(a) General provisions.
  (1) Certificate classes. A probationary certificate may be issued for any class of certificate except educational aide.
  (2) Requirement to hold a probationary certificate. A candidate seeking certification as an educator must hold a probationary certificate while participating in an internship through an approved educator preparation program (EPP).
(b) Requirements for issuance. A probationary certificate may be issued to a candidate seeking certification as an educator who meets the conditions and requirements prescribed in this subsection.
  (1) Bachelor's degree. Except as otherwise provided in rules of the State Board for Educator Certification related to certain career and technical education certificates based on skill and experience, the candidate must hold a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education. An individual who has earned a degree outside the United States must provide an original, detailed report or course-by-course evaluation of all college-level credits prepared by a foreign credential evaluation service recognized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The evaluation must verify that the individual holds, at a minimum, the equivalent of a bachelor's degree issued by an accredited institution of higher education in the United States.
  (2) General certification requirements. The candidate must meet the general certification requirements prescribed in §230.11 of this title (relating to General Requirements).
  (3) Fee. The candidate must pay the fee prescribed in §230.101 of this title (relating to Schedule of Fees for Certification Services).
  (4) Fingerprints. The candidate must submit fingerprints in accordance with §232.35(c) of this title (relating to Submission of Required Information) and the Texas Education Code (TEC), §22.0831.
(c) Conditions. The validity and effectiveness of a probationary certificate is subject to the following conditions.
  (1) Internship. The holder of a probationary certificate must be a participant in good standing of an approved Texas EPP, serving in an acceptable, paid internship supervised by the EPP.
  (2) Inactive status. A probationary certificate will become inactive 30 calendar days after the holder's separation from the school assignment or the EPP. The unexpired term of a probationary certificate may be reactivated if the holder satisfies the program enrollment and school assignment requirements specified in §228.35 of this title (relating to Preparation Program Coursework and/or Training.
  (3) Term of a probationary certificate. A probationary certificate shall be valid for a 12-month period from the date of issuance.
  (4) Limit on preliminary certifications and permits. Without obtaining standard certification, an individual may not serve for more than three 12-month periods while holding any combination of the following:
    (A) intern certificates, limited to one 12-month period maximum, as described in this subsection;
    (B) probationary certificates, limited to two 12-month periods maximum, as described in this subsection;
    (C) emergency permits as specified in Subchapter F of this chapter (relating to Permits); or
    (D) one-year certificates as specified in Subchapter H of this chapter (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).
  (5) Reduction in force exception. If an educator is employed under a probationary certificate and is terminated or resigns in lieu of termination before the end of the school year due to a reduction in force, that probationary term shall not count as one of the two allowed annual probationary terms.
(d) Testing requirements for issuance of a probationary certificate.
  (1) Prior to September 1, 2017, a candidate must meet the subject matter knowledge requirements for issuance of a probationary certificate to serve an internship in a classroom teacher assignment for each subject area to be taught:
    (A) At the elementary school level, by passing the appropriate content area certification examination(s), as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter (relating to Assessment of Educators), appropriate to the grade level and subject matter assignment(s) as prescribed in Chapter 231 of this title (relating to Requirements for Public School Personnel Assignments).
    (B) At the middle or high school level:
      (i) by passing the appropriate content area certification examination(s), as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter, appropriate to the grade level and subject matter assignment(s) as prescribed in Chapter 231 of this title; or
      (ii) by completing coursework that complies with the TEC, §21.050, and comprised of not fewer than 24 semester credit hours, including 12 semester credit hours of upper division coursework in the subject area(s) taught; or
      (iii) in the case of career and technical education assignments based on skill and experience, by satisfying the requirements for that subject area contained in §233.14 of this title (relating to Career and Technical Education (Certificates requiring experience and preparation in a skill area)).
    (C) A candidate who is the teacher of record in a special education assignment must meet the appropriate subject matter knowledge requirements prescribed in subparagraph (A) and/or (B) of this paragraph and pass the appropriate special education certification examination(s), as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter, appropriate to the assignment(s) as prescribed in Chapter 231 of this title. If a candidate has not passed the special education supplemental examination prior to the beginning of an internship, an EPP may permit the internship assignment if:
      (i) the EPP has developed a plan to address any deficiencies identified through the candidate's previous attempt(s) on the examination; and
      (ii) the EPP implements the plan during the initial internship. An EPP shall not permit an additional internship if all examinations requirements are not met.
    (D) A candidate who is in a bilingual education and/or English as a Second Language (ESL) assignment must meet the appropriate subject matter knowledge requirements prescribed in subparagraph (A) and/or (B) of this paragraph and pass the appropriate bilingual education and/or ESL certification examination(s), as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter, appropriate to the assignment(s) as prescribed in Chapter 231 of this title. If a candidate has not passed the bilingual education supplemental examination, ESL supplemental examination, or the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency test prior to the beginning of an internship, an EPP may permit the internship if:
      (i) the EPP has developed a plan to address any deficiencies identified through the candidate's previous attempt(s) on the examination(s); and
      (ii) the EPP implements the plan during the initial internship. An EPP shall not permit an additional internship if all examination requirements are not met.
  (2) Beginning September 1, 2017, a candidate must meet all testing requirements for issuance of a probationary certificate.
    (A) To meet the subject matter knowledge requirements to be issued a probationary certificate for an internship in a classroom teacher assignment, a candidate must pass the appropriate certification examination(s), including the appropriate pedagogy and professional responsibilities examination, as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter.
    (B) To meet the subject matter knowledge requirements to be issued a probationary certificate for an internship in a career and technical education classroom teacher assignment that is based on skill and experience, a candidate must satisfy the requirements for that subject area contained in §233.14 of this title and pass the appropriate certification examination(s), including the appropriate pedagogy and professional responsibilities examination, as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter.
(e) Probationary certificate in a certification class other than classroom teacher. A probationary certificate may be issued for an assignment as a superintendent, principal, reading specialist, master teacher, school librarian, school counselor, and/or educational diagnostician to an individual who meets the applicable requirements prescribed in subsection (b) of this section and who also meets the requirements prescribed in this subsection.
  (1) An applicant for a probationary certificate in a certification class other than classroom teacher must meet all requirements established by the recommending EPP, which shall be based on the qualifications and requirements for the class of certification sought and the duties to be performed by the holder of a probationary certificate in that class.
Cont'd...