Review of Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 242, Superintendent Certificate
September 18, 2009
COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL INITIATIVES: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides the State Board of Education (SBOE) an opportunity to review the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rule actions that would revise 19 TAC Chapter 242, Superintendent Certificate. The proposed revisions would update the rules to reflect current law and add specificity to educator preparation and certification requirements relating to the superintendent certificate.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: The statutory authority for the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 242 is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §§21.003(a), 21.040(4), 21.041(b)(2)-(4), and 21.046(a).
EFFECTIVE DATE: The proposed effective date of the revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 242 would be October 25, 2009.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: None.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: The SBEC rules in 19 TAC Chapter 242 establish requirements for the issuance and renewal of the superintendent certificate.
The proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 242, shown in Attachment II, would update the rules to reflect current law and add specificity to educator preparation and certification requirements relating to the superintendent certificate. The proposed revisions reflect discussions held during the February 26, 2009, stakeholder meeting. The following is a description of the proposed changes.
Proposed new 19 TAC §242.1 would be added to address the critical role of the superintendent, professional development, and positions in which the holder of the superintendent certificate may serve. The addition of this new section would be consistent with 19 TAC Chapter 241, Principal Certificate.
Section 242.5 would be reorganized, and language would be added to specify that, at a minimum, a master's degree would be required. The proposed change would also specify that the degree must be from an accredited institution of higher education that, at that time, was accredited or approved by an accrediting organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In addition, language that allows for the substitution of experience and/or professional training for part of the preparation requirements in current subsection (c) would be moved to §242.10 as new subsection (c).
Language would be added in §242.15 to clarify in subsection (a) that the standards would be the basis for the requirements in §242.30, to clarify in subsection (d)(6) that the evaluation models would be appropriate to the position held, to include guidance and counseling programs and services in subsection (i)(5), and to clarify that superintendent learner-centered activities would be at the school district level.
Current 19 TAC §242.20 would be amended to further clarify the requirements for a superintendent certificate. The section title would also be amended for clarification.
Section 242.30 would be reorganized to clarify the requirements for the renewal of a superintendent certificate. Current subsection (d) would be deleted since the provision is obsolete. The section title would be amended for clarification.
Section 242.35 would be repealed because the implementation dates occurred over eight years ago and thus are no longer relevant.
Technical Changes
Throughout Chapter 242, numerous grammatical and technical changes would be made where appropriate. Also, statutory citation references would be updated and standardized to reflect current law and Texas Register formatting requirements. Sections would also be restructured for consistency and readability.
SBOE Review of Proposed SBEC Rules
Under TEC, §21.042, the SBEC must submit a written copy of each rule it proposes to adopt to the SBOE for review. The SBOE may reject the proposed rules by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the SBOE present and voting.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: The public and student benefit anticipated as a result of the proposed revisions would be the continuation and clarification of requirements for admission to a superintendent preparation program, preparation program requirements and standards, requirements for the first-time superintendent in Texas, and requirements for renewal of the superintendent certificate.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
LOCALLY MAINTAINED PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: In accordance with the SBEC rulemaking process, a summary of comments received by the SBEC on its proposed rules were shared with the SBOE in a separate mailing prior to this SBOE meeting.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
COMMISSIONER'S RECOMMENDATION: I recommend that the State Board of Education:
Take no action on the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 242, Superintendent
Certificate.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Scott
Commissioner of Education
Staff Members Responsible: Raymond F. Glynn, Deputy Commissioner
School District Leadership and Educator Quality
Jerel Booker, Associate Commissioner
Educator Quality and Standards
Karen Loonam, Deputy Associate Commissioner
Educator Certification and Standards
Melva Cardenas, Director
Educator Credentialing
Attachments:I. Statutory Citations
II. Text of Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 242, Superintendent Certificate