A school based teacher educator (SBTE) is an educator in an elementary or secondary school who is responsible for preservice, inservice, or continuing education. Preliminary results of a two-year (1975-77) study of the role and competencies of SBTE's in Texas were culled from information from a state survey, 40 teacher centers, and advisory boards. An early discovery was that staff developers did not personally deliver the inservice programs that they organized and managed, but worked with beginning teachers rather than the more intimidating experienced teachers. Criteria for providing clinical experiences in teacher education include: (1) The individual is engaged in actual observation of students in the school setting; (2) The individual has the opportunity and the power to manipulate instructional variables; (3) Expectations of the individual are explicit and public; and (4) Systematic feedback is provided in a manner that encourages personal responsibility for future professional growth. Twenty SBTE competencies were identified, consisting, for the most part, of assisting teachers to develop skills and to gather and use information. The SBTE concepts have implications for teachers (particularly for beginning teachers), professional organizations, school districts, colleges and universities, state education departments, and researchers. (FG)