| (a) The educator preparation program (EPP) delivering
educator preparation shall require the following minimum criteria
of all applicants seeking initial certification in any class of certificate,
unless specified otherwise, prior to admission to the program.
(1) For an undergraduate university program, an applicant
shall be enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education
(IHE).
(2) For an alternative certification program or post-baccalaureate
program, an applicant shall have, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree
earned from and conferred by an accredited IHE.
(3) For an undergraduate university program, alternative
certification program, or post-baccalaureate program, to be eligible
for admission into an EPP, an applicant shall have a grade point average
(GPA) of at least 2.5 before admission.
(A) The GPA shall be calculated from an official transcript
as follows:
(i) 2.5 on all coursework previously attempted by the
person at an accredited IHE:
(I) at which the applicant is currently enrolled (undergraduate
university program formal admission, alternative certification program
contingency admission, or post-baccalaureate program contingency admission);
or
(II) from which the most recent bachelor's degree or
higher from an accredited IHE was conferred (alternative certification
program formal admission or post-baccalaureate program formal admission);
or
(ii) 2.5 in the last 60 semester credit hours on all
coursework previously attempted by the person at an accredited IHE:
(I) at which the applicant is currently enrolled (undergraduate
university program formal admission, alternative certification program
contingency admission, or post-baccalaureate program contingency admission).
If an applicant has less than 60 semester credit hours on the official
transcript from the accredited IHE at which the applicant is currently
enrolled, the EPP shall use grades from all coursework previously
attempted by a person at the most recent accredited institution(s)
of higher education, starting with the most recent coursework from
the official transcript(s), to calculate a GPA for the last 60 semester
credit hours; or
(II) from which the most recent bachelor's degree or
higher from an accredited IHE was conferred. If an applicant has hours
beyond the most recent degree, an EPP may use grades from the most
recent 60 hours of coursework from an accredited IHE (alternative
certification program formal admission or post-baccalaureate program
formal admission).
(B) In accordance with the Texas Education Code, (TEC), §21.0441(b),
an exception to the minimum GPA requirement may be granted by the
program director only in extraordinary circumstances and may not be
used by a program to admit more than 10% of any incoming class of
candidates. An applicant is eligible for this exception if:
(i) documentation and certification from the program
director that an applicant's work, business, or career experience
demonstrates achievement equivalent to the academic achievement represented
by the GPA requirement; and
(ii) in accordance with the TEC, §21.0441(a)(2)(B),
an applicant must pass an appropriate content certification examination
as specified in paragraph (4)(C) of this subsection for each subject
in which the applicant seeks certification prior to admission. In
accordance with the TEC, §21.0441(b), applicants who do not meet
the minimum GPA requirement and have previously been admitted into
an EPP may request permission to register for an appropriate content
certification examination if the applicant is not seeking admission
to the same EPP that previously granted test approval for a certification
examination in the same certification class.
(C) An applicant who is seeking a career and technical
education (CTE) certificate that does not require a degree from an
accredited IHE is exempt from the minimum GPA requirement.
(D) An applicant who does not meet the minimum GPA
requirement and is seeking certification in a class other than classroom
teacher must perform at or above a score equivalent to a 2.5 GPA on
the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytic Writing
sections of the GRE® (Graduate Record Examinations) revised
General Test. The State Board for Educator Certification will use
equivalency scores established by the Educational Testing Service,
and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will publish those equivalency
scores annually on the TEA website.
(4) For an applicant who will be seeking an initial
certificate in the classroom teacher class of certificate, the applicant
shall have successfully completed, prior to admission, at least:
(A) a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific
content area for the certification sought, unless certification sought
is for mathematics or science at or above Grade 7; or
(B) 15 semester credit hours in the subject-specific
content area for the certification sought if the certification sought
is for mathematics or science at or above Grade 7; or
(C) a passing score on the appropriate content certification
examination as specified in the figure provided in this subparagraph.
Attached Graphic
(5) For an applicant who will be seeking an initial
certificate in a class other than classroom teacher, the applicant
shall meet the minimum requirements for admission described in Chapter
239 of this title (relating to Student Services Certificates); Chapter
241 of this title (relating to Certification as Principal); and Chapter
242 of this title (relating to Superintendent Certificate). If an
applicant has not met the minimum certification, degree, and/or experience
requirement(s) for issuance of a standard certificate prior to admission,
the EPP shall inform the applicant in writing of any deficiency prior
to admission.
(6) An applicant must demonstrate basic skills in reading,
written communication, and mathematics by meeting the requirements
of the Texas Success Initiative under the rules established by the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in Part 1, Chapter
4, Subchapter C, of this title (relating to Texas Success Initiative),
including one of the requirements established by §4.54 of this
title (relating to Exemptions, Exceptions, and Waivers).
(7) An applicant must demonstrate the English language
proficiency skills as specified in §230.11 of this title (relating
to General Requirements).
(A) An applicant for CTE certification that does not
require a bachelor's degree from an accredited IHE may satisfy the
English language proficiency requirement with an associate's degree
or high school diploma or the equivalent that was earned at an accredited
IHE or an accredited high school in the United States.
(B) An applicant to a university undergraduate program
that leads to a bachelor's degree may satisfy the English language
proficiency requirement by meeting the English language proficiency
requirement of the accredited IHE at which the applicant is enrolled.
(8) An applicant must submit an application and participate
in either an interview or other screening instrument to determine
if the EPP applicant's knowledge, experience, skills, and aptitude
are appropriate for the certification sought.
(9) An applicant must fulfill any other academic criteria
for admission that are published and applied consistently to all EPP
applicants.
(b) An EPP may adopt admission requirements in addition
to and not in conflict with those required in this section.
(c) An EPP may not admit an applicant who:
(1) has been reported as completing all EPP requirements
by another EPP in the same certification category or class, unless
the applicant only needs certification examination approval; or
(2) has been employed for three years in a public school
under a permit, intern, or probationary certificate as specified in
Chapter 230, Subchapter D, of this title (relating to Types and Classes
of Certificates Issued), unless the applicant is seeking clinical
teaching that may lead to the issuance of an initial standard certificate.
(d) An EPP may admit an applicant for CTE certification
who has met the experience and preparation requirements specified
in Chapter 230 of this title (relating to Professional Educator Preparation
and Certification) and Chapter 233 of this title (relating to Categories
of Classroom Teaching Certificates).
(e) An EPP may admit an applicant for the Trade and
Industrial Workforce Training: Grades 6-12 certification who has met
the following requirements:
(1) has been issued a high school diploma or a postsecondary
credential, certificate, or degree;
(2) has seven years of full-time wage-earning experience
within the preceding 10 years in an approved occupation for which
instruction is offered;
Cont'd... |
