Texas Register, Volume 46, Number 17, Pages 2627-2862, April 23, 2021 Page: 2,682
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ments and process to apply for funding from the Mentor Program
Allotment. There is no anticipated economic cost to persons who
are required to comply with the proposal.
DATA AND REPORTING IMPACT: The proposal would have no
new data or reporting impact.
PRINCIPAL AND CLASSROOM TEACHER PAPERWORK RE-
QUIREMENTS: TEA has determined that the proposal would not
require a written report or other paperwork to be completed by a
principal or classroom teacher.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: The public comment period on the
proposal begins April 23, 2021, and ends May 24, 2021.
A request for a public hearing on the proposal submitted
under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received
by the commissioner of education not more than 14 calen-
dar days after notice of the proposal has been published
in the Texas Register on April 23, 2021. A form for sub-
mitting public comments is available on the TEA website
at https://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Laws_and_Rules/Com-
missioner_Rules_(TAC)/ProposedCommissioner_of_Educa-
tionRules/.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY. The amendment is proposed under
Texas Education Code (TEC), 21.458, which allows districts to
assign mentor teachers to work with new teachers and provides
requirements around mentor program design and delivery. TEC,
21.458(b), requires the commissioner to adopt rules necessary
to administer the section; and TEC, 48.114, which establishes a
mentor program allotment to be used for funding eligible district
mentor training programs; outlines permissible use of mentor
program allotment funds, which include mentor teacher stipends,
scheduled release time for mentoring activities, and mentor sup-
port through providers of mentor training; and requires the com-
missioner to adopt a formula to determine the amount to which
eligible school districts are entitled.
CROSS REFERENCE TO STATUTE. The amendment imple-
ments Texas Education Code, 21.458 and 48.114.
153.1011. Mentor Program Allotment.
(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used
in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context
clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Beginning teacher--A classroom teacher in Texas who
has less than two years of teaching experience in the subject or grade
level to which the teacher is assigned.
(2) Classroom teacher--An educator who is employed by a
school district in Texas and who, not less than an average of four hours
each day, teaches in an academic instructional setting or a career and
technical instructional setting. The term does not include a teacher's
aide or a full-time administrator.
(A) For a school district, a classroom teacher, as defined
in this paragraph, must hold an appropriate certificate issued by the
State Board for Educator Certification and must meet the specifications
regarding instructional duties defined in this paragraph.
(B) For an open-enrollment charter school, a classroom
teacher is not required to be certified but must meet the qualifications of
the employing charter school and the specifications regarding instruc-
tional duties defined in this paragraph.
(3) Mentor teacher--A classroom teacher in Texas who pro-
vides effective support to help beginning teachers successfully transi-
tion into the teaching assignment.(4) School district--For the purposes of this section, the
definition of school district includes open-enrollment charter schools.
(5) Teacher of record--An educator who is employed by a
school or district and who teaches in an academic instructional setting
or a career and technical instructional setting and is responsible for
evaluating student achievement and assigning grades.
(b) Program requirements. In order for a district mentor pro-
gram to receive funds through the mentor program allotment, as de-
scribed in Texas Education Code (TEC), 48.114, the program must
be approved by the commissioner of education using the application
and approval process described in subsection (c) of this section. To be
approved by the commissioner, district mentor programs must comply
with TEC, 21.458, and commit to meet the following requirements.
(1) Mentor selection. To qualify as a mentor teacher, a
classroom teacher must:
(A) complete a research-based mentor and induction
training program approved by the commissioner;
(B) complete a mentor training program provided by
the district;
(C) have at least three complete years of teaching ex-
perience with a superior record of assisting students, as a whole, in
achieving improvement in student performance. Districts may use the
master, exemplary, or recognized designations under TEC, 21.3521,
to fulfill this requirement; and
(D) demonstrate interpersonal skills, instructional
effectiveness, and leadership skills.
(2) Mentor assignment. School districts must agree to as-
sign no more than:
(A) two beginning teachers to a mentor who serves as a
teacher of record for, on average, six hours per instructional day; or
(B) four beginning teachers to a mentor who serves as
a teacher of record for, on average, less than six hours per instructional
day.
(3) District mentor training program. A school district
must:
(A) provide training to mentor teachers and any appro-
priate district and campus employees, such as principals, assistant prin-
cipals, and instructional coaches, who work with a beginning teacher
or supervise a beginning teacher;
(B) ensure that mentor teachers and any appropriate dis-
trict and campus employees are trained before the beginning of the
school year;
(C) provide supplemental training that includes best
mentorship practices to mentor teachers and any appropriate district
and campus employees throughout the school year, minimally once
per semester; and
(D) provide training for a mentor assigned to a begin-
ning teacher who is hired after the beginning of the school year by the
45th day of employment of the beginning teacher.
(4) District roles and responsibilities. A school district
must designate a specific time during the regularly contracted school
day for meetings between mentor teachers and the beginning teachers
they mentor, which must abide by the mentor and beginning teachers'
entitled planning and preparation requirements in TEC, 21.404, and
the provisions of paragraph (5)(A) of this subsection.46 TexReg 2682 April 23, 2021 Texas Register
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Texas. Secretary of State. Texas Register, Volume 46, Number 17, Pages 2627-2862, April 23, 2021, periodical, April 23, 2021; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1330690/m1/56/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.