1. (a) A teacher may be issued a visiting international teacher certificate valid for no more than three school years upon recommendation by a school district participating in an officially recognized foreign teacher exchange program. The program shall be based upon an agreement made between the State Board for Educator Certification and/or the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and a ministry of education in a foreign country.

2. (b) The visiting international teacher certificate will be issued to an individual who meets conditions and requirements presented in this subsection. The individual must:

   1. (1) meet appropriate requirements prescribed in §230.11 of this title (relating to General Requirements);
   2. (2) hold valid teaching credentials from the country of origin based, at a minimum, on the equivalent of a bachelor's degree issued by an institution of higher education in the United States accredited or otherwise approved by an accrediting organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
   3. (3) demonstrate English language proficiency;
   4. (4) have criminal activity clearance from country of origin;
   5. (5) demonstrate subject matter competence in subject area(s) taught, as defined by the TEA in compliance with federal requirements;
   6. (6) pay appropriate fee prescribed by §230.101 of this title (relating to Schedule of Fees for Certification Services); and
   7. (7) submit fingerprints in accordance with §232.35(c) of this title (relating to Submission of Required Information) and the Texas Education Code, §22.0831.
3. (c) Participating school districts agree to provide the visiting international teachers with intensive supervision consisting of structured guidance and regular ongoing support through a mentoring program.
4. (d) The TEA staff shall establish reasonable procedures to implement this section.

Source Note:The provisions of this §230.41 adopted to be effective August 12, 2012, 37 TexReg 5753.