In addition to terms defined in Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.901, the following words, terms, and phrases shall have the following meanings when used in this subchapter.

1. (1) Beginning teacher--A classroom teacher in Texas with fewer than two years of teaching experience in the subject or grade level to which the teacher is assigned.

2. (2) Charter school--A Texas public school that meets one of the following criteria:

   1. (A) is operated by a charter holder under an open-enrollment charter granted either by the State Board of Education or commissioner of education pursuant to TEC, §12.101, identified with its own county district number;
   2. (B) has a charter granted under TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter C;
   3. (C) has a charter granted under TEC, §12.256, and Human Resources Code, §221.002; or
   4. (D) has a charter granted under TEC, §11.157(b).
3. (3) Classroom teacher--An educator who is employed by a school system in Texas and who, not fewer than an average of four hours each day, teaches in an academic instructional setting or a career and technical instructional setting. The term does not include a teacher's aide or a full-time administrator. For purposes of this subchapter, a classroom teacher includes an educator who may not yet hold a certificate issued under TEC, Chapter 21, Subchapter B.
4. (4) Clinical teaching--This term has the meaning assigned in §228.2 of this title (relating to Definitions).
5. (5) Cooperating teacher--This term has the meaning assigned in TEC, §21.901(3), and further defined in §228.2 of this title.
6. (6) Co-teaching--This term has the meaning assigned in §228.2 of this title.
7. (7) Educator preparation program--This term has the meaning assigned in §228.2 of this title.
8. (8) Full-time mentor teacher--A mentor teacher whose primary role is supporting the development of beginning teachers through mentorship.
9. (9) Host teacher--This term has the meaning assigned in §228.2 of this title. A host teacher will serve in lieu of a cooperating teacher in the supervision of teacher residents.
10. (10) Instructional support--The range of opportunities in which an individual teacher candidate is actively supporting learners to acquire knowledge and develop skills to achieve learning goals. Settings for these activities may include, but are not limited to, co-teaching with a cooperating teacher within a classroom, research-based tutoring, and 1-1 or small group interventions.
11. (11) Internship--This term has the meaning assigned in §228.2 of this title.
12. (12) Mentor teacher--An individual who serves or has served as a teacher in Texas who provides effective support to help beginning teachers successfully transition into the teaching assignment. An appraiser, as defined by TEC, §21.351, may serve as a mentor teacher but may not mentor a classroom teacher for whom they are responsible for appraising.
13. (13) Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership (PREP) program--One of the five PREP programs under TEC, §§21.903-21.907 and 48.157.
14. (14) Preservice program--One of the three PREP programs under TEC, §§21.904-21.906, that includes a partnership between a school district or eligible charter school and an eligible educator preparation program.
15. (15) Reduced teaching load--Rostering and scheduling strategies that reduce the number of instructional periods assigned to classroom teachers, achieved through methods such as reducing the number of sections assigned to the classroom teacher, increasing the number of students in certain sections to enable release time, hiring additional staff, or other strategic staffing approaches.
16. (16) Release time--Periods of time within the regularly contracted school day in which classroom teachers, teacher candidates, and educational aides are released from direct instructional activities or responsibilities supervising students, such as arrival and dismissal duties, to engage in required activities for their roles.
17. (17) School system--A school district or charter school.
18. (18) Strategic staffing--For the purpose of the PREP programs described in this subchapter, the process by which a school system and an education preparation program design and implement a paid clinical teacher experience that is sustainably funded by reallocating school district resources to compensate teacher candidates who take on additional instructional responsibilities on the campus, such as tutoring, substitute teaching, or providing release time for lead teachers, while completing their clinical teaching requirements.
19. (19) Teacher--A superintendent, principal, supervisor, classroom teacher, school counselor, or other school district or charter school employee who provides direct instructional support to other teachers.
20. (20) Teacher candidate--This term has the meaning assigned in TEC, §21.901(8).
21. (21) Teacher of record--This term has the meaning assigned in §228.2 of this title.

Source Note:The provisions of this §153.1301 adopted to be effective May 17, 2026, 51 TexReg 3129.