Texas Administrative Code › Title 19 - EDUCATION › Part 7 - STATE BOARD FOR EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION › Chapter 228 - REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS › Subchapter C - ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE OF EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS › Section 228.21 - Program Consolidation or Closure

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) An educator preparation program (EPP)
				  that is consolidating or closing, whether as an entire program or only for
				  specific individual certification categories or classes and whether voluntarily
				  or by order of the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), must comply
				  with the following procedures to ensure that all issues relevant to EPP
				  consolidation or closure have been addressed.
(1) The EPP shall submit a letter on official
				  letterhead to Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff signed by the legal authority
				  of the EPP that contains a formal statement of consolidation or closure with a
				  specified effective date for consolidation or closure at least 90 days and no
				  more than 270 days after the date of the letter.
(2) The legal authority of the EPP shall meet
				  with TEA staff weekly between the date of the notice letter required in
				  paragraph (1) of this subsection and the date of closure.
(3) The EPP shall contact the following types
				  of candidates, either in the entire program or in the impacted certification
				  category or class depending on the scope of the closure, with notification of
				  consolidation or closure and the steps candidates must take in relation to
				  their status, and shall maintain evidence of the attempts to notify each
				  candidate:
(A) currently enrolled
				  candidates;
(B) candidates who have
				  been enrolled within the previous five years; and
(C) completers within the previous five
				  years.
(4) The EPP shall
				  not admit candidates or recommend candidates for an intern or probationary
				  certificate within one year of its closure date.
(5) The EPP shall identify approved EPPs to
				  provide test approval and standard certification recommendations for completers
				  at the closing EPP.
(A) The closing EPP shall
				  provide its candidates with a list of approved EPPs that can continue to
				  support completers through test approval and standard certification.
(B) To expedite the candidates' transfer to
				  other programs, the closing EPP shall provide each candidate with appropriate
				  documentation, such as a transcript or transfer form, reflecting all program
				  requirements the candidate has met.
(6) For five years after an EPP's closure,
				  the EPP must identify and keep current a representative's name, electronic mail
				  address, and telephone number to provide access to candidate records and
				  responses to former candidate's questions and/or issues. If an EPP is
				  consolidating, the candidate records will transfer to the new EPP.
(7) The EPP must complete required SBEC and
				  TEA actions, including required submissions of information, surveys, and other
				  accountability data; removal of security accesses; reconciliation of
				  certification recommendations; and payment of the Accountability System for
				  Educator Preparation Programs technology fee as specified in §
											229.9 of this title (relating to
				  Fees for Educator Preparation Program Approval and
				  Accountability).