1. (a) Coursework and/or Training for Candidates Seeking Initial Certification.

   1. (1) An educator preparation program shall provide coursework and/or training to ensure the educator is effective in the classroom.
   2. (2) Professional development should be sustained, intensive, and classroom focused.

   3. (3) An educator preparation program shall provide each candidate with a minimum of 300 clock-hours of coursework and/or training that includes the following:

      1. (A) 30 clock-hours of field-based experience to be completed prior to student teaching, clinical teaching, or internship. Up to 15 clock-hours of field-based experience may be provided by use of electronic transmission, or other video or technology-based method. Use of technology must integrate the following:

         1. (i) authentic classrooms in a public school accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or TEA-recognized private school;
         2. (ii) instruction by content certified teachers;
         3. (iii) actual students in classrooms with identity proof provisions;
         4. (iv) content or grade level specific classrooms;
         5. (v) variable time length of observation; and
         6. (vi) reflection of the observation;
      2. (B) 80 clock-hours of training prior to student teaching, clinical teaching, or internship; and
      3. (C) six clock-hours of test preparation.
   4. (4) All coursework and training shall be completed prior to educator preparation program completion and standard certification.
   5. (5) With appropriate documentation, 50 clock-hours of training may be provided by a school district and/or campus that is an approved TEA continuing professional education provider.
   6. (6) Each educator preparation program must develop and implement specific criteria and procedures that allow candidates to substitute experience and/or professional training directly related to the certificate being sought for part of the educator preparation requirements.
2. (b) Coursework and/or Training for Professional Certification (i.e. superintendent, principal, school counselor, school librarian, educational diagnostician, reading specialist, and/or master teacher). An educator preparation program shall provide coursework and/or training to ensure that the educator is effective in the professional assignment. An educator preparation program shall provide a candidate with a minimum of 200 clock-hours of coursework and/or training that is directly aligned to the state standards for the applicable certification field.

3. (c) Late Hires. A late hire for a teaching position shall complete 30 clock-hours of field-based experience as well as 80 clock-hours of initial training within 90 school days of assignment. Up to 15 clock-hours of field-based experience may be provided by use of electronic transmission, or other video or technology-based method. Use of technology must integrate the following:

   1. (1) authentic classrooms in a public school accredited by the TEA or TEA-recognized private school;
   2. (2) instruction by content certified teachers;
   3. (3) actual students in classrooms with identity proof provisions;
   4. (4) content or grade level specific classrooms;
   5. (5) variable time length of observation; and
   6. (6) reflection of the observation.

4. (d) Educator Preparation Program Delivery. An educator preparation entity shall provide evidence of on-going and relevant field-based experiences throughout the educator preparation program, as determined by the advisory committee as specified in §228.20 of this title (relating to Governance of Educator Preparation Programs), in a variety of educational settings with diverse student populations, including observation, modeling, and demonstration of effective practices to improve student learning.

   1. (1) For initial certification, each educator preparation program shall provide field-based experience, as defined in §228.2 of this title (relating to Definitions), for a minimum of 30 clock-hours. The field-based experience must be completed prior to assignment in an internship, student teaching, clinical teaching, or practicum. Up to 15 clock-hours of field-based experience may be provided by use of electronic transmission, or other video or technology-based method. Use of technology must integrate the following:

      1. (A) authentic classrooms in a public school accredited by the TEA or TEA-recognized private school;
      2. (B) instruction by content certified teachers;
      3. (C) actual students in classrooms with identity proof provisions;
      4. (D) content or grade level specific classrooms;
      5. (E) variable time length of observation; and
      6. (F) reflection of the observation.

   2. (2) For initial certification, each educator preparation program shall also provide one of the following:

      1. (A) student teaching, as defined in §228.2 of this title, for a minimum of 12 weeks;
      2. (B) clinical teaching, as defined in §228.2 of this title, for a minimum of 12 weeks; or

      3. (C) internship, as defined in §228.2 of this title, for a minimum of one academic year (or 180 school days) for the assignment that matches the certification field for which the individual is accepted into the educator preparation program. The individual would hold a probationary certificate and be classified as a "teacher" as reported on the campus Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) data. An educator preparation program may permit an internship of up to 30 school days less than the minimum if due to maternity leave, military leave, illness, or late hire date.

         1. (i) An internship, student teaching, or clinical teaching for an Early Childhood-Grade 4 and Early Childhood-Grade 6 candidate may be completed at a Head Start Program with the following stipulations:

            1. (I) the Head Start program is participating in either the School Readiness Integration (SRI) or the Texas Early Education Model (TEEM);
            2. (II) a certified teacher is available as a trained mentor;
            3. (III) the Head Start program is affiliated with a public school accredited by the TEA;
            4. (IV) the Head Start program teaches three and four-year-old students; and
            5. (V) the state's pre-kindergarten curriculum guidelines are being implemented.
         2. (ii) An internship, student teaching, or clinical teaching experience may not be held in a distance learning lab setting.
   3. (3) For candidates seeking professional certification as a superintendent, principal, school counselor, school librarian, or an educational diagnostician, each educator preparation program shall provide a practicum, as defined in §228.2 of this title, for a minimum of 160 clock-hours.
5. (e) Campus Mentors and Cooperating Teachers. In order to support a new educator and to increase teacher retention, an educator preparation program shall collaborate with the campus administrator to assign each candidate a campus mentor during his or her internship or assign a cooperating teacher during the candidate's student teaching or clinical teaching experience. The educator preparation program is responsible for providing mentor and/or cooperating teacher training that relies on scientifically-based research, but the program may allow the training to be provided by a school district, if properly documented.
6. (f) On-Going Educator Preparation Program Support. Supervision of each candidate shall be conducted with the structured guidance and regular ongoing support of an experienced educator who has been trained as a field supervisor. The initial contact with the assigned candidate must occur within the first three weeks of assignment. The program must provide a minimum of two formal observations during the first semester and one formal observation during the second semester. Each observation must be at least 45 minutes in duration and must be conducted by the field supervisor. The first observation must occur within the first six weeks of assignment. The field supervisor shall document instructional practices observed, provide written feedback through an interactive conference with the candidate, and provide a copy of the written feedback to the candidate's campus administrator. Informal observations and coaching shall be provided by the field supervisor as appropriate.

Source Note:The provisions of this §228.35 adopted to be effective December 14, 2008, 33 TexReg 10016.