Texas appraiser board reviews proposal to approve in‑person practicum pathway, hears provider who runs program in seven states

The Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board heard a detailed presentation May 16 on creating a state approval program for practicum courses, a hybrid in‑person training pathway that combines classroom instruction and supervised field experience. The board invited Melissa Bond, creator of the Mississippi practicum program, to explain how her program is structured and to answer board members’ questions.

The discussion matters because practicums are an AQB‑recognized route for earning experience hours but have not been widely adopted; proponents say practicums can expand access to the appraisal profession in areas where supervisors are scarce. Melissa Bond described a program that emphasizes USPAP and hands‑on learning, with on‑site visits, mandatory virtual and evening sessions, one‑on‑one coaching and a large library of recorded lessons. Bond said her model delivers high pass rates on the national licensing exam and that her program is approved in seven states (Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, California, West Virginia, South Carolina and Louisiana). “This practicum begins, the focus is on USPAP,” Bond said, describing the course's emphasis on applying standards to real‑world assignments.

Board members raised operational questions and cautions. Several members asked how a Texas approval program would be staffed, how the board would ensure consistent quality across multiple providers, and whether private providers would serve rural Texas communities or concentrate where travel is easier. Director Melissa Tran and board members noted the state would need a needs analysis to identify counties with low appraiser capacity and asked staff to survey AMCs and other stakeholders to determine whether licensed appraisers would meet local demand. The board discussed scalability, instructor‑to‑student ratios, and the risk of approving programs that vary widely in quality.

Bond addressed several of these concerns, saying providers can and should tailor offerings by region, that individual trainees pay tuition, and that a practicum can be designed to serve underserved counties first. Bond also said a licensed appraiser who completes the practicum can continue toward certification by gaining additional hours and that some lenders and VA panels have accepted her program graduates on their panels.

Board members emphasized they are still gathering information. Several asked staff to return with a needs analysis of Texas counties, data on employment demand from lenders and AMCs, and examples of how other states evaluated and staffed approval programs. Staff and general counsel noted related rule changes (22 TAC provisions) would need to be drafted alongside any approval process. The board did not vote to adopt an approval process at this meeting; members said the education committee should continue the work and present recommended next steps.

The board also discussed possible next steps for assuring quality if the program moves forward: a checklist for provider review, instructor qualifications, attendance and records policies, and front‑end review of sample practicum reports rather than backend experience audits.

Board members asked for targeted follow‑up before the board acts: a statewide needs analysis, outreach to AMCs and lenders about acceptance of licensed appraisers trained through practicums, resource estimates for agency staff oversight, and examples of practicum approvals in other states.

The presentation and discussion concluded with staff and the education committee tasked with collecting the requested information and returning recommendations to the full board for further consideration.

Ending: The board left the item open for more study and directed staff and the education committee to gather the information the board requested, including state needs analysis and resource estimates, before any rulemaking or approval program is proposed.