The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall
have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
(1)Academic year--If not referring to the academic
year of a particular public, private, or charter school or institution
of higher education, September 1 through August 31.
(2)Accredited institution of higher
education--An institution of higher education that, at the time it
conferred the degree, was accredited or otherwise approved by an accrediting
organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board.
(3)[(2)] Alternative certification
program--An approved educator preparation program, delivered by entities
described in §228.20(a) of this title (relating to Governance
of Educator Preparation Programs), specifically designed as an alternative
to a traditional undergraduate certification program, for individuals
already holding at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited
institution of higher education.
(4)Benchmarks--A record similar to
a transcript for each candidate enrolled in an educator preparation
program documenting the completion of admission, program, certification,
and other requirements.
(5)[(3)] Candidate--An individual
who has been formally or contingently admitted into an
educator preparation program[, including an individual who has
been accepted on a contingency basis]; also referred to as an
enrollee or participant.
(6)Certification category--A certificate
type within a certification class; also known as certification field.
(7)Certification class--A certificate,
as described in §230.33 of this title (relating to Classes of
Certificates), that has defined characteristics; also known as certification
field.
(8)Classroom teacher--An educator
who is employed by a school or district and who, not less than an
average of four hours each day, teaches in an academic instructional
setting or a career and technical instructional setting. This term
does not include an educational aide or a full-time administrator.
(9)[(4)] Clinical teaching--A
supervised [minimum 12-week, full-day or 24-week, half-day]
educator assignment through an educator preparation program at a public
school accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or other school
approved by the TEA for this purpose that may lead to completion of
a standard certificate; also referred to as student teaching.
(10)[(5)] Clock-hours--The actual
number of hours of coursework or training provided; for purposes of
calculating the training and coursework required by this chapter,
one semester credit hour at an accredited institution of higher
education [university] is equivalent to 15 clock-hours.
Clock-hours of field-based experiences, clinical teaching, internship,
and practicum are actual hours spent in the required educational activities
and experiences.
(11)Contingency admission--Admission
as described in §227.15 of this title (relating to Contingency
Admission).
(12)[(6)] Cooperating teacher--
For a clinical teacher candidate, an educator who is collaboratively
assigned by the educator preparation program (EPP) and campus administrator;
who has at least three years of teaching experience; who is an accomplished
educator as shown by student learning; who has completed cooperating
teacher training by the EPP prior to being assigned to a clinical
teacher; who is currently certified in the certification category
for the clinical teaching assignment for which the clinical teacher
candidate is seeking certification; who guides, assists, and supports
the candidate during the candidate's clinical teaching in areas such
as planning, classroom management, instruction, assessment, working
with parents, obtaining materials, district policies; and who reports
the candidate's progress to that candidate's field supervisor. [
The campus-based mentor teacher for the clinical teacher.]
(13)[(7)] Educator preparation
program--An entity that must be approved by the State Board for Educator
Certification to recommend candidates in one or more educator certification
classes [fields].
(14)[(8)] Entity--The legal
entity that is approved to deliver an educator preparation program.
(15)[(9)] Field-based experiences--Introductory
experiences for a classroom teacher certification candidate
involving , at the minimum, reflective observation of Early
Childhood-Grade 12 students, teachers, and faculty/staff members engaging
in educational activities in a school setting.
(16)[(10)] Field supervisor--A
currently certified educator, hired by the educator preparation program,
who preferably has advanced credentials, to observe candidates, monitor
their performance, and provide constructive feedback to improve their
effectiveness as educators. A field supervisor shall have at
least three years of experience and current certification in the class
in which supervision is provided. A field supervisor shall be an accomplished
educator as shown by student learning. A field supervisor with experience
as a principal and who holds a current certificate that is appropriate
for a principal assignment may supervise principal, classroom teacher,
master teacher, and reading specialist candidates. A field supervisor
with experience as a superintendent and who holds a current certificate
that is appropriate for a superintendent assignment may supervise
superintendent, principal, classroom teacher, master teacher, and
reading specialist candidates. If an individual is not currently certified,
an individual must hold at least a master's degree in the academic
area or field related to the certification class for which supervision
is being provided and comply with the same number, content, and type
of continuing professional education requirements described in §232.11
of this title (relating to Number and Content of Required Continuing
Professional Education Hours), §232.13 of this title (relating
to Number of Required Continuing Professional Education Hours by Classes
of Certificates), and §232.15 of this title (relating to Types
of Acceptable Continuing Professional Education Activities). A mentor,
cooperating teacher, or site supervisor, assigned as required by §228.35(e)
of this title (relating to Preparation Program Coursework and/or Training),
may not also serve as a candidate's field supervisor. A field supervisor
shall not be employed by the same school where the candidate being
supervised is completing his or her clinical teaching, internship,
or practicum.
(17)Formal admission--Admission as
described in §227.17 of this title (relating to Formal Admission).
(18)[(11)] Head Start Program--The
federal program established under the Head Start Act (42 United States
Code, §9801 et seq.) and its subsequent amendments.
(19)Initial certification--The first
Texas certificate in a class of certificate issued to an individual
based on participation in an approved educator preparation program.
(20)Intern certificate--A type of
certificate as specified in §230.36 of this title (relating to
Intern Certificates) that is issued to a candidate who has pass all
required content certification examinations and is completing initial
requirements for certification through an approved educator preparation
program.
(21)[(12)] Internship--A paid supervised
classroom teacher[, full-time educator] assignment
for one full school year at a public school accredited by the Texas
Education Agency (TEA) or other school approved by the TEA for this
purpose that may lead to completion of a standard certificate. An
internship is successful when the field supervisor and supervising
campus administrator recommend to the EPP that the candidate should
be recommended for a standard certificate.
(22)[(13)] Late hire--An individual
who has not been accepted into an educator preparation program before
July 10 [June 15] and who is hired for a teaching
assignment by a school after July 10 [June 15]
or after the school's academic year has begun.
(23)[(14)] Mentor--For an
internship candidate [a classroom teacher], an [
a certified] educator who is collaboratively assigned
by the campus administrator and the educator preparation program
(EPP); who has at least three years of teaching experience; who is
an accomplished educator as shown by student learning; who has
completed mentor training by an EPP prior to being assigned to
the intern; who is currently certified in the certification category
in which the internship candidate is seeking certification;
who guides, assists, and supports the candidate [teacher]
during the internship [his or her intern year]
in areas such as planning, classroom management, instruction, assessment,
working with parents, obtaining materials, district policies; and
who reports the candidate's [teacher's] progress
to that candidate's field supervisor [teacher's educator
preparation program].
(24)[(15)] Pedagogy--The art
and science of teaching, incorporating instructional methods that
are developed from scientifically-based research.
(25)[(16)] Post-baccalaureate
program--An [approved] educator preparation program ,
delivered by an accredited institution of higher education and approved
by the State Board for Educator Certification to recommend candidates
for certification, that is designed for individuals who already
hold at least a bachelor's degree and are seeking an additional
degree [that is approved by the State Board for Educator
Certification to recommend candidates for certification].
(26)[(17)] Practicum--A supervised
[professional] educator assignment at a public school accredited
by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or other school approved by the
TEA for this purpose that is in a school setting in the particular class
[field] for which a [professional] certificate
in a class other than classroom teacher is sought [such
as superintendent, principal, school counselor, school librarian,
educational diagnostician, reading specialist, and/or master teacher].
(27)Probationary certificate--A type
of certificate as specified in §230.37 of this title (relating
to Probationary Certificates) that is issued to a candidate who has
passed all required certification examinations and is completing requirements
for certification through an approved educator preparation program.
(28)School day--If not referring
to the school day of a particular public or private school, a school
day shall be at least seven hours (420 minutes) each day, including
intermissions and recesses.
(29)School year--If not referring
to the school year of a particular public or private school, a school
year shall provide at least 180 days (75,600 minutes) of instruction
for students.
[(18)Professional certification--Certification
for superintendent, principal, school counselor, school librarian,
educational diagnostician, reading specialist, and/or master teacher.]
(30)[(19)] Site supervisor--For
a practicum candidate, an [a certified]
educator who has at least three years of experience in
the aspect(s) of the [professional] certification class being
pursued by the candidate; who is collaboratively assigned by
the campus or district administrator and the educator preparation
program (EPP); who is currently certified in the certification class
in which the practicum candidate is seeking certification; who
has completed training by the EPP prior to being assigned to
a practicum candidate; who is an accomplished educator as shown by
student learning [or orientation for site supervision];
who guides, assists, and supports the candidate during the practicum;
and who reports the candidate's progress to the candidate's field
supervisor [educator preparation program].
[(20)Teacher of record--An educator
employed by a school district who teaches the majority of the instructional
day in an academic instructional setting and is responsible for evaluating
student achievement and assigning grades.]
(31)[(21)] Texas Education Agency
staff--Staff of the Texas Education Agency assigned by the commissioner
of education to perform the State Board for Educator Certification's
administrative functions and services.
(32)[(22)] Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS)--The kindergarten-Grade 12 [Kindergarten-Grade
12] state curriculum in Texas adopted by the State Board of
Education and used as the foundation of all state certification examinations.
The agency certifies that legal counsel
has reviewed the proposal and found it to be within the state agency's
legal authority to adopt.
Filed with the Office
of the Secretary of State on August 15, 2016
TRD-201604136 Cristina De La Fuente-Valadez
Director, Rulemaking, Texas Education
Agency
State Board for Educator Certification
Earliest possible date of adoption: September 25, 2016
For further information, please call: (512) 475-1497
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