Texas Administrative Code › Title 19 - EDUCATION › Part 7 - STATE BOARD FOR EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION › Chapter 228 - REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS › Section 228.2 - Definitions

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
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) 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) Campus
				supervisor--A school administrator or designee responsible for the annual
				performance appraisal of an intern.
(6) Candidate--An individual who has been
				formally or contingently admitted into an educator preparation program; also
				referred to as an enrollee or participant.
(7) Candidate coach--A person as defined in
				§
									228.33(b)(1)-(3)
				 of this title (relating to Intensive
				Pre-Service) who participates in a minimum of four observation/feedback
				coaching cycles provided by program supervisors, completes a Texas Education
				Agency-approved observation training or has completed a minimum of 150 hours of
				observation/feedback training, and has current certification in the class in
				which supervision is provided.
(8)
				Certification category--A certificate type within a certification class, as
				described in Chapter 233 of this title (relating to Categories of Classroom
				Teaching Certificates).
(9)
				Certification class--A certificate, as described in §
									230.33 of
				this title (relating to Classes of Certificates), that has defined
				characteristics; may contain one or more certification categories, as described
				in Chapter 233 of this title.
(10)
				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.
(11) Clinical
				teaching--A supervised 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.
(12) 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 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.
(13) Contingency
				admission--Admission as described in §
									227.15 of
				this title (relating to Contingency Admission).
(14) 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, including
				training in how to coach and mentor teacher candidates, by the EPP within three
				weeks of 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.
(15) 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.
(16) Entity--The legal entity that is
				approved to deliver an educator preparation program.
(17) 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.
(18) 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 campus-level administrator
				and who holds a current certificate that is appropriate for a principal
				assignment may also supervise classroom teacher, master teacher, and reading
				specialist candidates. A field supervisor with experience as a district-level
				administrator and who holds a current certificate that is appropriate for a
				superintendent assignment may also supervise principal 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) and §
									232.15
				of this title (relating to Types of Acceptable Continuing Professional
				Education Activities). 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. A mentor, cooperating teacher, or site
				supervisor, assigned as required by §
									228.35(f)
				of this title (relating to Preparation Program Coursework and/or Training), may
				not also serve as a candidate's field supervisor.
(19) Formal admission--Admission as described
				in §
									227.17 of this
				title (relating to Formal Admission).
(20) Head Start Program--The federal program
				established under the Head Start Act (42 United States Code, §
										9801 et seq.) and its subsequent
				amendments.
(21) Initial
				certification--The first Texas certificate in a class of certificate issued to
				an individual based on participation in an approved educator preparation
				program.
(22) Intensive
				Pre-Service--An educator assignment supervised by an educator preparation
				program accredited and approved by the State Board for Educator Certification
				prior to a candidate meeting the requirements for issuance of intern and
				probationary certificates.
(23)
				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 passed all required content pedagogy certification examinations and is
				completing initial requirements for certification through an approved educator
				preparation program.
(24)
				Internship--A paid supervised classroom teacher 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.
(25) Late
				hire--An individual who has not been accepted into an educator preparation
				program before the 45th day before the first day of instruction and who is
				hired for a teaching assignment by a school after the 45th day before the first
				day of instruction or after the school's academic year has begun.
(26) Mentor--For an internship candidate, an
				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, including training in how to coach and mentor
				teacher candidates, by an EPP within three weeks of 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 during the internship 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.
(27)
				Pedagogy--The art and science of teaching, incorporating instructional methods
				that are developed from scientifically-based research.
(28) Post-baccalaureate program--An 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.
(29) Practicum--A supervised 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 for which a certificate in a class other than classroom
				teacher is sought.
(30)
				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.
(31) 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.
(32) 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.
(33) Site supervisor--For
				a practicum candidate, an educator who has at least three years of experience
				in the aspect(s) of the 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, including training in how to coach and
				mentor candidates, within three weeks of being assigned to a practicum
				candidate; who is an accomplished educator as shown by student learning; who
				guides, assists, and supports the candidate during the practicum; and who
				reports the candidate's progress to the candidate's field supervisor.
(34) Students with disabilities--A student
				who is eligible to participate in a school district's special education program
				under Texas Education Code, §
									29.003, is
				covered by Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
				Section 794) , or is covered by the
				Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
				Section 1400 et seq.).
(35) 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.
(36) Texas Essential
				Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)--The kindergarten-Grade 12 state curriculum in
				Texas adopted by the State Board of Education and used as the foundation of all
				state certification examinations.