PARTNERSHIPS TO PREPARE EDUCATORS
EFFECTIVE FOR SY 2025-26
Teacher Retention Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership Programs
Establishes programs to enable educator preparation programs to form partnerships with districts to provide preservice practice opportunities and receive field-based
• experience for teacher candidates working with cooperating district teacher, including:
• Traditional Partnership Preservice
• Residency Partnership Preservice
• Alternative Partnership Preservjce
Requirements for participating districts:
• Agreements with educator preparation programs
• Field-based clinical teaching aligned with certification areas
• Mentoring of teacher candidates during first two years as teacher of record
• Data submission to TEA
• Use program funds solely for implementation
Limits instructional responsibilities of teacher candidates
• Candidates may only be paired with cooperating teachers who have agreed to participate
• Candidates cannot serve as the teacher of record or take full instructional / supervisory control, except for limited periods
Requires educator preparation programs to integrate specific resources o Must incorporate instructional materials created by the commissioner o Must include literacy and math achievement academies o Must use instructional materials and training approved by the SBOE
Partnership Programs, Compensation, & Allotments
Traditional Preservice for Standard Certificate Compensation:
• $ 3,000 for candidates
• $ 1,000 for cooperating teachers o Requires districts to provide additional compensation to teacher candidates in any amount above the required stipend
Residency Preservice for an Enhanced Standard Certificate Compensation:
• $ 10,000 for candidates
• $ 2,000 for cooperating teachers o Requires districts to provide at least $ 10,000 in compensation to teacher candidates for salary in addition to the required stipend
Alternative Preservice Program for an Intern with Preservice Experience Certificate or a Standard Certificate Compensation:
• $ 3,000 for candidates
• $ 1,000 for cooperating teachers o Requires districts to provide additional compensation to teacher candidates in any amount above the required stipend
Mentorship Program for teachers with under two years of experience
• Mentor teachers must complete annual TEA training
• Districts must pay mentors a $ 1,000 stipend
• Remaining funds may support release time for additional mentoring or training
•
Grow Your Own Program Designed to build pipelines for future teachers through:
• High school students completing CTE courses that lead to teaching careers
• Non-certified district employees earning a bachelor ' s degree while working in the district
District participation must be approved and requirements include:
• Providing paid or unpaid teaching practice with a cooperating teacher
• Offering guidance and transition supports into teacher prep programs
• Supporting employees with: o Scheduled release time to complete a bachelor ' s degree o Teaching practice under a cooperating teacher o On-the-job training aligned with certification standards o Transition support into certification programs
• Signing a written agreement with a higher education or prep program
• Ensuring employees earn a degree and enroll in a prep program within three years
• Submitting required data to TEA
Additional provisions:
• Allows allotment funds be used for tuition and fees
• Participants must be paired only with willing cooperating teachers
• Participants may not serve as teacher of record or hold full instructional responsibility, except for limited periods
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