Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School
(Second Reading and Final Adoption)

April 21, 2017

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

SUMMARY: This item presents for second reading and final adoption proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School. The proposed amendments would streamline the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for science with a recommended implementation date of the 2017-2018 school year.

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 the proposed amendments is August 28, 2017.

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted the TEKS for science effective September 1, 1998. Amendments to the science TEKS were last adopted effective August 4, 2009. In January 2016, the board approved a new process for streamlining of the TEKS. The streamlining process is being used for the first time for the revision of the science TEKS.

A discussion item regarding proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Subchapters A-C, was presented to the Committee of the Full Board at the November 2016 meeting. At the January/February 2017 SBOE meeting, the board approved proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Subchapters A-C, for first reading and filing authorization.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: Applications for appointment to science TEKS streamlining committees were accepted by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) from February 4, 2016 through March 14, 2016. The applications received were provided to SBOE members at the April 2016 meeting, and nominations for science TEKS streamlining committees were made in summer 2016. Committee members were notified of the appointment in June 2016.

Science TEKS streamlining committee members participated in a training webinar in July 2016 in preparation for the first face-to-face meeting. Also in July 2016, the science TEKS streamlining committees convened in Austin to begin work on draft recommendations for the TEKS. The committees convened again in September 2016 to complete their initial draft recommendations.

In October 2016, the committee draft recommendations were provided to the board and posted to the TEA website for informal public feedback. In accordance with the board's TEKS streamlining process, one member of each TEKS review committee presented invited testimony at the November 2016 meeting. The science TEKS streamlining committees convened for a third time in January 2017 in order to review feedback and finalize their recommendations, which were presented to the board at the January/February 2017 meeting.

Attachment II reflects the proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Subchapters A-C, for consideration by the SBOE for second reading and final adoption.

FISCAL IMPACT: There are fiscal implications for the TEA in fiscal year 2017 to reimburse committee members for travel to review and streamline the science TEKS. There are also implications for the TEA if the state develops professional development to help teachers and administrators understand the streamlined TEKS. For fiscal year 2016, the estimated cost to the TEA for reviewing and revising the TEKS was $31,500, and for fiscal year 2017, the estimated cost is $68,000. Any professional development that is created would be based on whether the TEA receives an appropriation for professional development in the next biennium. The TEA does not anticipate any implications for the state beyond fiscal year 2017.

There may be fiscal implications for school districts and charter schools to implement the streamlined 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.

The TEA has determined that 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 better alignment of the TEKS and streamlining to ensure the standards can be reasonably taught within the amount of time typically allotted for the subject or course.

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

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

PUBLIC COMMENTS: Following the January/February 2017 SBOE meeting, notice of the proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Subchapters A-C, was filed with the Texas Register, initiating the public comment period. A summary of any public comments received regarding the proposal will be provided to the SBOE prior to and during the April 2017 meeting.

ALTERNATIVES: None.

OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: A public hearing on proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School, is included as a separate item in this agenda.

MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:

Approve for second reading and final adoption proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School, with an effective date of August 28, 2017.

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, 31KB)
II. Text of Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School (PDF, 314KB)