1. (a) Eligibility, application procedures, and approval processes.

   1. (1) In addition to school districts, charter schools as defined in §153.1301 of this subchapter (relating to Definitions), may apply to receive funding for the Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership (PREP) Program Allotment with the following provisions.

      1. (A) All preservice PREP programs under Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.902(a), must provide practice opportunities for teacher candidates in prekindergarten-Grade 12 classrooms. Charter schools with a charter granted under TEC, §12.256, and Human Resources Code, §221.002, are ineligible to receive funding under TEC, §48.157, for PREP preservice programs under TEC, §§21.903-21.905, or the PREP Grow Your Own Program under TEC, §21.906.
      2. (B) Charter schools with a charter granted under TEC, §12.256, and Human Resources Code, §221.002, are eligible to apply for the PREP Mentorship Program under TEC, §21.907.
      3. (C) Charter schools that have a charter granted under TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter C, are subject to the funding caps described in TEC, §48.157.
      4. (D) Charter schools that have a charter granted under TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter C, must have a written agreement with the partner school district to document how allotment funds generated through the partnership will be spent.

   2. (2) Annually, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will make publicly available an application and approval process for school systems to apply for PREP program funding under TEC, §§21.903-21.907 and 48.157.

      1. (A) Annually, TEA shall provide:

         1. (i) the timeline for application and approval; and
         2. (ii) statutorily based minimum requirements necessary for an application to be eligible for approval.
      2. (B) School systems must apply for approval separately for each PREP program under TEC, §§21.903-21.907. The approval of one PREP program does not guarantee approval of a separate PREP program.
      3. (C) If TEA determines that an initial application is incomplete, the application will not be approved for funding.
      4. (D) Applicants that are determined to meet the statutorily based minimum requirements shall be approved individually for each PREP program under TEC, §§21.903-21.907.
      5. (E) If a school system's application for a PREP program is denied, it may submit a written response or request for a second review within 30 days of TEA sending the school system its notification.

   3. (3) Annually, TEA will make publicly available a process through which school systems may apply for, add, or remove educator preparation program (EPP) and institution of higher education (IHE) partnerships to meet requirements under TEC, §§21.903-21.906.

      1. (A) Only approved partnerships will be able to generate allotment funding under TEC, §48.157.
      2. (B) Previously approved partnerships must adopt the State Board of Educator Certification-approved EPP content under §153.1306 of this subchapter (relating to Educator Preparation Program Training Content for Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership Preservice Programs) or will lose funding eligibility under TEC, §48.157.

2. (b) Funding and spending requirements.

   1. (1) State funding.

      1. (A) School systems will receive PREP Program Allotment funds based on information collected via TEA data systems. Any difference from the initial and final amount will be addressed as part of the Foundation School Program settle-up process according to the provisions in TEC, §48.272.
      2. (B) Annually, TEA will collect data on PREP program participants that will generate allotment funding under TEC, §48.157, and other related roles such as cooperating and mentor teachers. These data collections will include participant identification information in addition to campus and school system placements.
      3. (C) School systems shall annually verify and confirm teacher candidate and beginning teacher placements and corresponding allotments by the date communicated by TEA.
      4. (D) TEA may exercise administrative discretion to redirect or recalculate funds to a school system in which the teacher candidate is placed if a school system disputes Educator Certification Online System (ECOS) or Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) data. Disputes must be received by the dates communicated by TEA.
   2. (2) Spending. School systems must spend funding generated under TEC, §48.157, in accordance with the provisions under TEC, §§21.903-21.907, and the provisions within this subchapter.

3. (c) Program submissions.

   1. (1) Annually, unless otherwise specified by TEA, school systems shall complete a program submission for each of the PREP programs for which they receive funds under TEC, §48.157. This program submission shall include implementation data and the distribution of allotment funds from the previous school year in accordance with the funding and spending provisions under TEC, §§21.902-21.907 and 48.157, and this section.

      1. (A) School systems must establish local option codes to accurately monitor and report the appropriate distribution of allotment funds.
      2. (B) School system superintendents, chief financial officers, or other staff roles identified by TEA must certify that the information in the program submission is accurate to the best of their knowledge and complies with all applicable state and federal laws, including TEC, Chapter 39, Subchapter D.
      3. (C) The program submission must be submitted in a format prescribed by TEA and include the name and title of the certifying individual, date of certification, and statement of understanding that false certification may result in criminal penalties and/or referral to the State Board for Educator Certification for possible educator certificate sanctions.
   2. (2) Annually, unless otherwise specified by TEA, school systems must have program participants, determined by TEA and communicated annually by August 1 each year, such as teachers, campus principals, and human resources personnel, respond to surveys developed by TEA to gauge the perception of the school system's implementation of applicable PREP programs.
   3. (3) School systems shall provide TEA all other data and information requested on PREP program implementation per TEC, §21.902(c)(4) and §21.906(d)(5), or otherwise needed to implement periodic reviews under TEC, §21.909, and subsection (d) of this section. School systems shall submit this data in the format specified by TEA by the communicated deadline. These collections shall include, at minimum, evidence of implementation of written agreements with EPPs or IHEs under TEC, §21.902(c)(1) or §21.906(d)(3), and submission of data through systems such as ECOS and PEIMS for individuals that generate an allotment under TEC, §48.157.

4. (d) Periodic reviews.

   1. (1) Annually, or at any other time determined by TEA, TEA may engage in a review, pursuant to TEC, §48.272(e), and subject to the period of review limitation in TEC, §48.272(f), of a school system's approved PREP program.

   2. (2) Annually, TEA will review the school system's program submission.

      1. (A) If a school system's program submission under this subsection is incomplete, the commissioner:

         1. (i) may require the school system to complete the submission;
         2. (ii) may require the school system to develop and implement a PREP program improvement plan; or
         3. (iii) may partially or fully rescind the school system's current allotment under TEC, §48.157.

      2. (B) If a school system's program submission includes incorrect information, the commissioner:

         1. (i) may review a school system's PREP Program Allotment budgets and fiscal reports under TEC, §48.010, and in accordance with subsection (e) of this section;
         2. (ii) may take action under TEC, §48.270 and §44.051;
         3. (iii) may require the school system to develop and implement an improvement plan;
         4. (iv) may partially or fully rescind a school system's current allotment; or
         5. (v) may prohibit the school system from participating in a PREP program for a period not to exceed five years consistent with TEC, §21.909(c).

   3. (3) Every three years, TEA will review a school system's performance goal attainment according to the provisions for each of the PREP programs under this section and §153.1303 of this subchapter (relating to Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership Residency Preservice Program), §153.1304 of this subchapter (relating to Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership Grow Your Own Program), and §153.1305 of this subchapter (relating to Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership Mentorship Program). If, in reviewing one of the school system's PREP programs under TEC, §§21.903-21.907, the commissioner determines that the school system has failed to meet the performance goals established for a PREP program under this section and §§153.1303-153.1305 of this subchapter, the commissioner:

      1. (A) may require the school system to develop and implement a PREP program improvement plan;
      2. (B) may partially or fully rescind a school system's current allotment; and
      3. (C) shall prohibit the school system from participating in a PREP program for a period not to exceed five years consistent with TEC, §21.909(c).

5. (e) Renewals and withdrawals.

   1. (1) Annually, a school system that has been previously approved for funding for a PREP program and does not have a current prohibition on participation in a PREP program under subsection (d)(2)(B)(v) or (3)(A)(iii) of this section will automatically continue to generate an annual allotment under TEC, §48.157. School systems will not need to re-apply to receive year-over-year funding.
   2. (2) School systems may withdraw from participation in a PREP program according to the timelines and processes established by TEA and made publicly available annually by May 1 each year.

Source Note:The provisions of this §153.1302 adopted to be effective May 17, 2026, 51 TexReg 3129.