The requirements of this section shall apply to all AEL staff, excluding clerical and janitorial staff.
(1) AEL instructional aides, administrative, data entry, proctoring staff, and staff providing support or employment services to students shall have at least a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate.
(2) AEL directors, supervisors, and staff that oversee program assessment services and/or overall program accountability, and instructors in the content areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and English language acquisition, including substitutes, shall possess at least a bachelor's degree.
(3) Workforce training instructors must meet the requirements of the institution and/or the associated accrediting or credentialing entity, if applicable.
(4) Requests for exemptions for staff qualification requirements in individual cases:
(5) All AEL directors and supervisors, and other staff with program oversight or coordination responsibilities shall receive 15 clock hours of professional development each program year with the following exception: Staff hired on or after January 1 of a program year may require half of the professional development time required for that program year.
(6) All AEL instructional staff, including instructional aides providing instruction to students, except substitutes, paid with AEL grant funds or who acquire student contact hours, including volunteers, shall receive at least 15 clock hours of professional development each program year, with the following specifications:
(7) All staff providing support services or college and career transitional support who are paid through an AEL grant shall receive at least three clock hours of professional development each program year.
(8) AEL non-instructional support staff, such as, but not limited to, those assigned test proctoring or data entry duties, shall receive at least three clock hours of professional development related to their primary job duties each program year.
(9) The requirements for professional development may be reduced by grant recipients in individual cases in which exceptional circumstances prevent employees from completing the required hours of professional development. Exceptional circumstances can include absence from the program or work due to personal health reasons or emergency familial responsibilities, including maternity/paternity. Documentation justifying these circumstances shall be available for monitoring and as requested by AEL staff.
(10) Records of staff qualifications and professional development shall be maintained by each grant recipient and shall be available for monitoring.
Source Note: The provisions of this §805.21 adopted to be effective February 24, 2014, 39 TexReg 1205; amended to be effective July 20, 2016, 41 TexReg 5231; amended to be effective December 16, 2018, 43 TexReg 8150; amended to be effective November 24, 2022, 47 TexReg 7749