37 Tex. Admin. Code § 344.204 - Education Requirements

(a) Juvenile Probation Officer. To be eligible for certification as a juvenile probation officer, an individual must have acquired a bachelor's degree conferred by a college or university accredited by an organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

(b) Juvenile Supervision Officer and Community Activities Officer.

(1) Except as provided by subsection (c) of this section, to be eligible for certification as a juvenile supervision officer or community activities officer, an individual must meet one of the following educational requirements:

(A) a diploma from a high school accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the United States Department of Defense. TJJD considers the following entities as generally recognized accrediting organizations:

(i) the Texas Education Agency or the equivalent agency in another state;

(ii) an entity approved by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission; and

(iii) regional accreditation organizations such as:

(I) Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools;

(II) New England Association of Schools and Colleges;

(III) North Central Association of Colleges and Schools;

(IV) Northwest Accreditation Commission;

(V) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; and

(VI) Western Association of Schools and Colleges;

(B) a high school equivalency certificate (e.g., GED) issued by the Texas Education Agency or equivalent agency in another state;

(C) a diploma or certificate of completion issued in a homeschool setting;

(D) a United States military record that indicates the education level received is equivalent to a United States high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate;

(E) a foreign high school diploma that meets the validation requirements established in § 344.206 of this chapter; or

(F) unconditional acceptance into a college or university accredited by an organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

(2) A department or facility may attempt to establish that an entity not listed in paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection is a generally recognized accrediting organization by submitting supporting documentation to the TJJD certification office. Based on the documentation, TJJD will determine whether the entity is a generally recognized accrediting organization.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(E) of this subsection, a department or facility may submit documentation to establish that a state agency in Texas or licensing entity in Texas has accepted a foreign high school diploma as sufficient to meet an employment or licensing requirement to have a high school diploma. TJJD will determine whether the high school diploma is sufficient to meet the certification criterion related to having a high school diploma.

(c) Waiver of Education Requirement for Military.

(1) This subsection applies only to a person who is a military service member or military veteran as those terms are defined in Chapter 55, Occupations Code who does not have a high school diploma or equivalent and holds a current license issued by another jurisdiction for a position that is substantially similar and with licensing requirements that are substantially similar to TJJD's certification requirements for a juvenile supervision officer or community activities officer, as determined by TJJD.

(2) A department or facility that wishes to hire a person described by paragraph (1) of this subsection in a position requiring certification as a juvenile supervision officer or community activities officer may request a waiver of the requirement that the person have a high school diploma or GED. The request must be submitted to TJJD's certification office on a form prescribed by TJJD and must include sufficient information regarding the person's credentials and experience to allow TJJD to determine if a waiver of the education requirement should be granted. Incomplete submissions may result in a denial of the waiver.

Notes

37 Tex. Admin. Code § 344.204

Adopted by Texas Register, Volume 42, Number 41, October 13, 2017, TexReg 5697, eff. 2/1/2018; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 48, Number 37, September 15, 2023, TexReg 5129, eff. 9/1/2023, exp. 12/29/2023(Emergency); Amended by Texas Register, Volume 49, Number 29, July 19, 2024, TexReg 5356, eff. 9/1/2024