ACT-RGV

What ACT-RGV does

ACT-RGV is a private, Texas Education Agency–accredited alternative teacher certification program founded in 2000 and headquartered in Pharr, Texas. It was the second private alternative certification program approved in the State of Texas and serves the Rio Grande Valley region, providing an alternate route to earning a standard Texas teaching certificate for individuals who already hold a bachelor's degree. The organization offers three certification pathways — Internship (1-year paid Teacher of Record assignment), Clinical Teaching (structured practicum), and Residency (immersive co-teaching) — plus a standalone Substitute Teacher Certification Training workshop held monthly. Programs admit candidates three times per year (Fall, Spring, Summer) and include 150 hours of preparation training, field supervision, mentor support, and PPR test preparation.

The underlying technology stack is minimal: ACT-RGV operates a Squarespace-hosted website for marketing and information, uses Google Classroom for online training modules, integrates with Clover for payment collection, and relies on Pearson and the TEA/TEAL system for state exam administration. No proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or API has been disclosed. Program management is delivered by a three-person leadership team (Director, Certification Specialist, Curriculum Coach) supported by additional staff, with total headcount of 1-10 employees.

Revenue is generated through a fee-for-service model paid by individual candidates: $150 application fee, $750 preparation training fee, and a $4,700 internship or clinical teaching fee (totaling roughly $5,600 per fully enrolled candidate). A new $200 content training fee is scheduled to take effect Fall 2026 for Core EC-6 Candidates, and a separate $90 substitute teacher workshop (capped at 50 participants) generates incremental revenue. State exam and certificate fees ($118.87 TExES exams, $40 background check, $78 certificates) are pass-through items remitted to TEA and ETS. ACT-RGV maintains placement relationships with approximately 12 Rio Grande Valley school districts (PSJA, McAllen, Donna, Mission, Sharyland, Weslaco, Mercedes, Valley View, Harlingen, La Joya, Rio Grande City, Edcouch-Elsa) that hire program graduates.

Name

ACT-RGV

Legal name

ACT-RGV

Website

https://actrgv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACT-RGV is a Texas Education Agency–accredited private alternative teacher certification program based in Pharr, Texas, training bachelor's-degree holders in the Rio Grande Valley to earn standard Texas teaching certificates through Internship, Clinical Teaching, and Residency pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Teacher Certification

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Teacher Certification & Licensure Programs (EDAHAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)

Keywords

• Alternative teacher certification
• Educator preparation program
• Teacher certification training
• Substitute teacher training
• Teaching certification pathway

Headquarters

HQ city

Pharr

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: ACT-RGV generates revenue through multiple fee categories: Application Fee ($150 including TEA Technology Fee), Preparation Training Fee ($750), and either Internship Fee ($4,700) or Clinical Teaching Fee ($4,700). Additional fees apply for exam retakes, certificates, and program extensions. Starting Fall 2026, an additional $200 content training fee will be added for Core EC-6 Candidates.
2. Substitute Teacher Workshop Fees: Revenue from substitute teacher certification workshops priced at $90 for one full day and one half-day of training. Workshops are capped at 50 participants each.
3. State Exam and Certificate Fees (Pass-through): Fees paid to the state for TExES exams ($118.87 per exam), National Criminal Background Check ($40), Probationary Certificate ($78), Intern Certificate ($78), and Standard Certificate ($78). These are pass-through fees collected and remitted to TEA and ETS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

ACT-RGV is a Texas Education Agency-accredited alternative teacher certification program that trains and certifies individuals with bachelor's degrees to become Texas-certified teachers through three flexible pathways: Internship (1-year 180-day paid Teacher of Record assignment), Clinical Teaching (structured practicum), and Residency (immersive co-teaching model). The program also operates a separate Substitute Teacher Certification Training workshop priced at $90 per participant, capped at 50 attendees per workshop.

Product overview

ACT-RGV is a single, unified alternative teacher certification program fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency. The program offers three distinct pathways to teacher certification—Internship, Clinical Teaching, and Residency—each with different structures for gaining classroom experience. Additionally, the organization provides a standalone Substitute Teacher Certification Training workshop program. All offerings fall under the core accreditation and certification preparation umbrella, with the Internship/Clinical Teaching pathway serving as the primary certification route and the Substitute Teacher training serving as a supplementary certification pathway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alternative Teacher Certification Program A TEA-accredited alternative certification pathway that enables individuals with bachelor's degrees to earn a standard Texas teaching certificate through flexible routes including internship, clinical teaching, and residency models. Includes 150 hours of preparation training, field supervision, mentor support, and PPR test preparation.
• Substitute Teacher Certification Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates serve as Teacher of Record for a 1-year, 180-day assignment while earning full salary

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Relay Graduate School of Education: Alternative teacher preparation program operating in Texas with residency and certification pathways. Targets career-changers and offers comparable accelerated routes to teaching credentials.
• Region One Education Service Center: Public ESC headquartered in Edinburg, TX that offers an alternative teacher certification program serving the same Rio Grande Valley region. Most direct geographic competitor and potential substitute for ACT-RGV's local candidates.
• Region 10 Education Service Center: Texas ESC offering alternative teacher certification in the Dallas-area region. Comparable regulatory model (TEA-approved ESC-based alt cert) serving a different but adjacent Texas geography.
• A+ Texas Teachers: A large Texas alternative teacher certification program with similar TEA accreditation and pathway options. Competes for the same bilingual, EC-6, and content-area certification candidates across Texas.
• iTeach Texas: TEA-accredited alternative certification program offering paid internship pathways to aspiring teachers in Texas. Operates a comparable business model targeting career-changers and recent graduates.
• Teachworthy: Texas alternative teacher certification program with TEA accreditation, offering similar internship and certification support pathways to aspiring teachers statewide.
• Texas Teachers of Tomorrow: Texas's largest private alternative teacher certification program, offering similar TEA-accredited internship, clinical teaching, and residency pathways statewide. Directly comparable in regulatory model, fee structure, and target candidate.

Broad incumbents

• Teach For America: National alternative pathway into teaching that places candidates in high-need schools. Operates in Texas with similar target demographic (career-changers, recent grads) but with a national brand and different program structure.
• Texas State University: Large Texas university with a comprehensive college of education offering traditional and alternative teacher certification pathways. Represents institutional competition for aspiring teachers across the state.
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: Regional university offering a traditional university-based teacher preparation program serving the same Rio Grande Valley market. Represents the traditional certification pathway that ACT-RGV competes against.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/actrgv_teach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/act-rgv

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACT-RGV