Texas § ED.29.167 - HIGH QUALITY CURRICULUM AND TEACHER REQUIREMENTS

§ ED.29.167. HIGH QUALITY CURRICULUM AND TEACHER REQUIREMENTS

HIGH QUALITY CURRICULUM AND TEACHER REQUIREMENTS. (a) A school district shall select and implement a curriculum for a prekindergarten program that: (1) includes the prekindergarten guidelines established by the agency; (2) measures the progress of students in meeting the recommended learning outcomes; and (3) does not use national curriculum standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. (b) Each teacher for a prekindergarten program class must: (1) be certified under Subchapter B , Chapter 21 ; and (2) have one of the following additional qualifications: (A) an associate or baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or a related field; (B) a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or another early childhood education credential approved by the agency; (C) certification offered through a training center accredited by Association Montessori Internationale or through the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education; (D) at least eight years' experience of teaching in a nationally accredited child care program or a Texas Rising Star Program; (E) be employed as a prekindergarten teacher in a school district that has received approval from the commissioner for the district's prekindergarten-specific instructional training plan that the teacher uses in the teacher's prekindergarten classroom; or (F) an equivalent qualification. (b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), each teacher for a prekindergarten class provided by an entity with which a school district contracts to provide a prekindergarten program must: (1) be certified under Subchapter B , Chapter 21 , to teach prekindergarten or supervised by a person who meets the requirements under Subsection (b); (2) have one of the following qualifications: (A) at least two years' experience of teaching in a nationally accredited child care program or a Texas Rising Star Program and: (i) a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or another early childhood education credential approved by the agency; or (ii) certification offered through a training center accredited by Association Montessori Internationale or through the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education; or (B) a qualification described by Subsection (b)(2)(A), (D), (E), or (F); and (3) when appropriate, be appropriately certified or be supervised by a person who is appropriately certified to provide effective instruction to emergent bilingual students, as defined by Section 29.052 , enrolled in the prekindergarten program. (b-2) A person who supervises a prekindergarten program provided by an entity with which a school district contracts for that purpose may supervise multiple prekindergarten classrooms to: (1) ensure programmatic compliance; and (2) support: (A) classroom instruction; (B) the developmental needs of students; and (C) continuous quality improvement, including professional development. (b-3) Subsections (b-1), (b-2), and (b-4) and this subsection expire September 1, 2029. (b-4) Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) apply to any prekindergarten class provided by an entity with which a school district contracts to provide a prekindergarten program under Section 29.153 . (c) A school district may allow a teacher employed by the district to receive the training required to be awarded a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential from a regional education service center that offers the training in accordance with Section 8.058 . Training may not include national curriculum standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. (d) A school district or an entity with which the district contracts to provide a prekindergarten program must attempt to maintain an average ratio in any prekindergarten program class of not less than one qualified teacher or teacher's aide for each 11 students. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 142 (H.B. 4 ), Sec. 7, eff. May 28, 2015. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 943 (H.B. 3 ), Sec. 2.027, eff. June 12, 2019. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 841 (H.B. 2729 ), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1065 (H.B. 2 ), Sec. 5.17, eff. June 20, 2025.