Texas has done a great job of prioritizing the attainment of industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) by embedding them in the state’s ESSA Plan and even providing reimbursement for certification exams. We’ve compiled the most important information about IRCs for Texas teachers.
In Texas, industry-recognized credentials are a high priority
Developing the list of IRCs
Criteria IRCs must meet
Using IRCs as an accountability measure
Developing the list of IRCs
To develop the list of IRCs, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requested feedback from stakeholders across Texas, receiving 4,000 responses containing 1,319 unique credentials. The credentials were sent to the 28 Texas Workforce Development Boards to determine industry value.
Criteria IRCs must meet
All submitted credentials were reviewed based on the following criteria: value in the industry; produced by a third-party provider; can be used as a capstone; attainable by a high school student; and portable across state lines.
Using IRCs as an accountability measure
Because IRCs open the door to careers and higher learning opportunities, Texas uses IRCs as one indicator within the Student Achievement domain of the state’s public school accountability system.
Texas schools get reimbursed for certification exams
One of only a few states to offer monetary incentives for certification, Texas gives districts exam reimbursement funding at the beginning of the school year to help offset the cost of certification exams.Earning the Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate credential
More than 3,120 companies in Texas use SOLIDWORKS software, making this an incredibly valuable industry credential for students to earn. With expert-led certification prep courses, SolidProfessor can prepare your students for the CSWA and even save your school money.
CSWA certification prep
SolidProfessor’s industry-leading certification prep provides online video tutorials, practice tests in a simulated environment, and exam tips & tricks to ensure your students are fully prepared to ace their certification exams.
Free certification exam vouchers
Through our partnership with SOLIDWORKS, we’re able to offer students who complete our cert prep course free exam vouchers. With the certification reimbursement from the state, you can actually make money by getting students certified!
Start preparing students for the CSWA by downloading our free CSWA Exam Prep Guide.
Top industry credentials in Autodesk
With thousands of excellent career opportunities in engineering and architectural design, Texas has included several Autodesk software certifications on their approved list of IRCs. We’ve outlined the top credentials in this space, as well as SolidProfessor’s industry-leading certification prep courses for those credentials.
Autodesk Inventor Certified User
Autodesk AutoCAD Certified User
Autodesk Revit Certified User
Meet TEKS Standards with Online Learning
John Crow, Career and Technical Education Specialist at Katy ISD, was looking for a tool to help his students and teachers develop their Autodesk skills. That search led him to SolidProfessor.Are you interested in learning more about certification prep opportunities with SolidProfessor?
Careers for CAD, BIM software credential holders
Additional certification resources
- > List of approved industry-recognized credentials
- > Reimbursement legislation for credentials
- > College & Career pathways: Industry certifications
Free engineering & architectural design resources
- > SOLIDWORKS keyboard shortcuts
- > Grants & funding for Texas schools
- > Design challenges for every season
Sources
- > Indeed.com
- > http://edstrategy.org/resource/career-readiness-the-every-student-succeeds-act/
- > https://careertech.org/resource/mapping-career-readiness-essa-full
- > https://discovery.hgdata.com/product/autocad
- > https://discovery.hgdata.com/product/autodesk-revit
- > https://discovery.hgdata.com/product/autodesk-inventor
- > https://discovery.hgdata.com/product/autodesk-unspecified-product
- > https://discovery.hgdata.com/product/dassault-solidworks