Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter C, High School, §113.76, Personal Financial Literacy and Economics
(Second Reading and Final Adoption)

June 17, 2022

COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION

SUMMARY: This item presents for second reading and final adoption proposed new 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter C, High School, §113.76, Personal Financial Literacy and Economics. The proposed new rule would add Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for a new social studies course to comply with the requirements of Senate Bill (SB) 1063, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021. No changes are recommended since approved for first reading.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4); 28.002(a) and (c); and 28.025(b-1) and (b-22), as amended and added by SB 1063, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021.

TEC, §7.102(c)(4), requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to establish curriculum and graduation requirements.

TEC, §28.002(a), identifies the subjects of the required curriculum.

TEC, §28.002(c), requires the SBOE to identify by rule the essential knowledge and skills of each subject in the required curriculum that all students should be able to demonstrate and that will be used in evaluating instructional materials and addressed on the state assessment instruments.

TEC, §28.025(b-1), as amended by SB 1063, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, requires the SBOE to determine by rule specific courses for graduation under the foundation high school program.

TEC, §28.025(b-22), as added by SB 1063, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, requires that, in adopting TEKS for a personal financial literacy and economics course, the SBOE must ensure that the required curriculum allocates two-thirds of instruction time to instruction in personal financial literacy and one-third of instruction time to instruction in economics.

The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The proposed effective date of the proposed new section is 20 days after filing as adopted with the Texas Register. Under TEC, §7.102(f), the SBOE must approve the rule action at second reading and final adoption by a vote of two-thirds of its members to specify an effective date earlier than the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. The earlier effective date will enable districts to begin offering the new course in the 2022-2023 school year in accordance with statute.

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted §113.49, Personal Financial Literacy (One-Half Credit), Adopted 2016, effective August 22, 2016. A discussion item on a proposed new section for personal financial literacy and economics to implement SB 1063 was presented to the Committee of the Full Board at the January 2022 SBOE meeting. At the April 2022 SBOE meeting, the board approved for first reading and filing authorization proposed new §113.76.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: The 83rd Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2662, amending TEC, §28.0021, to require school districts and open-enrollment charter schools offering a high school program to provide a one-half credit elective course in personal financial literacy. In 2016, the SBOE adopted the proposed new personal financial literacy course. The course,
19 TAC §113.49, Personal Financial Literacy (One-Half Credit), Adopted 2016, was implemented beginning with the 2016-2017 school year.

In 2021, the 87th Texas Legislature passed SB 1063, amending TEC, §28.025, to add a one-half credit course in personal financial literacy and economics as an option to meet the one-half credit graduation requirement for economics under the Foundation High School Program. SB 1063 requires that the SBOE adopt TEKS for the personal financial literacy and economics course and that the required curriculum for the course allocate two-thirds of the instructional time to personal financial literacy and one-third of instructional time to economics.

A personal financial literacy and economics TEKS review work group convened twice in January 2022 and once in February 2022 to draft recommendations for the proposed new course. The work group's charge included developing recommendations for revisions to §113.49, Personal Financial Literacy (One-Half Credit), Adopted 2016; §113.31, Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits, High School (One-Half Credit), Adopted 2018; and §113.61, Economics Advanced Studies (One-Half Credit), which will be presented to the SBOE for discussion at a future meeting.

The attachment to this item reflects the text of proposed new §113.76 for consideration by the SBOE for second reading and final adoption. No changes are recommended since approved for first reading.

FISCAL IMPACT: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has determined that for the first five years the proposal is in effect (2022-2026), there are no fiscal implications to the state. However, there will be implications for TEA if the state develops professional development to help teachers and administrators understand the revised TEKS. Any professional development that is created would be based on whether TEA received an appropriation for professional development in the next biennium.

There may be fiscal implications for school districts and charter schools to implement the proposed revisions to the TEKS, which may include the need for professional development and revisions to district-developed databases, curriculum, and scope and sequence documents. Since curriculum and instruction decisions are made at the local district level, it is difficult to estimate the fiscal impact on any given district.

LOCAL EMPLOYMENT IMPACT: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

The proposal has no effect on local economy; therefore, no local employment impact statement is required under Texas Government Code, §2001.022.

SMALL BUSINESS, MICROBUSINESS, AND RURAL COMMUNITY IMPACT: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

The proposal has no direct adverse economic impact for small businesses, microbusinesses, or rural communities; therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis specified in Texas Government Code, §2006.002, is required.

COST INCREASE TO REGULATED PERSONS: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

The proposal does not impose a cost on regulated persons, another state agency, a special district, or a local government and, therefore, is not subject to Texas Government Code, §2001.0045.

TAKINGS IMPACT ASSESSMENT: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

The proposal does not impose a burden on private real property and, therefore, does not constitute a taking under Texas Government Code, §2007.043.

GOVERNMENT GROWTH IMPACT: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

TEA staff prepared a Government Growth Impact Statement assessment for this proposed rulemaking. During the first five years the proposed rulemaking would be in effect, it would create a new regulation by proposing new social studies TEKS required to be taught by school districts and charter schools offering the course.

The proposed rulemaking would not create or eliminate a government program; would not require the creation of new employee positions or elimination of existing employee positions; would not require an increase or decrease in future legislative appropriations to the agency; would not require an increase or decrease in fees paid to the agency; would not expand, limit, or repeal an existing regulation; would not increase or decrease the number of individuals subject to its applicability; and would not positively or adversely affect the state's economy.

PUBLIC BENEFIT AND COST TO PERSONS: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

The proposed new rule would add TEKS for a new social studies course to comply with the requirements of SB 1063, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, and would allow students to fulfill their economics graduation requirement by successfully completing this course. There is no anticipated economic cost to persons who are required to comply with the proposal.

DATA AND REPORTING IMPACT: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

The proposal would have no data and reporting impact.

PRINCIPAL AND CLASSROOM TEACHER PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: No changes have been made to this section since published as proposed.

TEA has determined that the proposal would not require a written report or other paperwork to be completed by a principal or classroom teacher.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: Following the April 2022 SBOE meeting, notice of proposed new §113.76 was filed with the Texas Register, initiating the public comment period. The public comment period began May 6, 2022 and ended at 5:00 p.m. on June 10, 2022. No comments had been received at the time this item was prepared. A summary of public comments received will be provided to the SBOE prior to and during the June 2022 meeting. The SBOE will take registered oral and written comments on the proposal at the appropriate committee meeting in June 2022 in accordance with the SBOE board operating policies and procedures.

MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:

Approve for second reading and final adoption proposed new 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter C, High School, §113.76, Personal Financial Literacy and Economics; and

Make an affirmative finding that immediate adoption of proposed new 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter C, High School, §113.76, Personal Financial Literacy and Economics, is necessary and shall have an effective date of 20 days after filing as adopted with the Texas Register. (Per TEC, §7.102(f), a vote of two-thirds of the members of the board is necessary for an earlier effective date.)

Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Programs
Shelly Ramos, Senior Director, Curriculum Standards and Student Support

Attachment:
Text of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter C, High School, §113.76, Personal Financial Literacy and Economics