| (a) General provisions.
(1) Certificate classes. A probationary certificate
may be issued for any class of certificate except educational aide.
(2) Requirement to hold a probationary certificate.
A candidate seeking certification as an educator must hold a probationary
certificate while participating in an internship through an approved
educator preparation program (EPP).
(b) Requirements for issuance. A probationary certificate
may be issued to a candidate seeking certification as an educator
who meets the conditions and requirements prescribed in this subsection.
(1) Bachelor's degree. Except as otherwise provided
in rules of the State Board for Educator Certification related to
certain career and technical education certificates based on skill
and experience, the candidate must hold a bachelor's degree or higher
from an accredited institution of higher education. An individual
who has earned a degree outside the United States must provide an
original, detailed report or course-by-course evaluation of all college-level
credits prepared by a foreign credential evaluation service recognized
by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The evaluation must verify that
the individual holds, at a minimum, the equivalent of a bachelor's
degree issued by an accredited institution of higher education in
the United States.
(2) General certification requirements. The candidate
must meet the general certification requirements prescribed in §230.11
of this title (relating to General Requirements).
(3) Fee. The candidate must pay the fee prescribed
in §230.101 of this title (relating to Schedule of Fees for Certification
Services).
(4) Fingerprints. The candidate must submit fingerprints
in accordance with §232.35(c) of this title (relating to Submission
of Required Information) and the Texas Education Code (TEC), §22.0831.
(c) Conditions. The validity and effectiveness of a
probationary certificate is subject to the following conditions.
(1) Internship. The holder of a probationary certificate
must be a participant in good standing of an approved Texas EPP, serving
in an acceptable, paid internship supervised by the EPP.
(2) Inactive status. A probationary certificate will
become inactive 30 calendar days after the holder's separation from
the school assignment or the EPP. The unexpired term of a probationary
certificate may be reactivated if the holder satisfies the program
enrollment and school assignment requirements specified in §228.35
of this title (relating to Preparation Program Coursework and/or Training.
(3) Term of a probationary certificate. A probationary
certificate shall be valid for a 12-month period from the date of
issuance.
(4) Limit on preliminary certifications and permits.
Without obtaining standard certification, an individual may not serve
for more than three 12-month periods while holding any combination
of the following:
(A) intern certificates, limited to one 12-month period
maximum, as described in this subsection;
(B) probationary certificates, limited to two 12-month
periods maximum, as described in this subsection;
(C) emergency permits as specified in Subchapter F
of this chapter (relating to Permits); or
(D) one-year certificates as specified in Subchapter
H of this chapter (relating to Texas Educator Certificates Based on
Certification and College Credentials from Other States or Territories
of the United States) and Chapter 245 of this title (relating to Certification
of Educators from Other Countries).
(5) Reduction in force exception. If an educator is
employed under a probationary certificate and is terminated or resigns
in lieu of termination before the end of the school year due to a
reduction in force, that probationary term shall not count as one
of the two allowed annual probationary terms.
(d) Testing requirements for issuance of a probationary
certificate.
(1) Prior to September 1, 2017, a candidate must meet
the subject matter knowledge requirements for issuance of a probationary
certificate to serve an internship in a classroom teacher assignment
for each subject area to be taught:
(A) At the elementary school level, by passing the
appropriate content area certification examination(s), as prescribed
in Subchapter C of this chapter (relating to Assessment of Educators),
appropriate to the grade level and subject matter assignment(s) as
prescribed in Chapter 231 of this title (relating to Requirements
for Public School Personnel Assignments).
(B) At the middle or high school level:
(i) by passing the appropriate content area certification
examination(s), as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter, appropriate
to the grade level and subject matter assignment(s) as prescribed
in Chapter 231 of this title; or
(ii) by completing coursework that complies with the
TEC, §21.050, and comprised of not fewer than 24 semester credit
hours, including 12 semester credit hours of upper division coursework
in the subject area(s) taught; or
(iii) in the case of career and technical education
assignments based on skill and experience, by satisfying the requirements
for that subject area contained in §233.14 of this title (relating
to Career and Technical Education (Certificates requiring experience
and preparation in a skill area)).
(C) A candidate who is the teacher of record in a special
education assignment must meet the appropriate subject matter knowledge
requirements prescribed in subparagraph (A) and/or (B) of this paragraph
and pass the appropriate special education certification examination(s),
as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter, appropriate to the
assignment(s) as prescribed in Chapter 231 of this title. If a candidate
has not passed the special education supplemental examination prior
to the beginning of an internship, an EPP may permit the internship
assignment if:
(i) the EPP has developed a plan to address any deficiencies
identified through the candidate's previous attempt(s) on the examination;
and
(ii) the EPP implements the plan during the initial
internship. An EPP shall not permit an additional internship if all
examinations requirements are not met.
(D) A candidate who is in a bilingual education and/or
English as a Second Language (ESL) assignment must meet the appropriate
subject matter knowledge requirements prescribed in subparagraph (A)
and/or (B) of this paragraph and pass the appropriate bilingual education
and/or ESL certification examination(s), as prescribed in Subchapter
C of this chapter, appropriate to the assignment(s) as prescribed
in Chapter 231 of this title. If a candidate has not passed the bilingual
education supplemental examination, ESL supplemental examination,
or the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency test prior to the beginning
of an internship, an EPP may permit the internship if:
(i) the EPP has developed a plan to address any deficiencies
identified through the candidate's previous attempt(s) on the examination(s);
and
(ii) the EPP implements the plan during the initial
internship. An EPP shall not permit an additional internship if all
examination requirements are not met.
(2) Beginning September 1, 2017, a candidate must meet
all testing requirements for issuance of a probationary certificate.
(A) To meet the subject matter knowledge requirements
to be issued a probationary certificate for an internship in a classroom
teacher assignment, a candidate must pass the appropriate certification
examination(s), including the appropriate pedagogy and professional
responsibilities examination, as prescribed in Subchapter C of this
chapter.
(B) To meet the subject matter knowledge requirements
to be issued a probationary certificate for an internship in a career
and technical education classroom teacher assignment that is based
on skill and experience, a candidate must satisfy the requirements
for that subject area contained in §233.14 of this title and
pass the appropriate certification examination(s), including the appropriate
pedagogy and professional responsibilities examination, as prescribed
in Subchapter C of this chapter.
(e) Probationary certificate in a certification class
other than classroom teacher. A probationary certificate may be issued
for an assignment as a superintendent, principal, reading specialist,
master teacher, school librarian, school counselor, and/or educational
diagnostician to an individual who meets the applicable requirements
prescribed in subsection (b) of this section and who also meets the
requirements prescribed in this subsection.
(1) An applicant for a probationary certificate in
a certification class other than classroom teacher must meet all requirements
established by the recommending EPP, which shall be based on the qualifications
and requirements for the class of certification sought and the duties
to be performed by the holder of a probationary certificate in that
class.
Cont'd... |
