1. (a) The educator preparation program (EPP) delivering educator preparation shall require the following minimum criteria of all applicants seeking initial certification in any class of certificate, unless specified otherwise, prior to admission to the program:

   1. (1) for an undergraduate university program, an applicant shall be enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education;
   2. (2) for an alternative certification program or post-baccalaureate program, an applicant shall have, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree earned from and conferred by an accredited institution of higher education;

   3. (3) for an undergraduate university program, alternative certification program, or post-baccalaureate program, to be eligible for admission, an applicant into an EPP shall have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 before admission.

      1. (A) The GPA shall be calculated as follows:

         1. (i) 2.5 on all coursework previously attempted by the person at an accredited institution of higher education:

            1. (I) at which the applicant is currently enrolled (undergraduate university program formal admission, alternative certification program contingency admission, or post-baccalaureate program contingency admission); or
            2. (II) from which the most recent bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education was conferred (alternative certification program formal admission or post-baccalaureate program formal admission); or

         2. (ii) 2.5 in the last 60 semester credit hours on all coursework previously attempted by the person at an accredited institution of higher education:

            1. (I) at which the applicant is currently enrolled (undergraduate university program formal admission, alternative certification program contingency admission, or post-baccalaureate program contingency admission); or
            2. (II) from which the most recent bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education was conferred (alternative certification program formal admission or post-baccalaureate program formal admission).

      2. (B) An exception to the minimum GPA requirement may be granted by the program director only in extraordinary circumstances and may not be used by a program to admit more than 10% of any incoming class of candidates. An applicant is eligible for this exception if:

         1. (i) documentation and certification from the program director that an applicant's work, business, or career experience demonstrates achievement equivalent to the academic achievement represented by the GPA requirement; and
         2. (ii) in accordance with the Texas Education Code, §21.0441(b), an applicant must perform at a satisfactory level on an appropriate content matter examination as specified in paragraph (4)(C) and (D) of this subsection for each subject in which the applicant seeks certification prior to admission. Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement and have previously been admitted into an EPP may request permission to register for an appropriate content matter examination as specified in paragraph (4)(D) of this subsection under procedures approved by Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff.
      3. (C) An applicant who is seeking a career and technical education (CTE) certificate that does not require a degree from an accredited institution of higher education is exempt from the minimum GPA requirement.

   4. (4) for an applicant who will be seeking an initial certificate in the classroom teacher class of certificate, the applicant shall have successfully completed, prior to admission, at least:

      1. (A) a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought, unless certification sought is for mathematics or science at or above Grade 7; or
      2. (B) 15 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought if the certification sought is for mathematics or science at or above Grade 7; or
      3. (C) a passing score on a comparable content certification examination administered by a vendor on the TEA-approved vendor list published by the commissioner of education on the TEA website for the calendar year during which the applicant seeks admission; or
      4. (D) for applicants who have not previously been admitted into an EPP, a passing score on a pre-admission content certification examination administered by a TEA-approved vendor. Applicants who have previously been admitted into an EPP may request permission to register for a pre-admission content examination under procedures approved by TEA staff;
   5. (5) demonstration of basic skills in reading, written communication, and mathematics by meeting one of the requirements established by §4.54 of this title (relating to Exemptions, Exceptions, and Waivers);
   6. (6) demonstration of the English language proficiency skills as specified in §230.11 of this title (relating to General Requirements). An applicant for CTE certification that does not require a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education may satisfy the English language proficiency requirement with an associate's degree or high school diploma that was earned at an accredited institution of higher education or an accredited high school in the United States;
   7. (7) an application and either an interview or other screening instrument to determine if the EPP applicant's knowledge, experience, skills, and aptitude are appropriate for the certification sought; and
   8. (8) any other academic criteria for admission that are published and applied consistently to all EPP applicants.
2. (b) An EPP may adopt requirements in addition to and that do not conflict with those explicitly required in this section.

3. (c) An EPP may not admit an applicant who:

   1. (1) has been reported as completing all EPP requirements by another EPP in the same certification field, unless the applicant only needs certification examination approval; or
   2. (2) has been employed for three years in a public school under a permit or probationary certificate as specified in Chapter 230, Subchapter D, of this title (relating to Types and Classes of Certificates Issued), unless the applicant is seeking clinical teaching that may lead to the issuance of an initial standard certificate.
4. (d) An EPP may admit an applicant for CTE certification who has met the experience and preparation requirements specified in Chapter 230 of this title (relating to Professional Educator Preparation and Certification) and Chapter 233 of this title (relating to Categories of Classroom Teaching Certificates).
5. (e) An EPP may admit an applicant who has met the minimum academic criteria through credentials from outside the United States that are determined to be equivalent to those required by this section using the procedures and standards specified in Chapter 245 of this title (relating to Certification of Educators from Other Countries).

Source Note:The provisions of this §227.10 adopted to be effective July 11, 1999, 24 TexReg 5011; amended to be effective December 14, 2008, 33 TexReg 10011; amended to be effective February 28, 2016, 41 TexReg 1238.