Staff Qualifications and Development TAC §805.21 AEL

Staff Qualification and Development Requirements

This sheet provides a summary of Staff Qualification and Staff Development (also called Professional Development or PD) requirements for AEL Grantee and Provider staff. The full requirements can be found at https://www.twc.texas.gov/sites/default/files/ogc/docs/fr-805-ch-rev-10-22-twc.pdf.

Exemptions and Waivers

Requirements for PD and Staff Qualifications may be reduced in individual cases in which exceptional circumstances prevent employees from completing the required hours or not meeting the minimum educational requirements for their position. Documentation justifying these circumstances must be available for monitoring.

Professional Development

Local AEL staff who do not complete required number of PD hours within a program year (July1 - June 30) as outlined in TWC Rules, Chapter 805, §805.21 must receive an exemption before August 31st. The exemption form can be found on the TWC website: https://www.twc.texas.gov/programs/adult-education-literacy/teachers-providers or provided by the program’s assigned Program Specialist. All exceptions must be approved by Agency AEL staff through the staff exemption process.

Staff Qualification

Staff qualification exemption requests may be submitted to the Agency for staff that do not meet the minimum education level as outlined in TWC Rules, Chapter 805, §805.21 for their assigned job duties. The request should be submitted using the staff exemption form found on the TWC website: https://www.twc.texas.gov/programs/adult-education-literacy/teachers-providers. The form must be submitted and approved prior to an individual being placed in the position in which she/he do not meet the minimum qualifications.

Documentation of PD and Qualifications

Documentation is required for both proof that staff meet minimum education requirements and that staff has attended required PD.

Educational Qualifications

At minimum, a copy of an official transcript or copy of an individual’s degree/diploma is required for proof that educational qualifications are met for position.

Professional Development Hours

A certificate of completion generated by the PD Portal or a copy of sign-in and sign-out sheet as well as an agenda that includes number (#) of PD hours and materials that show the PD’s relationship to job duties, where relevant, must be kept in the personnel file. If PD is intended to satisfy the required principles of adult learning or relevant areas of literacy instruction hours, the certificate of completion must indicate number (#) of PD hours earned and which required content area the PD is intended to satisfy.

Position	Minimum Staff Qualifications	PD Hour Requirement	PD Content Area Description
STAFF WITH MULTIPLE ROLES	Highest staff qualifications apply	Highest hour requirements apply	AEL with more than one position funded by AEL are expected to complete the PD hours of the position that requires the most hours and the PD content areas required for both positions. For example, an instructor who also does data entry must have 15 hours total and PD in the content areas required for instructors (3 clock hours of principles of adult learning and 6 clock hours of relevant literacy instruction) as well as the 3 hours related to data entry.
LEADERSHIP Directors, supervisors and management Other staff with program oversight services or coordination responsibilities.	Bachelor’s Degree	15 hours (7.5 hrs., if hired on or after Jan. 1)	No specific PD content
INSTRUCTORS Literacy (Reading, writing, mathematics and English language acquisition) instructors, including instructional aides, volunteers or tutors who generate student contact hours. (1)	Bachelor’s Degree	15 hours (7.5 hrs., if hired on or after Jan. 1) (2)	The required 15 clock hours must include: 3 clock hours - principles of adult learning (3 hours, if hired on or after January 1) 6 clock hours - relevant areas of literacy instruction (3 hours, if hired on or after January 1) 6 clock hours at the program’s discretion, but consisting of content related to AEL program’s purpose, as outlined in §805.21(6)(A)(iii).
OTHER STAFF AEL aides (non-instructional) Entered in TEAMS as Support Services Administrative staff Data entry staff Proctoring staff (3) Staff paid with AEL funds and providing support or employment services	High School Diploma or Equivalent	3 hours	Each PY, test proctors or data entry staff must earn at least three hours of PD related to their primary job duties. For example, data entry staff must have TWC’s data management system training. All staff paid with AEL grant funds that provide support services or college and career transitional support (such as career navigators), must earn at least three hours of PD each PY.
SUBSTITUTES A substitute who works on call for four or fewer consecutive class meetings and does not have a full-time assignment, and does not assume permanent responsibilities for class instruction.	Bachelor’s degree	No required PD hours	At the discretion of the Director
WORKFORCE TRAINING INSTRUCTORS	Must meet the CTE requirements of the associated accrediting or credentialing entity and/or the hiring institution.	Depends on instructor assignment. See next column for details.	Workforce training instructors are exempt from the AEL PD requirement, as training hours do not count as direct hours, and the instructor is not tasked with teaching reading, writing, math, or ESL. A workforce training instructor tasked with teaching basic skills (reading, writing, ESL, math or other basic skills as the AEL activity) must complete the required 15 hours of PD.

(1) Per §805.21 (6)(A)(iv), Grantees can waive six clock hours of content area for individuals who have 18 or more college semesters undergraduate or graduate credit hours in relevant areas of literacy instruction. Documentation must be kept on file and semester hours placed into TEAMS under staff qualifications.

(2) Staff new to AEL or direct student service delivery, must receive at least 6 hours of PD within 30 calendar days of providing instructional activities. These 6 hours must include 3 clock hours of principles of adult learning, and 3 clock hours of the relevant area(s) of literacy instruction.

(3) Link to TWC Approved Test Trainings Chart

Updated 8/13/25