Office of the Superintendent of Schools
Office of Human Resources
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Approval Of District Of Innovation Application
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The purpose of this agenda item is to request that the Houston Independent School District (HISD) School Board approves the district’s application to the commissioner of education for a District of Innovation (DOI) extension of teacher certification requirements for high school foundation curriculum courses. Approval is needed to allow HISD to continue employing uncertified individuals in these courses until the beginning of the 2029-2030 school year.
Recent legislation (House Bill 2, Texas Education Code §21.0032) phases out DOI exemptions for teacher certification in foundation subjects starting in 2026-2027 for kindergarten-5 reading and mathematics (not applicable to HISD’s current DOI plan) and in 2027-2028 for all foundation subjects (reading, English language arts, math, science, social studies). HISD’s current DOI plan applies exemptions only to high school foundation courses.
Districts may request a commissioner-approved extension until 2029-2030. HISD seeks this extension to address ongoing teacher shortages while transitioning uncertified staff into certification pathways.
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THIS ITEM DOES NOT ESTABLISH, MODIFY, OR DELETE BOARD POLICY.
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RECOMMENDED: That the School Board approves the district’s application to the commissioner of education for a DOI extension of teacher certification requirements for high school foundation curriculum courses, effective October 10, 2025.