(a) General provisions. Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.052(a-1), permits the commissioner of education to adopt rules establishing exceptions to the examination requirements prescribed by TEC, §21.052(a)(3), for an educator from outside the state, including military service members, military spouses, and military veterans, to obtain a certificate in Texas.
(b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Certification class--A certificate, as described in §230.33 of this title (relating to Classes of Certificates), that has defined characteristics and includes the following: superintendent, principal, classroom teacher, school counselor, school librarian, educational diagnostician, reading specialist, and master teacher.
(2) Educator--An individual who is required to hold a certificate issued under TEC, Chapter 21, Subchapter B.
(3) Educator from outside the state--An applicant certified outside of Texas who has successfully completed all requirements for issuance of licensure in another state or country.
(4) Equivalent--Covering a majority of the same grade level and subject or assignment area as certificates issued by the State Board for Educator Certification.
(5) Examination--A standardized test or assessment required by statute or State Board for Educator Certification rule that governs an individual's certification as an educator.
(6) Military service member--A person who is on active duty.
(7) Military spouse--A person who is married to a military service member.
(8) Military veteran--A person who has served on active duty and who was discharged or released from active duty.
(9) Professional class certificate--A term that refers to certificates for duties other than classroom teacher (e.g., superintendent, principal, school counselor, school librarian, educational diagnostician, and reading specialist).
(10) Standard certificate--A type of certificate issued to an individual who has met all requirements for a given class of certification as a classroom teacher.
(11) Texas review of credentials--An internal process completed by Texas Education Agency (TEA) to confirm an applicant certified outside of Texas meets general requirements for certification specified in Chapter 230, Subchapter H, of this title (relating to Texas Educator Certificates Based on Certification and College Credentials from Other States or Territories of the United States) and Chapter 245 of this title (relating to Certification of Educators from Other Countries) and to identify the certificate areas the applicant is eligible to pursue in Texas.
(c) Minimum requirements.
(1) An applicant must meet the following general requirements for certification to be considered for an exception to the examinations, other than the Science of Teaching Reading TExES examination, required for issuance of state licensure:
(2) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection, to be considered for an exception to the required Science of Teaching Reading TExES examination, an applicant must fulfill the following requirements:
(3) An applicant from outside the state who meets requirements specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection must apply online for a review of credentials by the TEA prior to being considered for an exception to the examination requirements for state licensure. Once all required documentation has been submitted by the applicant and reviewed and verified by TEA staff, the applicant will be issued an exception to the examination requirements by the TEA in accordance with minimum requirements established by the commissioner as specified in this section.
Source Note: The provisions of this §152.1001 adopted to be effective May 3, 2018, 43 TexReg 2585; amended to be effective April 27, 2021, 46 TexReg 2820; amended to be effective January 10, 2023, 48 TexReg 45