580,,89798024751#
Meeting URL: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/89798024751
Meeting ID: 897 9802 475
Zoom link: https://tacc.zoom.us/j/88180637883

Facilitate a 2027-2028 WTCS Cert Prep Hub

Hub Application Period:

Open Date: September 21, 2026
Early Application Submission Deadline: October 30, 2026
Early Application Award Notification: November 17, 2026
Application Submission Final Deadline: November 20, 2026
Award Notification: December 9, 2026

Grant Period:
February 1, 2027 - April 30, 2028

Hub Applications open Monday, September 21, 2026

Public Resources for Hub Applicants

Access the 2026-2027 WTCS Cert Prep Hub Application Form, 2026-2027 Application Guidelines and Statement of Work, Budget and Budget Template, Application Scoring Rubric, and additional application preparation materials.

Access Resources Begin Monday, September 21, 2026

Join a Secondary Certification Prep Hub as a Participant

WeTeach_CS Secondary Certification Preparation Hubs (WTCS Cert Prep Hubs) help participants build the knowledge they need to successfully pass the Grades 8-12 Computer Science (TExES 241) or EC-12 Technology Applications (TExES 242) Texas teacher certification exams.

Regional Hubs consist of a cohort of 10-30 participants currently certified in subjects other than CS or Tech Apps, who complete a professional development sequence that covers the competencies of these TExES exams.
Hubs are led by Regional Project Directors and Instructional Team Members (ITMs) who mentor Hub participants and support their learning.
Professional development is delivered both virtually and in-person by Hub and WTCS facilitators.
The UT Austin WTCS Cert Prep Hub is appropriate for participants who require a virtual option or for those who do not live near a Regional Hub.

CS 8-12 WTCS Cert Prep Hub Stipends

Stipends of $3,000 are provided to participants who complete the full professional development sequence and challenge the CS certification exam TExES 241.
Additional stipends of $2,000 are provided to participants who successfully pass the CS certification exam TExES 241.

EC-12 Tech Apps WTCS Cert Prep Hub Stipends

Stipends of $1,800 are provided to teachers who complete the full professional development sequence and challenge the EC-12 Tech Apps certification exam TExES 242.
Additional stipends of $750 are provided to participants who successfully pass the EC-12 Tech Apps certification exam TExES 242.

2026-2027 Certification Preparation Hubs

Hub	Region	City
The University of Texas at Austin Project Director: Sheryl Roehl Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	13	Austin, TX *This is a hybrid hub; most meetings will be held virtually.
Baylor University Project Director: Greg Speegle Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	12	Waco, TX
Prairie View A&M University Project Director: Camille Burnett Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	4	Prairie View, TX
Region 1 ESC Project Director: Omar Lopez Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	1	Edinburg, TX
Region 2 ESC Project Director: Melody Pro-Smith Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep	2	Corpus Christi, TX
Region 4 ESC Project Director: Jennifer Wellman Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	4	Houston, TX
Region 5 ESC Project Director: Janna Smith Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	5	Beaumont, TX
Region 20 ESC Project Director: Susan Reeves Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	20	San Antonio, TX
Rice University Project Director: Matthew Cushing Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	4	Houston, TX
Southern Methodist University Project Director: Kenneth Berry Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep	10	Dallas, TX
Stephen F. Austin State University Project Director: Jane Long Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep	7	Nacogdoches, TX
Texas State University Project Director: Jennifer King Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	13	Round Rock, TX
The University of Texas at Arlington Project Director: Greg Hale Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep; Tech Apps EC-12 Certification Prep	11	Arlington, TX
The University of Texas at Dallas Project Director: Mary Urquhart Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep	10	Dallas, TX
The University of Texas at El Paso Project Director: Salamah Salamah Pathways Available: CS 8-12 Certification Prep	19	El Paso, TX