TExES 187 Bilingual Special Education EC-12: What It Is, Who Needs It, and How to Prepare

Texas is getting ready. In less than two years, the TExES 187 Bilingual Special Education EC-12 certification will become a standard requirement for educators who serve bilingual students with disabilities. If you work in Texas public schools — or plan to — this is the credential you need to understand right now.

What Is the TExES 187?

The TExES 187 is the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) exam for Bilingual Special Education EC-12. It is the certification pathway for educators who work at the intersection of two of the most complex and underserved fields in U.S. education: bilingual education and special education.

This exam covers the full EC-12 spectrum, from early childhood through grade 12, and focuses on the unique linguistic, cognitive, and developmental needs of students who are both English Language Learners (ELLs) and have identified disabilities.

Why Does This Certification Matter?

Texas has one of the highest concentrations of Multilingual Learners (MLs) in the United States. Many of these students also have learning exceptionalities— but are never properly identified because professionals often confuse second language acquisition with learning differences, or vice versa.

The TExES 187 addresses this gap directly. It certifies educators who can navigate both worlds with competence: understanding the basic characteristics of bilingual education, second language development, conducting culturally and linguistically responsive assessments, designing IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) for MLs, and collaborating with families across language barriers.

Who Needs the TExES 187?

This certification is designed for educators who:
- Are currently working as bilingual special education teachers in Texas public schools.
- Hold a bilingual education certificate and want to add special education expertise.
- Hold a special education certificate and serve ML/bilingual/ELL populations.
- Are preparing to enter the field and want to be maximally competitive in the Texas job market.
- Are campus administrators, diagnosticians, or ARD facilitators who work with ML students in special education.

If your campus has bilingual special education students, and virtually every Texas campus does, someone on your team needs this credential.

What Does the Exam Cover?

The TExES 187 is organized around five core competency domains:

1. Language Acquisition and Development: Understanding how bilingual students acquire and develop language in two or more languages, including first and second language acquisition theories, translanguaging, and code-switching.

2. Assessment and Diagnosis: Conducting culturally and linguistically fair evaluations. This includes understanding the difference between language differences and language disorders — one of the most critical skills in the field.

3. Curriculum, Instruction, and Intervention: Designing evidence-based instruction for bilingual students with disabilities, including differentiated instruction, scaffolding, and multisensory approaches.

4. Special Education Policies and Procedures: Understanding IDEA, ARD processes, IEP development, placement decisions, and how federal/state law applies to bilingual special education students.

5. Family and Community Engagement: Building partnerships with multilingual families, navigating cultural considerations, and ensuring equitable participation in special education processes.

The Texas Timeline: Why You Need to Act Now

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is in the process of implementing this certification as a formal requirement for educators in bilingual special education settings. The rollout is expected within the next two years.

This means two things:

1. First, educators who are already certified or who prepare now will have a significant competitive advantage over those who wait. Campuses will be actively seeking this credential.
2. Second, those who wait until the last minute will be scrambling — studying under pressure, competing against a wave of test-takers, and missing years of professional positioning.

How to Prepare: A Strategic Approach

Preparing for the TExES 187 is not like studying for a traditional multiple-choice exam. It requires deep conceptual understanding, not just memorization. Here is a strategic framework to guide your preparation:

Step 1: Know the Framework
Download and study the official TEA TExES 187 preparation manual. This document outlines every competency, every standard, and the percentage weight of each domain. Your study plan should be proportional to these weights.

Step 2: Understand the Research Base
This exam tests your ability to apply research-based practices. You need to understand the neuroscience of bilingual reading, the assessment frameworks used for ELL special education students, and the legislative history that governs these practices.

Step 3: Connect Theory to Practice
Exam questions will present real scenarios. You will need to identify what a teacher should do, what an assessment should include, or what a parent conference should look like. Spend time with case studies and real classroom situations.

Step 4: Focus on the Language-Disability Distinction
This is the most tested and most nuanced area of the exam. Understand clearly how bilingual language acquisition looks at each stage, and know the research-based criteria for identifying a true language disorder in a bilingual learner. This distinction will determine whether students get the right support — or the wrong label.

The Bigger Picture: What This Certification Represents

The TExES 187 is not just a box to check. It represents a professional identity: you are someone who refuses to let bilingual students with disabilities fall through the cracks. You are someone who can build bridges between two systems — bilingual education and special education — that often operate in silos.

In Texas, where nearly 1 in 5 students is a Multilingual Learner, and where special education identification disparities continue to affect linguistically diverse communities, this certification is not optional. It is a moral and professional imperative.

What’s Coming on This Blog

This is the first post in a series dedicated entirely to the TExES 187. In the coming weeks, I will publish:

• A deep dive into each competency domain
• Common myths and misconceptions about bilingual special education
• Research-backed study strategies for adult learners
• Real case studies connecting bilingual neurodivergence to exam concepts
• Resources, books, and articles worth reading before exam day

This blog is your preparation hub. Bookmark it. Share it with colleagues. And if you have questions, drop them in the comments.

I am Dr. Paco Usero González — bilingual education researcher, TExES expert, TEDx speaker, and SHSU faculty. I have spent my career at this exact intersection, and I am here to help you navigate it.