| (a) Coursework and/or training for candidates seeking
initial certification in any certification class.
(1) An educator preparation program (EPP) shall provide
coursework and/or training to adequately prepare candidates for educator
certification and ensure the educator is effective in the classroom.
(2) Coursework and/or training shall be sustained,
rigorous, intensive, interactive, candidate-focused, and performance-based.
(3) All coursework and/or training shall be completed
prior to EPP completion and standard certification.
(4) With appropriate documentation such as certificate
of attendance, sign-in sheet, or other written school district verification,
50 clock-hours of training may be provided by a school district and/or
campus that is an approved Texas Education Agency (TEA) continuing
professional education provider to a candidate who is considered a
late hire. The training provided by the school district and/or campus
must meet the criteria described in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.451
(Staff Development Requirements) and must be directly related to the
certificate being sought.
(5) Each EPP must develop and implement specific criteria
and procedures that allow:
(A) military service member or military veteran candidates
to credit verified military service, training, clinical and professional
experience, or education toward the training, education, work experience,
or related requirements (other than certification examinations) for
educator certification requirements, provided that the military service,
training, or education is directly related to the certificate being
sought; and
(B) candidates who are not military service members
or military veterans to substitute prior or ongoing service, training,
or education, provided that the experience, education, or training
is not also counted as a part of the internship, clinical teaching,
or practicum requirements, was provided by an approved EPP or an accredited
institution of higher education within the past five years, and is
directly related to the certificate being sought.
(6) Coursework and training that is offered online
must meet, or the EPP must be making progress toward meeting, criteria
set for accreditation, quality assurance, and/or compliance with one
or more of the following:
(A) Accreditation or Certification by the Distance
Education Accrediting Commission;
(B) Program Design and Teaching Support Certification
by Quality Matters;
(C) Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter P, of this title
(relating to Approval of Distance Education Courses and Programs for
Public Institutions); or
(D) Part 1, Chapter 7 of this title (relating to Degree
Granting Colleges and Universities Other than Texas Public Institutions).
(b) Coursework and/or training for candidates seeking
initial certification in the classroom teacher certification class.
An EPP shall provide each candidate with a minimum of 300 clock-hours
of coursework and/or training. An EPP shall provide a minimum of 200
clock-hours of coursework and/or training for a candidate seeking
a Trade and Industrial Workforce Training certificate as specified
by §233.14(e) of this title (relating to Career and Technical
Education (Certificates requiring experience and preparation in a
skill area)). Unless a candidate qualifies as a late hire, a candidate
shall complete the following prior to any clinical teaching or internship:
(1) a minimum of 30 clock-hours of field-based experience.
Up to 15 clock-hours of this field-based experience may be provided
by use of electronic transmission or other video or technology-based
method; and
(2) 150 clock-hours of coursework and/or training as
prescribed in §228.30(d)(4) of this title (relating to Educator
Preparation Curriculum) that allows candidates to demonstrate proficiency
in:
(A) designing clear, well-organized, sequential, engaging,
and flexible lessons that reflect best practice, align with standards
and related content, are appropriate for diverse learners and encourage
higher-order thinking, persistence, and achievement;
(B) formally and informally collecting, analyzing,
and using student progress data to inform instruction and make needed
lesson adjustments;
(C) ensuring high levels of learning, social-emotional
development, and achievement for all students through knowledge of
students, proven practices, and differentiated instruction;
(D) clearly and accurately communicating to support
persistence, deeper learning, and effective effort;
(E) organizing a safe, accessible, and efficient classroom;
(F) establishing, communicating, and maintaining clear
expectations for student behavior;
(G) leading a mutually respectful and collaborative
class of actively engaged learners;
(H) meeting expectations for attendance, professional
appearance, decorum, procedural, ethical, legal, and statutory responsibilities;
(I) reflect on his or her practice; and
(J) effectively communicating with students, families,
colleagues, and community members.
(c) Coursework and/or training for candidates seeking
initial certification in a certification class other than classroom
teacher. An EPP shall provide coursework and/or training to ensure
that the educator is effective in the assignment. An EPP shall provide
a candidate with a minimum of 200 clock-hours of coursework and/or
training that is directly aligned to the educator standards for the
applicable certification class.
(d) Late hire provisions. A late hire for a school
district teaching position may begin employment under an intern or
probationary certificate before completing the pre-internship requirements
of subsection (b) of this section, but shall complete these requirements
within 90 school days of assignment.
(e) Educator preparation program delivery. An EPP shall
provide evidence of ongoing and relevant field-based experiences throughout
the EPP in a variety of educational settings with diverse student
populations, including observation, modeling, and demonstration of
effective practices to improve student learning.
(1) For initial certification in the classroom teacher
certification class, each EPP shall provide field-based experiences,
as defined in §228.2 of this title (relating to Definitions),
for a minimum of 30 clock-hours. The field-based experiences must
be completed prior to assignment in an internship or clinical teaching.
(A) Field-based experiences must include 15 clock-hours
in which the candidate, under the direction of the EPP, is actively
engaged in instructional or educational activities that include:
(i) authentic school settings in a public school accredited
by the TEA or other school approved by the TEA for this purpose;
(ii) instruction by content certified teachers;
(iii) actual students in classrooms/instructional settings
with identity-proof provisions;
(iv) content or grade-level specific classrooms/instructional
settings; and
(v) written reflection of the observation.
(B) Up to 15 clock-hours of field-based experience
may be provided by use of electronic transmission or other video or
technology-based method. Field-based experience provided by use of
electronic transmission or other video or technology-based method
must include:
(i) direction of the EPP;
(ii) authentic school settings in an accredited public
or private school;
(iii) instruction by content certified teachers;
(iv) actual students in classrooms/instructional settings
with identity-proof provisions;
(v) content or grade-level specific classrooms/instructional
settings; and
(vi) written reflection of the observation.
(C) Up to 15 clock-hours of field-based experience
may be satisfied by serving as a long-term substitute. A long-term
substitute is an individual who has been hired by a school or district
to work at least 30 consecutive days in an assignment as a classroom
teacher. Experience may occur after the candidate's admission to an
EPP or during the two years before the date the candidate is admitted
to the EPP. The candidate's experience in instructional or educational
activities must be documented by the EPP and must be obtained at a
public or private school accredited or approved for the purpose by
the TEA.
(2) For initial certification in the classroom teacher
certification class, each EPP shall also provide at least one of the
following.
(A) Clinical Teaching. A candidate must have a clinical
teaching assignment for each subject area in which the candidate is
seeking initial certification.
(i) For a candidate seeking initial certification in
only one subject area, the following provisions apply.
(I) Clinical teaching must meet one of the following
requirements:
(-a-) a minimum of 14 weeks (no fewer than 70 full
days), with a full day being 100% of the school day; or
(-b-) a minimum of 28 weeks (no fewer than 140 half
days), with a half day being 50% of the school day.
(II) A clinical teaching assignment as described in
subclause (I)(-a-) of this clause shall not be less than an average
of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level of certification
sought. The average includes intermissions and recesses but does not
include conference and duty-free lunch periods.
(ii) For a candidate seeking initial certification
in more than one subject area, the primary teaching assignment must
meet the requirements of clause (i)(I)(-a-) of this subparagraph.
Additional clinical teaching assignments in other subject areas may
be less than an average of four hours each day during the 14 weeks
of clinical teaching if:
(I) the primary assignment is not less than an average
of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level of certification
sought;
(II) the EPP is approved to offer preparation in the
certification category required for the additional assignment;
(III) the EPP provides ongoing support for each assignment
as prescribed in subsection (g) of this section;
(IV) the EPP provides coursework and training for each
assignment to adequately prepare the candidate to be effective in
the classroom; and
(V) the campus administrator agrees to assign a qualified
cooperating teacher appropriate to each assignment.
(iii) Clinical teaching is successful when the candidate
demonstrates proficiency in each of the educator standards for the
assignment and the field supervisor and cooperating teacher recommend
to the EPP that the candidate should be recommended for a standard
certificate. If either the field supervisor or cooperating teacher
do not recommend that the candidate should be recommended for a standard
certificate, the person who does not recommend the candidate must
provide documentation supporting the lack of recommendation to the
candidate and either the field supervisor or cooperating teacher.
(iv) An EPP may permit a full day clinical teaching
assignment up to 5 full days fewer than the minimum and a half day
clinical teaching assignment up to 10 half days fewer than the minimum
if due to maternity leave, military leave, illness, or bereavement.
(B) Internship. An internship must be for a minimum
of one full school year for the classroom teacher assignment or assignments
that match the certification category or categories for which the
candidate is prepared by the EPP.
(i) An EPP may permit an internship of up to 30 school
days fewer than the minimum if due to maternity leave, military leave,
illness, bereavement, or if the late hire date is after the first
day of the school year.
(ii) The beginning date for an internship for the purpose
of field supervision is the first day of instruction with students
in the school or district in which the internship takes place.
(iii) An internship assignment shall not be less than
an average of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level
of certification sought. The average includes intermissions and recesses
but does not include conference and duty-free lunch periods. An EPP
may permit an additional internship assignment of less than an average
of four hours each day if:
(I) the primary assignment is not less than an average
of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level of certification
sought;
(II) the EPP is approved to offer preparation in the
certification category required for the additional assignment;
(III) the EPP provides ongoing support for each assignment
as prescribed in subsection (g) of this section;
(IV) the EPP provides coursework and training for each
assignment to adequately prepare the candidate to be effective in
the classroom; and
(V) the employing school or district notifies the candidate
and the EPP in writing that an assignment of less than four hours
will be required.
Cont'd... |
