(a) A candidate who has a hearing impairment may request exemption from educator certification and competence examinations that have not been field-tested for appropriateness, reliability, and validity as applied to persons with hearing impairments.

(b) A request for such an exemption shall include:

(1) a report by a licensed audiologist dated no more than one year from the date of the request for the exemption, addressing the relationship between the candidate's age at the onset or diagnosis of hearing loss and the candidate's ability to process linguistic information, and documenting that the candidate has a hearing impairment so severe that: (A) for a person requesting an exemption from the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) examination, the person cannot process auditory linguistic information with or without amplification; or (B) for a person requesting an exemption to an examination other than the STR examination, the person cannot process written linguistic information; and

(2) for candidates who are not seeking certification under 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), a recommendation for exemption and certification of the candidate by an approved Texas educator preparation program (EPP). The recommendation shall be based on the EPP's determination of the candidate's qualification for the exemption and competency in each certification class and category in which certification is sought. The EPP shall make and document its determination of educator standards competency, as follows: (A) by reviewing and approving transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education that demonstrate that the candidate has completed 24 semester credit hours in the educator standards, including 12 semester credit hours of upper division coursework, and documenting that the coursework is aligned to the Texas educator standards; (B) if an EPP uses an alternative assessment to measure competency in any certification class and category in which a certification is being sought, by documenting the method and validity of the means of assessment, the results of the assessment, and the alignment of the assessment to the applicable Texas educator standards; and (C) for the Texas pedagogy and professional responsibilities examination, by documenting successful completion of EPP coursework and training covering educator standards for the grade level for which certification is sought.

(c) This section does not affect the procedures for one-year certificates, extensions, and permits based on out-of-state credentials pursuant to §230.113 of this title (relating to Requirements for Texas Certificates Based on Certification from Other States or Territories of the United States).

(d) As with other EPP completion and admission documentation under §228.40 of this title (relating to Assessment and Evaluation of Candidates for Certification and Program Improvement), all documentation required under this section shall be retained by an EPP for five years and is subject to audit by Texas Education Agency staff.

Source Note: The provisions of this §230.25 adopted to be effective August 12, 2012, 37 TexReg 5753; amended to be effective August 28, 2016, 41 TexReg 6191; amended to be effective May 11, 2023, 48 TexReg 2339