Sec. 29.167. 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) a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or another early childhood education credential approved by the agency;

(B) certification offered through a training center accredited by Association Montessori Internationale or through the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education;

(C) at least eight years' experience of teaching in a nationally accredited child care program;

(D) 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

(E) an equivalent qualification.

(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 must attempt to maintain an average ratio in any prekindergarten program class of not less than one certified 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.