Current through Reg. 50, No. 13; March 28, 2025
(a) The list of certifications provided in
this subsection will be recognized for the purpose of accounting for students
who earn industry certifications in the public school accountability system for
the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years.
Attached
Graphic
(b)
Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, the list of certifications provided in
the annual accountability manual adopted as a figure in §
97.1001 of this title (relating to
Accountability Rating System) will be recognized for the purpose of accounting
for students who earn industry certifications in the public school
accountability system.
(c) The list
of industry-based certifications to be used in the public school accountability
system shall be reviewed and updated every two years beginning in
2021.
(d) Beginning in the
2022-2023 school year, certifications recognized for the purpose of public
school accountability shall meet the following criteria.
(1) Certification. A certification is defined
as a validation or license that indicates an individual possesses certain
industry-specific skills and that meets two or more of the following criteria:
(A) the certification is related to the
performance requirements of a career or occupation, measured against a set of
industry-accepted standards, and not dependent upon a particular curriculum or
program;
(B) the certification is
earned by successfully completing an assessment that demonstrates an
individual's proficiency of the prescribed standards; or
(C) the certification is a time-limited
credential that must be maintained through ongoing professional training and/or
testing requirements.
(2) Industry recognized and valued.
(A) A certification is industry recognized
and valued if the certification is:
(i)
referred to the Texas Education Agency (TEA):
(I) by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
as part of the inventory of industry-recognized credentials approved by the
industry-based certification advisory council authorized by Texas Labor Code,
§
312.002; or
(II) directly using a process identified and
implemented by TEA and published on the TEA website if the certification is not
referred to TEA by TWC under subclause (I) of this clause; and
(ii) determined to be valued by a
representative sample of employers, as demonstrated in at least one of the
following ways:
(I) inclusion of the
certification in job postings as required or highly recommended;
(II) use of the certification as a factor in
selecting candidates for an interview or for hire; or
(III) offer of higher pay for individuals who
possess the certification.
(B) If a determination of value under
subparagraph (A)(ii) of this paragraph is not made prior to referral under
subparagraph (A)(i)(I) of this paragraph, TEA may use a third-party
organization with expertise in gathering information from employers related to
the value of industry-based certifications to directly contact groups of
employers and report to TEA regarding whether the standards under subparagraph
(A)(ii) of this paragraph have been met.
(3) Attainable by a high school student. All
eligibility requirements such as age and experience can be met and the
certification awarded before or within the summer after a student's high school
graduation.
(4) Portable. The
certification can:
(A) be transferred
seamlessly to postsecondary work through acceptance for credit or hours in core
program courses at an institution of higher education;
(B) be counted toward hours in an aligned
apprenticeship program;
(C) be part
of a prescribed coherent sequence of industry-recognized credentials to show
progressive skills development; or
(D) support employment in more than one
region of the state.
(5)
Certifying entity. The assessment of the knowledge and skills required to
obtain the certification is provided by or determined by an independent,
third-party certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge,
skills, and competencies.
(6)
Capstone or end-of-program. A certification assessment is taken at the
culmination of a single high school course or multiple related courses within a
secondary program of study. There must be at least 50% overlap between the
certification assessment standards and:
(A)
the essential knowledge and skills for a secondary course aligned to the career
cluster associated with the certification assessment; or
(B) the applicable essential knowledge and
skills for a set of courses within a program of study in a secondary career and
technical education program.
