| (a) A candidate who has a hearing impairment may request
exemption from educator certification and competence examinations
that have not been field-tested for appropriateness, reliability,
and validity as applied to persons with hearing impairments.
(b) A request for such an exemption shall include:
(1) a report by a licensed audiologist dated no more
than one year from the date of the request for the exemption, addressing
the relationship between the candidate's age at the onset or diagnosis
of hearing loss and the candidate's ability to process linguistic
information, and documenting that the candidate has a hearing impairment
so severe that:
(A) for a person requesting an exemption from the Science
of Teaching Reading (STR) examination, the person cannot process auditory
linguistic information with or without amplification; or
(B) for a person requesting an exemption to an examination
other than the STR examination, the person cannot process written
linguistic information; and
(2) for candidates who are not seeking certification
under Chapter 230, Subchapter H, of this title (relating to Texas
Educator Certificates Based on Certification and College Credentials
from Other States or Territories of the United States), a recommendation
for exemption and certification of the candidate by an approved Texas
educator preparation program (EPP). The recommendation shall be based
on the EPP's determination of the candidate's qualification for the
exemption and competency in each certification class and category
in which certification is sought. The EPP shall make and document
its determination of educator standards competency, as follows:
(A) by reviewing and approving transcripts from an
accredited institution of higher education that demonstrate that the
candidate has completed 24 semester credit hours in the educator standards,
including 12 semester credit hours of upper division coursework, and
documenting that the coursework is aligned to the Texas educator standards;
(B) if an EPP uses an alternative assessment to measure
competency in any certification class and category in which a certification
is being sought, by documenting the method and validity of the means
of assessment, the results of the assessment, and the alignment of
the assessment to the applicable Texas educator standards; and
(C) for the Texas pedagogy and professional responsibilities
examination, by documenting successful completion of EPP coursework
and training covering educator standards for the grade level for which
certification is sought.
(c) This section does not affect the procedures for
one-year certificates, extensions, and permits based on out-of-state
credentials pursuant to §230.113 of this title (relating to Requirements
for Texas Certificates Based on Certification from Other States or
Territories of the United States).
(d) As with other EPP completion and admission documentation
under §228.40 of this title (relating to Assessment and Evaluation
of Candidates for Certification and Program Improvement), all documentation
required under this section shall be retained by an EPP for five years
and is subject to audit by Texas Education Agency staff.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §230.25 adopted to be effective August 12, 2012, 37 TexReg 5753; amended to be effective August 28, 2016, 41 TexReg 6191; amended to be effective May 11, 2023, 48 TexReg 2339 |
