Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 111, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and
Subchapter C, High School
(First Reading and Filing Authorization)

April 21, 2017

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

SUMMARY: This item presents for first reading and filing authorization proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 111, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School. The proposed amendments would remove references to mathematical process skills from knowledge and skills statements in the mathematics Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4), 28.002, and 28.025.

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

TEC, §28.002, identifies the subjects of the required curriculum and requires the SBOE by rule to identify 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, requires the SBOE by rule to determine the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school graduation program that are consistent with the required curriculum under the TEC, §28.002.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The proposed effective date of proposed amendments is August 28, 2017. 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 2018-2019 school year. The earlier effective date will enable districts to prepare for the changes to the revised mathematics TEKS.

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE initially adopted the TEKS for Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry effective September 1, 1996, and adopted the TEKS for elementary, middle school, Precalculus, Mathematical Models with Applications, and other high school mathematics courses effective September 1, 1998. The mathematics TEKS in 19 TAC Chapter 111, Subchapters A-C, were amended effective August 1, 2006 and February 22, 2009. The mathematics TEKS in 19 TAC Chapter 111, Subchapter D, were amended effective October 21, 2007 and July 12, 2010. The SBOE adopted the TEKS for Advanced Quantitative Reasoning effective August 22, 2011.

In January 2011, the board approved revisions to the process for review and revision of the TEKS and directed staff to use the revised process beginning with review and revision of the mathematics TEKS. Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 111, Subchapters A-D, were adopted effective September 12, 2012.

In September 2016, the SBOE held a work session on the Kindergarten-Grade 12 mathematics TEKS, and at the September 2016 SBOE meeting, the board considered amendments to remove references to mathematical process skills from knowledge and skills statements in the mathematics TEKS. At that time, however, the SBOE made the decision to hold a public hearing and take up consideration of this item for first reading and filing authorization at a future meeting. At the November 2016 SBOE meeting, the SBOE conducted a public hearing regarding possible amendments to the knowledge and skills statements relating to process standards.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: Applications for appointment to mathematics TEKS review committees were accepted by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) from October 2010 to early January 2011. Applications received prior to the November 2010 SBOE meeting were provided to SBOE members at the November meeting so that members could begin nominating individuals to serve on these committees. Applications received after the November 2010 SBOE meeting were provided to SBOE members at the January 2011 meeting so that board members could complete the nominations. Nominations for expert reviewers and mathematics TEKS review committee members were made in February 2011.

In anticipation of the review and revision of the mathematics TEKS, the commissioner of education at the time convened a group of advisors to review current research and resources and to offer suggestions regarding the TEKS revision and future professional development. The Commissioner's Mathematics Advisory Group, established in the fall of 2010, included mathematics educators and mathematicians from Texas. The recommendations of the Commissioner's Mathematics Advisory Group regarding the next generation of mathematics standards in Texas were compiled and then reviewed by a panel of national advisors in mathematics, known as the National Review Team. The resulting recommendations, known as The Commissioner's Draft of the Texas Mathematics Standards, were provided to the SBOE at its April 2011 meeting.

The mathematics TEKS review committees were convened in Austin in May 2011 to begin work on draft recommendations for revisions to the TEKS. The committees met again in July 2011 to complete their initial draft recommendations. In August 2011, the first draft recommendations were provided to the board and to the board-appointed expert reviewers and posted to the TEA website for informal public feedback. These initial drafts were reviewed by the expert reviewers. During the September 2011 Committee of the Full Board meeting, expert reviewers and representatives from the TEKS review committees provided invited testimony on the first draft recommendations.

The mathematics TEKS review committees met again in October 2011 to review feedback and complete recommendations for revisions to the mathematics TEKS. The recommendations from the review committees were provided to the Committee of the Full Board at the November 2011 meeting and were posted on the TEA website. The proposed revisions were presented for first reading and filing authorization at the January 2012 meeting, and a public hearing on the proposed revisions was held at that time. At the January 2012 meeting, the SBOE approved amendments to the implementation date of the revised TEKS. The implementation date would be contingent upon the determination by the commissioner of education of the availability of instructional materials for mathematics. Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 111, Subchapters A-D, were adopted effective September 12, 2012. The revised mathematics TEKS for Kindergarten-Grade 8 were implemented in the 2014-2015 school year and the revised mathematics TEKS for high school were implemented in the 2015-2016 school year.

The proposed amendments would remove references to mathematical process skills from knowledge and skills statements in the mathematics TEKS in order to provide clearer expectations for students and teachers.

The SBOE held a work session on the mathematics TEKS in September 2016, at which time they heard invited testimony from members of the Commissioner's Mathematics Advisory Group, the national review team, an SBOE-appointed expert, committee members from the 2012 mathematics TEKS review, and current mathematics coordinators from around the state. At the September 2016 SBOE meeting, the SBOE considered amendments to remove references to mathematical process skills from knowledge and skills statements in the mathematics TEKS. At that time, however, the SBOE decided to hold a public hearing at the November 2016 SBOE meeting and take up consideration of this item for first reading and filing authorization at a future meeting. At the November 2016 SBOE meeting, the SBOE conducted a public hearing regarding possible amendments to the knowledge and skills statements relating to process standards.

Attachment II presents the text of the proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 111, Subchapters A-C, for consideration by the SBOE for first reading and filing authorization.

FISCAL IMPACT: The Texas Education Agency has determined that that there are no additional costs to persons or entities required to comply with the proposed amendments. In addition, there is no direct adverse economic impact for small businesses or microbusinesses; therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis, specified in Texas Government Code, §2006.002, is required. There is no effect on local economy for the first five years that the proposed amendments are in effect; therefore, no local employment impact statement is required under Texas Government Code, §2001.022.

PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Benefits include more clear direction regarding what students are expected to know and be able to do in mathematics.

PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: The proposed amendments would have no new procedural and reporting requirements.

LOCALLY MAINTAINED PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: The proposed amendments would have no new locally maintained paperwork requirements.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: The official public comment period will begin when the proposal, approved for first reading and filing authorization by the SBOE, is published in the Texas Register.

ALTERNATIVES: None.

OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: A request for a public hearing on the proposal submitted under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received by the commissioner of education not more than 14 calendar days after notice of the proposal has been published in the Texas Register.

MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:

Approve for first reading and filing authorization proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 111, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School.

Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Support Services

Shelly Ramos, Senior Director
Curriculum Standards and Student Support

Attachments:
I. Statutory Citations (PDF, 30KB)
II. Text of Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 111, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School (PDF, 109KB)