19 TAC §§241.5, 241.10, 241.20, 241.25, 241.30, 241.40
On January 5, 2001, the State Board for Educator Certification
(SBEC) proposed amendments to 19 Texas Administrative Code §§241.5,
241.10, 241.20, 241.25, 241.30, and 241.40, relating to the standard principal
certificate.
These proposed amendments are designed to eliminate unnecessary barriers
to candidates seeking the standard principal certificate and to remove unduly
prescriptive language in the rules. The proposed amendments would remove unnecessarily
prescriptive language and allow preparation entities the full authority to
set admission criteria, assessments and benchmarks, and coursework and other
training for candidates for the standard principal certificate. These amendments
will make Chapter 241 consistent with the guidance contained in SBEC's rules
at 19 Texas Administrative Code Chapters 227 and 228, which generally governing
educator preparation programs. Deleting the requirement for employment on
a conditional certificate before receiving the standard certificate would
allow candidates to proceed to full certification more expeditiously without
unduly compromising their preparation. The proposed amendments allow candidates
to complete all requirements and then be recommended for the standard principal
certificate. In lieu of the conditional certificate, the amendments offer
guidance for school districts in establishing induction programs to help newly
certified principals succeed during their initial employment as such in Texas.
The induction program amendment would become effective September 1, 2002.
No fiscal impact is anticipated for the new standard principal certificate.
SBEC did not change the fee for issuing the principal certificate. There will
be no effect on state or local government.
Barry Alaimo, Director of Accounting and Financial Operations, was responsible
for preparing this fiscal-impact note.
The public would benefit from the revisions to the principal certification
rules by allowing certified principals to assume their duties more expeditiously
without unduly compromising their preparation. The public should incur no
additional costs as a result of the implementation of the proposed rules.
There will be no effect on small businesses.
Dan Junell, General Counsel, was responsible for preparing this public
benefits and costs note.
Interested persons wishing to comment on the proposed rules must submit
their comments in writing to Dan Junell, General Counsel, State Board for
Educator Certification, 1001 Trinity, Austin, Texas 78701-2603, within the
30-day comment period, which begins on the date of publication of this issue
of the
Texas Register
. The comments should
contain the following title or reference: "Comments on proposed amendments
to 19 TAC Chapter 241, relating to the standard principal certificate."
The amendments relating to the standard principal certificate
were proposed under the authority of the following sections of the Texas Education
Code: §21.040(4), which requires the Board to appoint for each class
of educator certificate an advisory committee composed of members of that
class to recommend standards for that class to the Board; §21.041(b)(2)-(4),
which requires the Board to specify the classes of certificates to be issued,
specify the period of validity for each class of educator certificate, and
specify requirements for the issuance and renewal of an educator certificate; §21.046,
which specify the minimum qualifications for certification as a principal;
and §21.054, which requires the Board to establish a process for identifying
continuing education courses and programs that fulfill continuing education
requirements, including an individual assessment of a principal's knowledge,
skills, and proficiencies.
No other statute, code, or article is affected by these proposed amendments.
§241.5.Minimum Requirements for Admission to a Principal Preparation Program.
(a)
Prior to admission to a preparation program leading to
the Principal Certificate, an individual must[
:
]
[
(1)
]
hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited
institution of higher education
.
[
;
]
[
(2)
demonstrate an acceptable
combination of a score on a nationally-normed assessment and grade point average,
as determined by the preparation program.]
(b)
Preparation programs may adopt requirements for admission
in addition to those required in subsection (a) of this section
(c)
The entity shall implement
procedures that include screening activities to determine the candidate's
appropriateness for the Principal Certificate.
(d)
[
(c)
] Each preparation program must
develop and implement specific criteria and procedures that allow admitted
individuals to substitute experience and/or professional training directly
related to the standards identified in §241.15 of this title (relating
to Standards for the Principal Certificate) for part of the preparation requirements.
§241.10.Preparation Requirements.
(a)
The standards identified in §241.15 of this title
(relating to Standards for the Principal Certificate) shall be the curricular
basis for programs preparing individuals to be principals. Entities shall
establish benchmarks and structured assessments of the candidate's progress
and needed growth throughout the program based on the standards identified
in §241.15 of this title
[
After completion of one-third of
the preparation program, the individual must complete a program-approved screening
instrument based on the standards identified in §241.15 of this title
(relating to Standards for the Principal Certificate) and devise a corresponding
professional development plan
].
(b)
Structured, field-based
practicum with experiences
at diverse types of campuses
[
training
] must be focused on
actual experiences with each of the standards identified in §241.15 of
this title
whereby candidates must demonstrate proficiency in each of
the standards.
[
to include:
]
[
(1)
experiences at diverse types
of campuses; and]
[
(2)
development and implementation
of an action research plan for change based on a need linked to a campus improvement
plan.]
§241.20.Requirements for the First-Time Principal in Texas [ Issuance of the Conditional Principal Certificate and the Induction Period ].
(a)
Principals or assistant principals
employed for the first time as campus administrators (including the first
time in the state) shall participate in, at least, a one-year induction period.
(b)
The induction period should
incorporate the assessment and professional growth requirements contained
in §241.30 (b) of this title (relating to Requirements to Renew the Standard
Principal Certificate).
(c)
The induction period should
be a structured, systemic process for assisting the new principal or assistant
principal in further developing skill in guiding the everyday operation of
a school, adjusting to the particular culture of a school district, and developing
a personal awareness of self in the campus administrator role. Mentoring support
must be an integral component of the induction period.
[
(a)
To be eligible to receive
the Conditional Principal Certificate, the individual must: ]
[
(1)
successfully complete the assessments required
under Chapter 230, Subchapter A, §230.5 of this title (relating to Educator
Assessment); and ]
[
(2)
have two years of creditable teaching experience
as a classroom teacher, as defined by Chapter 230, Subchapter Y of this title
(relating to Definitions).]
[(b)
The induction period must occur during
employment as an assistant principal or principal in a Texas public or private
school, as defined by Chapter 230, Subchapter Y of this title. An individual
seeking to enter the induction period more than five years after the date
of issuance of the Conditional Principal Certificate must be approved by the
educator preparation program that recommended him or her for the certificate.
To ensure that the individual possesses the knowledge and skills identified
in the standards under §241.15 of this title (relating to Standards for
the Principal Certificate), the preparation program may require the individual
to satisfy certain requirements prior to entering and/or during the induction
period.]
§241.25.Requirements for the Issuance of the Standard Principal Certificate.
To be eligible to receive the Standard Principal Certificate, the individual
must:
(1)
successfully complete the assessments required under
Chapter 230, Subchapter A
[
§230.5
] of this title (relating
to Educator Assessment);
(2)
hold a master's degree from an accredited institution of
higher education; and
(3)
have two years of creditable teaching experience as
a classroom teacher, as defined by Chapter 230, Subchapter Y of this title
(relating to Definitions)
[
successfully complete the induction period
required under this chapter
].
§241.30.Requirements to Renew the Standard Principal Certificate.
(a)
Each individual who holds the Standard Principal or Mid-Management
Certificate, issued on or after September 1, 1999, is subject to Chapter 232,
Subchapter R of this title (relating to Certificate Renewal and Continuing
Professional Education Requirements), except that 200 hours of continuing
professional education must be completed every five years.
(b)
[
(d)
] Individuals holding the Standard
Principal Certificate or Standard Mid-Management must select an assessment
from the list approved under §241.35 of this title and should participate
in the assessment the first year of employment as a principal or assistant
principal. Follow-up assessments should be completed in the first year of
each five-year renewal period. The individual seeking to renew is solely responsible
for selecting the assessment used to satisfy the requirements of this subsection.
(c)
[
(e)
] Based on the results of the
assessment required under subsection
(b)
[
(d)
] of this
section, each individual shall develop a professional growth plan which is
directly related to the standards identified in §241.15 of this title
(relating to Standards for the Principal Certificate), and must allow for
the prioritization of professional growth needs.
(d)
[
(f)
] Consistent with TEC §21.054(b),
the results of the individual assessment and the professional growth plan
shall be used exclusively for professional growth purposes, and may only be
released with the approval of the individual assessed.
(e)
[
(b)
] An individual who holds a valid
Texas professional administrator certificate issued prior to September 1,
1999, and who is employed as a principal or assistant principal
or fulfills
the functions of a principal or assistant principal
:
(1)
must complete an assessment approved under §241.35
of this title (relating to Assessment Process Definition and Approval of Individual
Assessments) and develop a professional growth plan as described in subsection
(c)
[
(e)
] no later than August 31, 2004 and once in each
subsequent five year period; and
(2)
may voluntarily comply with the requirements of subsection
(a) under procedures adopted by the executive director under Subchapter R, §232.810
of this title (relating to Voluntary Renewal of Current Texas Educators).
The executive director shall report to the employing school district those
individuals who choose to renew under this subsection.
(f)
[
(c)
] An individual who holds a valid
Texas professional administrator certificate issued prior to September 1,
1999, and who is not employed as an assistant principal or principal may voluntarily
comply with the requirements of this section under procedures adopted by the
executive director under Subchapter R, §232.810 of this title.
§241.40.Implementation Dates.
(a)
September 1, 1999 -- §241.1 of this title (relating
to General Provisions); §241.30 of this title (relating to Requirements
to Renew the Standard Principal Certificate); and §241.35 of this title
(relating to Assessment Process Definition and Approval of Individual Assessments).
(b)
September 1, 2000 -- §241.5 of this title (relating
to Minimum Requirements for Admission to a Principal Preparation Program); §241.10
of this title (relating to Preparation Requirements); and §241.15 of
this title (relating to Standards for the Principal Certificate); §241.25(1)
and (2)
of this title (relating to Requirements for Issuance of the
Standard Principal Certificate).
(c)
September 1, 2001 --
§241.25(3) of this title
[
§241.20 of this title (relating to Requirements for Issuance
of the Conditional Principal Certificate and the Induction Period)
].
(d)
September 1, 2002 -- §241.20
of this title (relating to Requirements for the Issuance of the Conditional
Principal Certificate and the Induction Period).
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 March 19, 2001.
TRD-200101563
Pamela B. Tackett
Executive Director
State Board for Educator Certification
Earliest possible date of adoption: April 29, 2001
For further information, please call: (512) 469-3011