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Industry-Based Certifications

Industry-Based Certification List for Public School Accountability 

Announcement:   IBC Application 

Application Window Now Open for New Certifications to be Evaluated for the 2025-2030 Industry-Based Certification List for Public School Accountability

Certifying entities with an industry-based certification (IBC) that is attainable by high school students and not currently on the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA’s) 2022-2025 Industry-Based Certification List for Public School Accountability, nor on the Industry-Based Certification Advisory Council 2024 Inventory of Industry-Recognized Credentials, are encouraged to apply for inclusion on the 2025-2030 list.  The submission window is open from May 28 – June 17, 2025. 

 Requests for new IBCs to be evaluated must be submitted through this questionnaire, using an email address associated with the certifying entity. Upon receipt of the completed questionnaire, TEA will email the certifying entity’s point of contact additional guidance and a unique link to access the official application. Completed applications must be received by TEA no later than June 17, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST. Incomplete applications, or those received after the due date, will not be included in the evaluation. Requests for IBC evaluations by stakeholders that are not employees of the certifying entity will not be processed. Local education agency staff that would like additional IBCs to be evaluated should forward this information to the certifying entity for their consideration and application submission.

 The timeline for the IBC evaluation completion is dependent upon the number of submissions and dates of receipt. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received. IBCs approved for inclusion on the 2025-2030 IBC List for Public School Accountability are expected to be announced in late summer 2025. Additional information regarding the application is located here.

Email ibc@tea.texas.gov if you have additional questions.

Industry-Based Certifications

Industry-based certifications are a valuable component of strong student pathways.

TEC §39.053 requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to account for high school students who earn an industry-based certification as one indicator within the student achievement domain of the state's public school accountability system. The purpose of the IBC list is to identify certifications that prepare students for success in the workforce, military, or postsecondary education.

On December 12, 2023, the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) three-member commission adopted the Industry-Based Certification (IBC) Advisory Council’s Inventory of Industry-Recognized Credentials to comply with Texas Labor Code Chapter 312. State law requires the TWC to provide a copy of the Industry-Recognized Credential Inventory to each school district and public institution of higher education that offers a career and technical education (CTE) program to public high school students. Districts received this communication from TWC the week of December 18, 2023. The IBC Advisory Council Inventory of Industry-Recognized Credentials may be found on TWC’s Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative webpage.

The Texas Education Agency’s Industry-Based Certification List for Public School Accountability:

While the TWC’s list of industry-recognized credentials may be used to provide additional opportunities to meet the educational and career goals of students, only the Texas Education Agency’s Industry-Based Certification List for Public School Accountability with aligned certifying entities may be reported through the Texas Student Data System (TSDS) Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and count toward the College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) calculations for accountability and for reimbursement requests. In the future, all certifications included on TWC’s inventory will be evaluated against criteria in 19 TAC §74.1003 for possible inclusion on the TEA’s list for public school accountability.

View TAA

Combined IBC Lists

IBC to Program of Study Crosswalk

Additional IBC Information

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