EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATION.

(a) To ensure that there are teachers with special training in early childhood education focusing on prekindergarten through grade three, the board shall establish an early childhood certificate.

(b) A person is not required to hold a certificate established under this section to be employed by a school district to provide instruction in prekindergarten through grade three.

(c) To be eligible for a certificate established under this section, a person must:

(1) either:

(A) satisfactorily complete the course work for that certificate in an educator preparation program, including a knowledge-based and skills-based course of instruction on early childhood education that includes:

(i) teaching methods for:

(a) using small group instructional formats that focus on building social, emotional, and academic skills;

(b) navigating multiple content areas; and

(c) managing a classroom environment in which small groups of students are working on different tasks; and

(ii) strategies for teaching fundamental academic skills, including reading, writing, and numeracy; or

(B) hold an early childhood through grade six certificate issued under this subchapter and satisfactorily complete a course of instruction described by Paragraph (A);

(2) perform satisfactorily on an early childhood certificate examination prescribed by the board; and

(3) satisfy any other requirements prescribed by the board.

(d) The criteria for the course of instruction described by Subsection (c)(1)(A) shall be developed by the board in consultation with faculty members who provide instruction at institutions of higher education in educator preparation programs for an early childhood through grade six certificate.