Feb. 21 SBEC Meeting Highlights
Part 1
  • Note: Click here for SBEC board info (agendas, webcasts, members, and more)

For 2018-19
Ed-Prep Entities Assigned Accountability Ratings
The board assigned 2018-19 Accountability System for Educator Preparation (ASEP) ratings for the state’s 128 ed-prep programs (EPPs).
read more

Other SBEC Activity

Rule revision adopted:
The board gave final adoption (agenda 5/adopted version) to revisions to a large section of rules that mostly implement recent legislation. Among other things, the adopted revisions:
  • Repeal the master teacher designation, as required under 2019’s HB3. Although current holders of the certificate (in reading, math, science or technology) will be designated as “legacy” holders of the designation, the certificate is not renewable once they expire. (In next week’s issue, we’ll report on a separate SBEC discussion item that addressed the master teacher certification repeal.)

  • Allow the Educational Aide I certificate to be issued to high school students who have completed certain “grow your own” career and technical education courses and are at least 18 years old (the minimum age for which SBEC can grant certification).

  • Reduce the minimum amount of wait time for retaking computer- and paper-based certification exams from 45 to 30 days. Staff said this provision will be especially beneficial for candidates seeking certification during the summer, who need to complete their requirements for the upcoming school year.

  • Require that to be granted the new EC-3 certificate, the candidate must complete training relevant to the certificate instead of only having to pass the EC-3 certification exam.

  • Set a six week deadline for individuals to notify SBEC that the certificates they were issued contained an error.

Unless vetoed by the State Board of Education on April 17, the rules become effective on May 1.

Rule revision proposed:
The board tentatively approved (agenda 7), for public comment, rules addressing general certification provisions to implement recent legislation — and to include recommendations by a stakeholder group — regarding educator certification renewal, including the continuing professional education (CPE) required for certification renewals.

The revisions: 1) simplify and reorganize the entire section, 2) add CPE training requirements in mental health and substance abuse and (for superintendents only) in human trafficking, 3) remove student loan default as a reason for denying a certificate, and 4) update National Criminal History fingerprinting requirements to reflect updated technology.

Final adoption is set for the May 1 SBEC meeting, with a proposed effective date of Aug. 6.

Nonvoting members
The board approved (agenda 12) a change in board rules to formalize a practice (that had been informally followed in the past) to specify that the board’s four nonvoting members can’t make or second motions and can’t serve as board officers. It was explained that the purpose of the nonvoting members was to provide their particular expertise to the board.

The nonvoting members currently consist of one staff member each from TEA and the higher-ed coordinating board, plus a college of education dean and an alternative certification program director.

There are 11 voting SBEC members on the board.