(a)New entity approval [Entity Approval].
An entity seeking initial approval to deliver an educator preparation
program (EPP) shall submit an application and proposal with evidence
indicating the ability to comply with the provisions of this chapter
, [and] Chapter 227 of this title (relating to Provisions
for Educator Preparation Candidates), Chapter 229 of this title
(relating to Accountability System for Educator Preparation Programs),
and Chapter 230 of this title (relating to Professional Educator Preparation
and Certification). [The proposal shall include the following
program approval components: entity commitment to adequate preparation
of certification candidates, program standards, and community collaboration;
criteria for admission to an EPP; curriculum; program delivery and
evaluation; and a plan for ongoing support of the candidates. The
proposal must also identify the certificates proposed to be offered
by the entity and meet applicable federal statutes or regulations.]
The proposal will be reviewed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
staff and a pre-approval site visit will be conducted. The TEA staff
shall recommend to the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)
whether the entity should be approved. A post-approval site visit
will be conducted after the first year of the EPP's operation.
(1)The proposal shall include the
following program approval components:
(A)ownership and governance of the EPP;
(B)criteria for admission to the EPP;
(C)EPP curriculum;
(D)EPP coursework and/or training, including ongoing
support during clinical teaching, internship, and practicum experiences;
(E)certification procedures;
(F)assessment and evaluation of candidates for certification
and EPP improvement;
(G)professional conduct of EPP staff and candidates;
(H)EPP complaint procedures; and
(I)required submissions of information, surveys, and
other accountability data.
(2)The proposal shall also include
identification of the classes and categories of certificates proposed
to be offered by the entity.
(b)Continuing entity approval [Entity
Approval]. An entity approved by the SBEC under this chapter
shall be reviewed at least once every five years [under procedures
approved by the TEA staff]; however, a review may be conducted
at any time at the discretion of the TEA staff.
(1)At the time of the review, the entity
shall submit to the TEA staff [SBEC] a status
report regarding its compliance with existing standards and requirements
for EPPs . An EPP is responsible for establishing procedures
and practices sufficient to ensure the security of information against
unauthorized or accidental access, disclosure, modification, destruction,
or misuse prior to the expiration of the retention period. Evidence
of compliance is described in the figure provided in this paragraph [
and the entity's original proposal].
Attached Graphic
(2)Unless specified otherwise, the
entity must retain evidence of compliance described in the figure
in paragraph (1) of this subsection for a period of five years.
(3)TEA staff shall, at the minimum,
use the following risk factors to determine the need for discretionary
reviews and the type of five-year reviews:
(A)a history of the program's compliance with state
law and board rules, standards, and procedures, with consideration
given to:
(i)the seriousness of any violation of a rule, standard,
or procedure;
(ii)whether the violation resulted in an action being
taken against the program;
(iii)whether the violation was promptly remedied by
the program;
(iv)the number of alleged violations; and
(v)any other matter considered to be appropriate in
evaluating the program's compliance history;
(B)whether the program meets the accountability standards
under Texas Education Code, §21.045; and
(C)whether a program is accredited by other organizations.
(c)Approval of clinical teaching [Clinical
Teaching] for an alternative certification program [
Alternative Certification Program]. An alternative certification
program seeking approval to implement a clinical teaching component
shall submit a description of the following elements of the program
for approval by the TEA staff on an application in a form developed
by the TEA staff that shall include, at a minimum:
(1)general clinical teaching program description,
including conditions under which clinical teaching may be implemented;
(2)selection criteria for clinical teachers;
(3)selection criteria for cooperating [mentor
] teachers;
(4)description of support and communication between
candidates, cooperating teachers [mentors],
and the alternative certification program;
(5)description of program supervision; and
(6)description of how candidates are evaluated.
(d)Addition of certificate categories and classes [
Certificate Fields].
(1)An EPP that is rated "accredited," as provided
in §229.4 of this title (relating to Determination of Accreditation
Status), may request additional certificate categories [fields
] be approved by TEA staff, by submitting an application
in a form developed by the TEA staff that shall include, at a minimum, the
curriculum matrix; a description of how the standards for Texas educators
are incorporated into the EPP; and documentation showing that the
program has the staff knowledge and expertise to support individuals
participating in each certification category [field]
being requested. The curriculum matrix must include the standards,
framework competencies, applicable Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills,
course and/or module names, and the benchmarks or assessments used
to measure successful program progress.
(2)An EPP rated "accredited" [
," as provided in §229.4 of this title,] and currently
approved to offer a [content area] certificate for which
the SBEC is changing the grade level of the certificate may request
to offer the preapproved category [content field]
at different grade levels by submitting an application in a form
developed by the TEA staff that shall include, at a minimum, a
modified curriculum matrix that includes the standards, course and/or
module names, and the benchmarks or assessments used to measure successful
program progress. The requested additional certificate categories [
fields] must be within the classes of certificates for which
the EPP has been previously approved by the SBEC.
(3)An EPP that is not rated "accredited"
may not apply to offer additional certificate categories [
fields] or classes of certificates.
(4)[(2)] An EPP that is rated
"accredited" may request the addition of [certificate fields
in] a certificate class [of certificates]
that has not been previously approved by the SBEC, but must present
a full proposal on an application in a form developed by the
TEA staff for consideration and approval by the SBEC.
(e)Addition of program locations [Program
Locations]. An EPP that is rated "accredited," [as provided
in §229.4 of this title,] may open additional locations,
provided the program informs the SBEC of any additional locations
at which the program is providing educator preparation 60 days prior
to providing educator preparation at the location. Additional program
locations must operate in accordance with the program components under
which the program has been approved to operate.
(f)Contingency of approval [Approval].
Approval of an EPP by the SBEC [or by the TEA staff], including
each specific certificate class and category [field],
is contingent upon approval by other lawfully established governing
bodies such as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, boards
of regents, or school district boards of trustees. Continuing EPP
approval is contingent upon compliance with superseding state and
federal law.
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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