SECTION 230.36. Intern Certificates

(a) General provisions.

(1) Certificate classes. An intern certificate may be issued for any class of certificate except educational aide.

(2) Requirement to hold an intern certificate. A candidate seeking certification as an educator must hold an intern certificate while participating in an internship through an approved educator preparation program (EPP).

(b) Requirements for issuance. An intern 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 for 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 an intern certificate is subject to the following conditions.

(1) Internship. The holder of an intern 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. An intern certificate will become inactive 30 calendar days after the holder's separation from the school assignment or the EPP. The unexpired term of an intern certificate may be reactivated if the holder satisfies the requirements specified in this section.

(3) Term of an intern certificate. An intern certificate shall be valid for one 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 specified in §230.37 of this title (relating to Probationary Certificates)

(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 an intern certificate and is terminated or resigns in lieu of termination before the end of the school year due to a reduction in force, that intern term shall not count as one of the three years referenced in paragraph (4) of this subsection.

(d) Testing requirements for issuance of an intern certificate. Beginning September 1, 2017, a candidate must meet the subject matter knowledge requirements for issuance of an intern certificate to serve an internship in a classroom teacher assignment for each subject area to be taught.

(1) To meet the subject matter knowledge requirements to be issued an intern certificate for an internship in a classroom teacher assignment on or after September 1, 2017, a candidate must pass all of the appropriate content pedagogy examinations, as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter.

(2) To meet the subject matter knowledge requirements to be issued an intern certificate for an internship in a career and technical education classroom teacher assignment that is based on skill and experience on or after September 1, 2017, a candidate must satisfy 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)) and pass the appropriate content pedagogy examination(s), as prescribed in Subchapter C of this chapter (relating to Assessment of Educators).

(e) Intern certificate in a certification class other than classroom teacher. An intern certificate may be issued for assignment as a superintendent, principal, reading specialist, master teacher, school librarian, school counselor, and 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 an intern 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 an intern certificate in that class.

(2) The individual must have also been:

(A) accepted and enrolled to participate in a Texas EPP that has been approved to prepare candidates for the certificate sought; and

(B) assigned in the certificate area being sought in a Texas school district, open-enrollment charter school, or, pursuant to §228.35 of this title (relating to Preparation Program Coursework and/or Training), other school approved by the TEA.

(3) The holder of an intern certificate in a certification class other than classroom teacher is subject to all terms and conditions of an intern certificate prescribed in subsection (c) of this section.

(4) The following provisions apply to the intern certificate for Principal as Instructional Leader.

(A) During the transition period of December 1, 2018 through September 1, 2019, the SBEC may issue an intern certificate to a candidate who meets the requirements specified in paragraphs (1)-(3) of this subsection.

(B) Effective September 1, 2019, the SBEC may issue an intern certificate to a candidate who meets requirements specified in paragraphs (1)-(3) of this subsection and has passed the Principal as Instructional Leader examination specified in Subchapter C of this chapter.

(f) Intern certificate for intensive pre-service. An intern certificate may be issued to an applicant who is admitted to an EPP intensive pre-service as prescribed in §228.33 of this title (relating to Intensive Pre-Service) on or after January 1, 2020, who:

(1) obtained a passing score on the aligned pedagogical rubric specified in §228.33 of this title;

(2) obtained a passing score, in accordance with §151.1001 of this title (relating to Passing Standards), on the required content certification (subject-matter only) examination and the following additional requirements for special education and bilingual assignments;

(A) Special education assignments also require a passing score, in accordance with §151.1001 of this title, on the TExES Special Education Supplemental examination prescribed in §230.21(e) of this title (relating to Educator Assessment); and

(B) Bilingual education assignments also require a passing score, in accordance with §151.1001 of this title, on the TExES Bilingual Target Language Proficiency examination or the related language proficiency examination prescribed in §230.21(e) of this title; and

(C) English as Second Language (ESL) assignments also require a passing score, in accordance with §151.1001 of this title, on the TExES ESL Supplemental examination or the related language proficiency examination prescribed in §230.21(e) of this title; and

(3) met the requirements as prescribed in subsections (a)-(c) of this section.

Source Note: The provisions of this §230.36 adopted to be effective December 27, 2016, 41 TexReg 10309; amended to be effective December 23, 2018, 43 TexReg 8108; amended to be effective October 13, 2019, 44 TexReg 5767; amended to be effective May 17, 2020, 45 TexReg 3288