(a) Coursework and/or training for candidates seeking initial certification in any certification class.      
        (1) An educator preparation program (EPP) shall provide coursework and/or training to adequately prepare candidates for educator certification and ensure the educator is effective in the classroom.       
        (2) Coursework and/or training shall be sustained, rigorous, intensive, interactive, candidate-focused, and performance-based.       
        (3) All coursework and/or training shall be completed prior to EPP completion and standard certification.       
        (4) With appropriate documentation such as certificate of attendance, sign-in sheet, or other written school district verification, 50 clock-hours of training may be provided by a school district and/or campus that is an approved Texas Education Agency (TEA) continuing professional education provider to a candidate who is considered a late hire. The training provided by the school district and/or campus must meet the criteria described in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.451 (Staff Development Requirements) and must be directly related to the certificate being sought.       
        (5) Each EPP must develop and implement specific criteria and procedures that allow:                  (A) military service member or military veteran candidates to credit verified military service, training, clinical and professional experience, or education toward the training, education, work experience, or related requirements (other than certification examinations) for educator certification requirements, provided that the military service, training, or education is directly related to the certificate being sought; and                   (B) candidates who are not military service members or military veterans to substitute prior or ongoing service, training, or education, provided that the experience, education, or training is not also counted as a part of the internship, clinical teaching, or practicum requirements, was provided by an approved EPP or an accredited institution of higher education within the past five years, and is directly related to the certificate being sought.         
        (6) Coursework and training that is offered online must meet, or the EPP must be making progress toward meeting, criteria set for accreditation, quality assurance, and/or compliance with one or more of the following:                  (A) Accreditation or Certification by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission;                   (B) Program Design and Teaching Support Certification by Quality Matters;                   (C) Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter P, of this title (relating to Approval of Distance Education Courses and Programs for Public Institutions); or                   (D) Part 1, Chapter 7 of this title (relating to Degree Granting Colleges and Universities Other than Texas Public Institutions).         
      (b) Coursework and/or training for candidates seeking initial certification in the classroom teacher certification class. An EPP shall provide each candidate with a minimum of 300 clock-hours of coursework and/or training. An EPP shall provide a minimum of 200 clock-hours of coursework and/or training for a candidate seeking a Trade and Industrial Workforce Training certificate as specified by §233.14(e) of this title (relating to Career and Technical Education (Certificates requiring experience and preparation in a skill area)). Unless a candidate qualifies as a late hire, a candidate shall complete the following prior to any clinical teaching or internship:      
        (1) a minimum of 30 clock-hours of field-based experience. Up to 15 clock-hours of this field-based experience may be provided by use of electronic transmission or other video or technology-based method; and       
        (2) 150 clock-hours of coursework and/or training as prescribed in §228.30(d)(4) of this title (relating to Educator Preparation Curriculum) that allows candidates to demonstrate proficiency in:                  (A) designing clear, well-organized, sequential, engaging, and flexible lessons that reflect best practice, align with standards and related content, are appropriate for diverse learners and encourage higher-order thinking, persistence, and achievement;                   (B) formally and informally collecting, analyzing, and using student progress data to inform instruction and make needed lesson adjustments;                   (C) ensuring high levels of learning, social-emotional development, and achievement for all students through knowledge of students, proven practices, and differentiated instruction;                   (D) clearly and accurately communicating to support persistence, deeper learning, and effective effort;                   (E) organizing a safe, accessible, and efficient classroom;                   (F) establishing, communicating, and maintaining clear expectations for student behavior;                   (G) leading a mutually respectful and collaborative class of actively engaged learners;                   (H) meeting expectations for attendance, professional appearance, decorum, procedural, ethical, legal, and statutory responsibilities;                   (I) reflect on his or her practice; and                   (J) effectively communicating with students, families, colleagues, and community members.         
      (c) Coursework and/or training for candidates seeking initial certification in a certification class other than classroom teacher. An EPP shall provide coursework and/or training to ensure that the educator is effective in the assignment. An EPP shall provide a candidate with a minimum of 200 clock-hours of coursework and/or training that is directly aligned to the educator standards for the applicable certification class.     
      (d) Late hire provisions. A late hire for a school district teaching position may begin employment under an intern or probationary certificate before completing the pre-internship requirements of subsection (b) of this section, but shall complete these requirements within 90 school days of assignment.     
      (e) Educator preparation program delivery. An EPP shall provide evidence of ongoing and relevant field-based experiences throughout the EPP in a variety of educational settings with diverse student populations, including observation, modeling, and demonstration of effective practices to improve student learning.      
        (1) For initial certification in the classroom teacher certification class, each EPP shall provide field-based experiences, as defined in §228.2 of this title (relating to Definitions), for a minimum of 30 clock-hours. The field-based experiences must be completed prior to assignment in an internship or clinical teaching.                  (A) Field-based experiences must include 15 clock-hours in which the candidate, under the direction of the EPP, is actively engaged in instructional or educational activities that include:                      (i) authentic school settings in a public school accredited by the TEA or other school approved by the TEA for this purpose;                       (ii) instruction by content certified teachers;                       (iii) actual students in classrooms/instructional settings with identity-proof provisions;                       (iv) content or grade-level specific classrooms/instructional settings; and                       (v) written reflection of the observation.                     (B) Up to 15 clock-hours of field-based experience may be provided by use of electronic transmission or other video or technology-based method. Field-based experience provided by use of electronic transmission or other video or technology-based method must include:                      (i) direction of the EPP;                       (ii) authentic school settings in an accredited public or private school;                       (iii) instruction by content certified teachers;                       (iv) actual students in classrooms/instructional settings with identity-proof provisions;                       (v) content or grade-level specific classrooms/instructional settings; and                       (vi) written reflection of the observation.                     (C) Up to 15 clock-hours of field-based experience may be satisfied by serving as a long-term substitute. A long-term substitute is an individual who has been hired by a school or district to work at least 30 consecutive days in an assignment as a classroom teacher. Experience may occur after the candidate's admission to an EPP or during the two years before the date the candidate is admitted to the EPP. The candidate's experience in instructional or educational activities must be documented by the EPP and must be obtained at a public or private school accredited or approved for the purpose by the TEA.         
        (2) For initial certification in the classroom teacher certification class, each EPP shall also provide at least one of the following.                  (A) Clinical Teaching. A candidate must have a clinical teaching assignment for each subject area in which the candidate is seeking initial certification.                      (i) For a candidate seeking initial certification in only one subject area, the following provisions apply.                          (I) Clinical teaching must meet one of the following requirements:                              (-a-) a minimum of 14 weeks (no fewer than 70 full days), with a full day being 100% of the school day; or                               (-b-) a minimum of 28 weeks (no fewer than 140 half days), with a half day being 50% of the school day.                             (II) A clinical teaching assignment as described in subclause (I)(-a-) of this clause shall not be less than an average of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level of certification sought. The average includes intermissions and recesses but does not include conference and duty-free lunch periods.                         (ii) For a candidate seeking initial certification in more than one subject area, the primary teaching assignment must meet the requirements of clause (i)(I)(-a-) of this subparagraph. Additional clinical teaching assignments in other subject areas may be less than an average of four hours each day during the 14 weeks of clinical teaching if:                          (I) the primary assignment is not less than an average of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level of certification sought;                           (II) the EPP is approved to offer preparation in the certification category required for the additional assignment;                           (III) the EPP provides ongoing support for each assignment as prescribed in subsection (g) of this section;                           (IV) the EPP provides coursework and training for each assignment to adequately prepare the candidate to be effective in the classroom; and                           (V) the campus administrator agrees to assign a qualified cooperating teacher appropriate to each assignment.                         (iii) Clinical teaching is successful when the candidate demonstrates proficiency in each of the educator standards for the assignment and the field supervisor and cooperating teacher recommend to the EPP that the candidate should be recommended for a standard certificate. If either the field supervisor or cooperating teacher do not recommend that the candidate should be recommended for a standard certificate, the person who does not recommend the candidate must provide documentation supporting the lack of recommendation to the candidate and either the field supervisor or cooperating teacher.                       (iv) An EPP may permit a full day clinical teaching assignment up to 5 full days fewer than the minimum and a half day clinical teaching assignment up to 10 half days fewer than the minimum if due to maternity leave, military leave, illness, or bereavement.                     (B) Internship. An internship must be for a minimum of one full school year for the classroom teacher assignment or assignments that match the certification category or categories for which the candidate is prepared by the EPP.                      (i) An EPP may permit an internship of up to 30 school days fewer than the minimum if due to maternity leave, military leave, illness, bereavement, or if the late hire date is after the first day of the school year.                       (ii) The beginning date for an internship for the purpose of field supervision is the first day of instruction with students in the school or district in which the internship takes place.                       (iii) An internship assignment shall not be less than an average of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level of certification sought. The average includes intermissions and recesses but does not include conference and duty-free lunch periods. An EPP may permit an additional internship assignment of less than an average of four hours each day if:                          (I) the primary assignment is not less than an average of four hours each day in the subject area and grade level of certification sought;                           (II) the EPP is approved to offer preparation in the certification category required for the additional assignment;                           (III) the EPP provides ongoing support for each assignment as prescribed in subsection (g) of this section;                           (IV) the EPP provides coursework and training for each assignment to adequately prepare the candidate to be effective in the classroom; and                           (V) the employing school or district notifies the candidate and the EPP in writing that an assignment of less than four hours will be required.                        Cont'd...