19 Tex. Admin. Code § 228.2 - Definitions
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Academic year--If not
referring to the academic year of a particular public, private, or charter
school or institution of higher education (IHE), September 1 through August
31.
(2) Accredited institution of
higher education--An IHE that, at the time it conferred the degree, was
accredited or otherwise approved by an accrediting organization recognized by
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
(3) Alternative certification program--An
approved educator preparation program, delivered by entities described in
§
228.25(a) of this
title (relating to Governance of Educator Preparation Programs), specifically
designed as an alternative to a traditional undergraduate certification
program, for individuals already holding at least a bachelor's degree from an
accredited IHE.
(4)
Analysis--examining teaching and/or instructional resources (e.g., student work
samples, a video of teaching practices) to recognize key teaching practices
enacted in a variety of ways, build understanding of the practice through
repeated review, develop a shared vision for a teacher practice, and compare
their own practice for improvement.
(5) Assignment start date--For an internship,
clinical teaching, or residency, the first day of instruction with students.
For a nonteacher practicum experience, the first day of the window in which the
candidate is authorized by the EPP to begin the practicum experience.
(6) Authentic school setting--For the purpose
of field-based experiences, during the school day and the school year and
including summer school; not to include professional development,
extracurricular activities, workdays when students are not present, and before-
or after-school childcare or tutoring.
(7) Benchmarks--Reference points throughout
the preparation process where candidates are assessed for progress toward
completing EPP requirements (e.g., admission, passing a specific course or
courses, passing a certification exam, completing preservice
requirements).
(8) Campus
supervisor--A school administrator or designee responsible for the annual
performance appraisal of an intern or a candidate pursuing a residency
certificate.
(9) Candidate--An
individual who has been formally or contingently admitted into an EPP; also
referred to as an enrollee or participant.
(10) Candidate coach--A person as defined in
§
228.39(b)(1)-(3)
of this title (relating to Intensive Pre-Service) who participates in a minimum
of four observation/feedback coaching cycles provided by program supervisors,
completes a Texas Education Agency (TEA)-approved observation training or has
completed a minimum of 150 hours of observation/feedback training, and has
current certification in the class in which supervision is provided.
(11) Certification category--A certificate
type within a certification class, as described in Chapter 233 of this title
(relating to Categories of Classroom Teaching Certificates).
(12) Certification class--A certificate, as
described in §
230.33 of this title (relating to
Classes of Certificates), that has defined characteristics; may contain one or
more certification categories, as described in Chapter 233 of this
title.
(13) Classroom teacher--An
educator who is employed by a school or district and who, not less than an
average of four hours each day, teaches in an academic instructional setting or
a career and technical instructional setting. This term does not include an
educational aide, a full-time administrator, or a substitute teacher.
(14) Clinical experience--A supervised
educator assignment through an EPP at a public school accredited by the TEA or
other school approved by the TEA for this purpose where candidates demonstrate
proficiency in the standards for the certificate sought and that may lead to
completion of a standard certificate. Clinical experience includes clinical
teaching, internship, practicum, and residency.
(15) Clinical teaching--A supervised teacher
assignment through an EPP in the classroom of a cooperating teacher at a public
school accredited by the TEA or other school approved by the TEA for this
purpose that may lead to completion of a standard certificate; also referred to
as student teaching.
(16)
Clock-hours--The actual number of hours of coursework or training provided; for
purposes of calculating the training and coursework required by this chapter,
one semester credit hour at an accredited IHE is equivalent to 15 clock-hours.
Clock-hours of field-based experiences, clinical teaching, internship,
residency, and practicum are actual hours spent in the required educational
activities and experiences.
(17)
Contingency admission--Admission as described in §
227.15 of this title (relating to
Contingency Admission).
(18)
Completer--A person who has met all the requirements of an approved EPP; also
referred to as finisher. In applying this definition, the fact that a person
has or has not been recommended for a standard certificate or passed a
certification examination shall not be used as criteria for determining who is
a completer.
(19) Cooperating
teacher--For a clinical teacher candidate, an educator who is collaboratively
assigned by the EPP and campus administrator who supports the candidate during
the clinical teaching experience.
(20) Co-teaching--A practice in which two or
more teachers share instructional responsibility for a single group of students
to address specific content and related learning objectives through a variety
of approaches that best support the students' learning needs.
(21) Educator--An individual who is required
to hold a certificate issued under TEC, Chapter 21, Subchapter B.
(22) Educator preparation program--An entity
that is approved by the SBEC to prepare and recommend candidates for
certification in one or more educator certification classes.
(23) Enactments--Opportunities to engage
teacher candidates in sheltered/protected practice to develop a skill through
such examples as doing student work, role playing student interactions, coached
lesson rehearsals, and peer run throughs of a proposed lesson. Candidates
should have the opportunity to receive feedback on current practice and
integrate feedback into future practices.
(24) Enhanced standard certificate--A type of
certificate issued to an individual who has met all requirements as specified
in §
230.39(b) of this
title (relating to Enhanced Standard Certificates) under the teacher class of
certificates.
(25) Entity--The
individual, corporation, partnership, IHE, public school or school district
that is approved to deliver an EPP.
(26) Extracurricular activities--Activities
sponsored by the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the school district
board of trustees, or an organization sanctioned by resolution of the board of
trustees as specified in Chapter 76, Subchapter AA, of Part 2 of this title
(relating to Commissioner's Rules).
(27) Field-based experiences--Introductory
experiences for a classroom teacher certification candidate, incorporated with
preparation coursework that involve, at the minimum, reflective observation of
and interaction with Early Childhood-Grade 12 students, teachers, and
faculty/staff members engaging in educational activities in an authentic school
setting.
(28) Field supervisor--A
currently certified educator, who preferably has advanced credentials, hired by
the EPP to observe candidates, monitor their performance, and provide
constructive feedback to improve their effectiveness as educators.
(29) Formal admission--Admission as described
in §
227.17 of this title (relating to
Formal Admission).
(30) Head Start
Program--The federal program established under the Head Start Act (42 United
States Code (USC), §9801 et seq.) and its subsequent amendments.
(31) Host teacher--For a teacher resident
candidate, an educator who is jointly assigned by the EPP and the campus
administrator who supports the candidate through co-teaching and coaching
during their teacher residency field placement.
(32) Initial certification--The first Texas
certificate in a class of certificate issued to an individual based on
participation in an approved EPP.
(33) Intensive pre-service--An educator
assignment supervised by an EPP accredited and approved by the SBEC prior to a
candidate meeting the requirements for issuance of intern and probationary
certificates.
(34) Intern
certificate--A type of certificate as specified in §
230.36 of this title (relating to
Intern Certificates) that is issued to a candidate who has passed all required
content pedagogy certification examinations and is completing requirements for
initial certification through an approved EPP.
(35) Internship--A paid supervised classroom
teacher assignment for one full school year at a public school accredited by
the TEA or other school approved by the TEA for this purpose that may lead to
completion of a standard certificate.
(36) Late hire--An individual who is both
accepted into an EPP after the 45th day before the first day of instruction and
hired for a teaching assignment by a school after the 45th day before the first
day of instruction or after the school's academic year has begun.
(37) Legacy Chapter 228 rules--The version of
State Board for Educator Certification rules in Chapter 228 that were in effect
on August 31, 2024.
(38) Long-term
substitute--An individual that has served in place of a teacher of record in a
classroom for at least 30 consecutive days; also referred to as a permanent
substitute.
(39) Mentor--For an
internship candidate, an educator who is employed as a classroom teacher on the
candidate's campus and who is assigned to support the candidate during the
internship experience.
(40)
Pedagogy--The art and science of teaching that incorporates instructional
methods that are developed from scientifically based research.
(41) Performance task--An assessment in which
the teacher candidate applies learning and demonstrates a discrete set of
skills, resulting in a tangible product or performance that serves as evidence
of learning. The assessment must be evaluated using a standard rubric or set of
criteria and must not include multiple-choice questions.
(42) Post-baccalaureate program--An EPP,
delivered by an accredited IHE and approved by the SBEC to recommend candidates
for certification, that is designed for individuals who already hold at least a
bachelor's degree and are seeking an additional degree.
(43) Practicum--A supervised educator
assignment at a public school accredited by the TEA or other school approved by
the TEA for this purpose that is in a school setting in the particular class
for which a certificate in a class other than classroom teacher is
sought.
(44) Probationary
certificate--A type of certificate as specified in §
230.37 of this title (relating to
Probationary Certificates) that is issued to a candidate who has passed all
required certification examinations and is completing requirements for
certification through an approved EPP.
(45) Representations--Artifacts and
illustrations of instruction used to help teacher candidates see and analyze
strong teaching practices. Representations expose teacher candidates to and
build understanding of specific criteria of effective teacher practices, as
well as deepen their content knowledge for teaching. May include teacher
educator modeling, student work, videos and transcripts.
(46) Residency--A supervised educator
assignment for an entire school year through a partnership between an EPP and a
public school accredited by the TEA or other school approved by the TEA for
this purpose that may lead to completion of an enhanced standard
certificate.
(47) School
day--Actual school attendance days during the regular academic school year,
including a partial day or extended day that students attend school for
instructional purposes as adopted by the district or governing body of the
school, excluding weekends, holidays, summer school, etc.
(48) School year--The period of time starting
with the first instructional day for students through the last instructional
day for students as identified on the calendar of the campus or district for
the school year in which the candidate is completing the clinical
experience.
(49) Site
supervisor--For a practicum candidate, an educator who is assigned
collaboratively by the campus or district administrator and the EPP and who
supports the candidate during the practicum experience.
(50) Standard certificate--A type of
certificate issued to an individual who has met all requirements for a given
class of certification, as specified in §
230.33 of this title.
(51) Students with disabilities--A student
who is eligible to participate in a school district's special education program
under Texas Education Code, §
29.003, is covered by
Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC Section 794),
or is covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 USC Section
1400 et seq.).
(52) Substitute teacher--An individual who
serves in place of a teacher of record in a classroom in an accredited public
or private school.
(53) Teacher of
record--An educator who is employed by a school or district and who teaches in
an academic instructional setting or a career and technical instructional
setting not less than an average of four hours each day and is responsible for
evaluating student achievement and assigning grades.
(54) Texas Education Agency staff--Staff of
the TEA assigned by the commissioner of education to perform the SBEC's
administrative functions and services.
(55) Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
(TEKS)--The Kindergarten-Grade 12 state curriculum in Texas adopted by the
State Board of Education and used as the foundation of all state certification
examinations.
Notes
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