Part 7.
STATE BOARD FOR EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION
Chapter 230.
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR PREPARATION AND CERTIFICATION
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) proposes amendments
to Subchapter S, §§230.551 - 230.555, 230.559, 230.560 and the repeal
of §§230.556-230.558, concerning Educational Aide Certificate. The
title of Subchapter S is amended from "Paraprofessional Certification" to
" Educational Aide Certificate". The SBEC also proposes an amendment to Subchapter
U, §230.601, concerning Assignment of Public School Personnel. The SBEC
also proposes amendments to Subchapter Y, §230.801, concerning Definitions.
The proposed amendments and repeals are necessary to accomplish the following:
Remove the Educational Secretary Certificate from the inventory of available
certificates.
Delete the requirements for assignment to the position of educational secretary.
Remove the educational secretary from the list of positions defining an
educator.
Make applicants for the educational aide certificate subject to the same
general requirements for issuance of a certificate as all other educators.
The effect of the proposed amendments will be to eliminate certification
for educational secretaries.
The Texas Education Code authorizes the Board to certify public school
educators. Since educational secretaries are not educators, the Board has
no authority to certify educational secretaries.
SBEC will no longer issue certificates for educational secretaries. Individuals
already certified as educational secretaries will keep their certificates,
but the certificates will no longer be necessary for employment as an educational
secretary.
In formulating these amendments, the Board considered the recommendations
of its Advisory Committee on Educator Certificates, which recommended elimination
of educational secretary certificates. Before the rule was proposed, the Board
considered to the public testimony of representatives of the Texas Educational
Secretaries Association (TESA), which favored continued certification of educational
secretaries. But in reviewing the relevant provisions of the Education Code,
the Board decided SBEC lacked proper authority to regulate educational secretaries.
Barry Alaimo, Director of Administrative and Financial Operations, SBEC,
has determined that for the first five-year period the rules are in effect
there will be no new fiscal implications as a result of enforcing or administering
the rules as proposed. Based on the $30 fee collected for issuance of the
Educational Secretary certificate, the Board generated approximately $168,270
in fee revenue (5,609 certificates) between September 1, 1997, and August
31, 1998.
Mr. Alaimo also has determined that for each year of the first five years
the rules are in effect the benefit to the public of not requiring educational
secretaries to be certified is increased administrative efficiency and flexibility
in selection and assignment of such personnel by local school officials. The
Board will comply with its statutory authority to regulate only educators.
District will be free to establish qualifications for educational secretaries
that meet individual district needs. Individuals serving in those positions
will save the $30 application fee.
Comments on the proposals may be submitted to Dan Junell, General Counsel,
State Board for Educator Certification, 1001 Trinity Street, Austin, Texas,
78701-2603.
EDUCATIONAL AIDE CERTIFICATE
[
Subchapter S. 19 TAC §§230.551 - 230.555, 230.559, 230.560
The amendments are proposed under Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.041(b)(2),
which requires the State Board for Educator Certification to propose rules
that specify the classes of certificates offered.
No other statutes, articles or codes are affected by the proposed amendments.
§230.551.Policy.
Each person employed in Texas public schools as an educational aide
[
§230.552.Procedures in General.
(a)
School district administrators have the authority and responsibility
to determine the number of
educational aides
[
[(b)
All paraprofessional certificates shall
be permanent.]
(b)
[
(1)
a
[
(2)
the designated fee.
(c)
[
(d)
An applicant for an educational aide certificate
is subject to the provisions in §230.413(b)(1)-(5) of this chapter (relating
to General Requirements).
§230.553.Certification Requirements for Educational Aide I.
An applicant for an educational aide I certificate shall:
(1)
be a high school graduate or hold a general education diploma
(GED) certificate;
and
(2)
have experience working with students or parents as
approved by the employing superintendent. Experience may be work in church
related schools, day camps, youth groups, private schools, licensed day-care
centers, or similar experience
.
[
[(3)
be recommended by the employing
superintendent.]
§230.554.Certification Requirements for Educational Aide II.
An applicant for an educational aide II certificate shall:
(1)
be a high school graduate or hold a general education diploma
(GED) certificate;
(2)
have satisfied one of the following requirements:
(A)
have two creditable years of experience, as defined in
Subchapter Y of this chapter (relating to Definitions), as an educational
aide I; or
(B)
have a minimum of 15 semester hours of college credit with
some emphasis on child growth and development or related subject areas; or
(C)
have demonstrated proficiency in a specialized skill area
as determined by the local school district;
and
(3)
have experience working with students or parents
as approved by the employing superintendent
.
[
[(4)
be recommended by the employing
superintendent.]
§230.555.Certification Requirements for Educational Aide III.
An applicant for an educational aide III certificate shall:
(1)
be a high school graduate or hold a general education diploma
(GED) certificate;
(2)
have satisfied one of the following requirements:
(A)
have three creditable years of experience, as defined in
Subchapter Y of this Chapter (relating to Definitions), as either an educational
aide I or II; or
(B)
have 30 semester hours of college credit with some emphasis
on child growth and development or related subject areas;
and
(3)
have experience working with students or parents
as approved by the employing superintendent
.
[
[(4)
be recommended by the employing
superintendent]
§230.559.Assignments in Specialized Areas.
Each person employed as
an educational aide must
[
§230.560.Role Descriptions.
School districts shall use the following guidelines to assign educational
aides [
(1)
An educational aide I: is assigned and performs routine
tasks under the direction and supervision of a certified teacher or teaching
team; releases the teacher from routine tasks and participates in selecting,
planning, organizing, and evaluating; helps the teacher with clerical operations;
helps the teacher supervise students in routine movement from one recreational
activity to another; helps supervise the playground, bus, and lunchroom; helps
the teacher prepare and use instructional media; duplicates instructional
materials for teachers; performs classroom clerical operations under the supervision
of a certified teacher; or performs equivalent activities determined by the
local school district.
(2)
An educational aide II: is assigned and performs tasks
under the general supervision of a certified teacher or teaching team; releases
the teacher from routine tasks and participates in selecting, planning, organizing,
and evaluating; helps the teacher prepare and use instructional materials;
conducts drills and exercises as directed by the teacher; helps administer
and score objective measurement instruments; helps the teacher work with individual
students and groups; duplicates materials; records grades and attendance;
prepares instructional aids, including displays and mockups; assists with
play area activities; helps operate and use educational media; assists with
testing routines; works with individual students in drills and exercises;
conducts group drills and exercises; assists students with programmed or precise
units of instruction; or performs equivalent activities determined by the
local school district.
(3)
An educational aide III: performs and assumes responsibility
for tasks under the general guidance of a certified teacher or teaching team;
releases the teacher from routine tasks and participates in selecting, planning,
organizing, and evaluating; helps the teacher implement methodology and use
instructional media to yield an educational environment for all students;
assists the teacher with instructional activities; works with individuals
or groups of students in a variety of educational experiences; relieves the
teacher of selected exercises and instructional drills with students; or performs
equivalent activities determined by the local school district.
[(4)
An educational secretary I: performs
assigned routine clerical tasks under the direction and supervision of professional
staff; performs general office tasks such as routine filing; as directed,
maintains records, such as attendance, student transcripts, reports, stencils,
letters, and documents; operates office equipment; issues consumable teaching
and office supplies; maintains supply inventory; performs other duties as
assigned at the file clerk level; or performs equivalent activities determined
by the local school district.]
[(5)
An educational secretary II: performs
assigned clerical tasks under the general supervision of professional personnel;
performs tasks such as the functions of an educational secretary I; takes
dictation in shorthand or other forms of speedwriting; operates electronic
transcription equipment; schedules appointments, conferences, and interviews;
assumes some limited supervisory functions; performs other duties assigned
at this level, such as bookkeeping operations; or performs equivalent activities
determined by the local school district.]
[(6)
An educational secretary III: under
the general guidance of professional personnel, performs and assumes responsibility
for clerical/secretarial tasks, including preparation of correspondence, reports,
requisitions, and administration and district calendars; makes routine decisions
according to established priorities and policies; accepts responsibility for
making office reports and supervising the office operations; is capable of
fulfilling the functions of an educational secretary I and II; performs other
duties assigned at the level of an educational secretary III, which may include
establishing and maintaining fiscal accounts, maintaining payroll, and attending
to insurance matters; operates technical business machines; or performs equivalent
activities determined by the local school district.]
This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been
reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority
to adopt.
Filed with the Office of
the Secretary of State, on January 14, 2000.
TRD-200000255
Pamela B. Tackett
Executive Director
State Board for Educator Certification
Earliest possible date of adoption: February 27, 2000
For further information, please call: (512) 469-3011
19 TAC §230.556 - 230.558
(Editor's note: The text of the following sections proposed for
repeal will not be published. The sections may be examined in the offices
of the State Board for Educator Certification or in the Texas Register office,
Room 245, James Earl Rudder Building, 1019 Brazos Street, Austin.)
The repeals are proposed under Texas Education Code
(TEC), §21.041(b)(2), which requires the State Board for Educator Certification
to propose rules that specify the classes of certificates offered.
No other statutes, articles or codes are affected by the proposed repeals.
§230.556.Certification Requirements for Educational Secretary I.
§230.557.Certification Requirements for Educational Secretary II.
§230.558.Certification Requirements for Educational Secretary III.
This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been
reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority
to adopt.
Filed
with the Office of the Secretary of State, on January 14, 2000.
TRD-200000256
Pamela B. Tackett
Executive Director
State Board for Educator Certification
Earliest possible date of adoption: February 27, 2000
For further information, please call: (512) 469-3011
PARAPROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
]
or educational secretary
] must be certified according to [
the certification
] requirements [
or standards for each position
] established by the State Board for Educator Certification.
paraprofessionals
] and level of job performance desired for the operation of the school
district's program. They are also responsible for preparing accurate job descriptions
for each assignment, classifying each assignment, and filling these assignments
with
individuals certified
[
qualified personnel
] according
to this subchapter.
(c)
] An appropriate certificate
shall be issued to a qualified individual who is recommended by
the
[
an
] employing superintendent or
designee and who meets the
requirement of this subchapter
[
other authorized representative
of the district
] . The school district shall submit the following materials
to the SBEC:
an accurately
] completed application
and recommendation for an educational aide
certificate
[
or
educational secretary
] ; and
(d)
] An individual with [
paraprofessional
] experience in other states must have that experience verified on a
teacher service record when he or she is employed in a Texas school district.
; and
]
; and
]
; and
]
a paraprofessional shall be required to
] hold
an educational aide
[
a paraprofessional
] certificate.
An educational aide
[
A paraprofessional
] assigned to a specialized area, such
as vocational education, special education, and title programs, shall meet
the eligibility requirements assigned to that area; however, no certification
beyond
an educational aide
[
a paraprofessional
] certificate
will be required for assignment in a specialized area.
and secretaries
].
Subchapter U. ASSIGNMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL PERSONNEL