Texas Education Code
§ 21.3521 — LOCAL OPTIONAL TEACHER DESIGNATION SYSTEM
ED § 21.3521Title 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION · Part D. EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS · Ch. 21. EDUCATORS · Art. H. APPRAISALS AND INCENTIVES
Statute text
View on source(a)Subject to Subsection (b), a school district or open-enrollment charter school may designate a classroom teacher as a master, exemplary, recognized, or acknowledged teacher for a five-year period based on the results from single year or multiyear appraisals that comply with Section 21.351 or 21.352.
(b)The commissioner shall establish performance and validity standards for each local optional teacher designation system. The performance standards:
(1)must provide a mathematical possibility that all teachers eligible for a designation may earn the designation; and
(2)may not require a district to use an assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023 to evaluate teacher performance.
(c)Notwithstanding performance standards established under Subsection (b) and subject to authorization under Section 21.3523, a classroom teacher that holds a National Board Certification issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards may be designated as nationally board certified. (c-1) A classroom teacher's designation under Subsection (c) is valid for a five-year period, regardless of whether the State Board for Educator Certification subsequently revokes authorization for a nationally board certified teacher designation under Section 21.3523.
(d)The commissioner shall:
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Legislative history
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 806 (H.B. 1525), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2021. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1065 (H.B. 2), Sec. 1.01, eff. June 20, 2025.