Update on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Review

November 8, 2017

COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION

SUMMARY: This item provides the opportunity for staff to present an update on the review of the 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.

BOARD RESPONSE: This item is presented for review and comment.

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted the TEKS for all subjects to be effective September 1, 1998. The English language arts and reading TEKS were amended to be effective September 4, 2008. The Spanish language arts and reading TEKS were amended to be effective November 26, 2008. The TEKS high school English elective courses were amended to be effective August 23, 2010. In May 2017, the SBOE gave final approval to revisions to the English and Spanish language arts and reading TEKS for Kindergarten-Grade 8 with a scheduled implementation date of the 2019-2020 school year. In June 2017, the SBOE gave final approval to revisions to the English language arts and reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) TEKS for high school with a scheduled implementation date of the 2020-2021 school year. The mathematics TEKS were amended to be effective August 1, 2006. The secondary mathematics TEKS were amended to be effective February 22, 2009. The mathematics TEKS were again amended to be effective September 12, 2012. The science TEKS were amended to be effective August 4, 2009. The SBOE gave final approval to streamlined science TEKS in April 2017 for implementation in the 2018-2019 school year. The social studies TEKS were amended to be effective August 23, 2010. The career and technical education (CTE) TEKS were amended to be effective August 23, 2010. The CTE TEKS were again amended to be effective August 28, 2017. The revised CTE TEKS are scheduled to be implemented beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. The fine arts TEKS were amended to be effective August 24, 2015. The TEKS for languages other than English (LOTE) were amended to be effective July 15, 2014 and December 31, 2014 and are scheduled to be implemented beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. The technology applications TEKS were amended to be effective September 26, 2011.

At the June 2017 SBOE meeting, the Committee of the Full Board held a work session to discuss the schedule for review and revision of the TEKS, the processes for review and streamlining of the TEKS, and the review and adoption cycle for instructional materials aligned to revised TEKS. At the meeting, the SBOE approved the proposed TEKS and instructional materials review and adoption schedule and the revised TEKS review process to be used beginning with the streamlining of the social studies TEKS.

An update regarding the streamlining of the social studies TEKS was presented to the Committee of the Full Board for discussion at the September 2017 SBOE meeting. Also at the September 2017 meeting, the SBOE approved a request for the commissioner to convene a committee to prepare a study of the current health education standards that would be used as a guide for the SBOE’s review and revision of the health education TEKS scheduled to begin in 2018.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: In accordance with statutory requirements that the SBOE by rule identify the essential knowledge and skills of each subject in the required curriculum, the SBOE follows a board-approved cycle to review and revise the essential knowledge and skills for each subject. The SBOE approved a proposal for the Kindergarten-Grade 8 TEKS for English and Spanish language arts and reading at its January/February 2017 SBOE meeting. However, the SBOE postponed action on first reading and filing authorization for the high school TEKS for English and Spanish language arts and reading and English as a second language until the April 2017 meeting.

At the April 2017 SBOE meeting, the committee recommended amendments to proposed revisions to the K-8 TEKS for English and Spanish language arts and reading for second reading and final adoption. At that time, the SBOE postponed second reading and final adoption of proposed revisions to the K-8 TEKS for English and Spanish language arts and reading to a special called meeting in May 2017. Also at the April 2017 SBOE meeting, the board approved proposed revisions to the high school TEKS for English and Spanish language arts and reading for first reading and filing authorization. At the May 2017 meeting, the SBOE gave final approval for proposed revisions to the K-8 TEKS for English and Spanish language arts and reading. The SBOE gave final approval to the high school TEKS at the June 2017 meeting.

At the June 2017 work session, the Committee of the Full Board indicated its intention to complete a streamlining of the social studies TEKS, with the latitude to make minor revisions to the standards if the revisions would not impact currently adopted instructional materials. The SBOE is scheduled to begin the streamlining of the social studies TEKS in January 2018. Applications to serve on TEKS streamlining work groups for social studies were posted on the TEA website in July 2017. Also in July 2017, TEA distributed a survey to collect information from educators regarding the streamlining of the social studies TEKS. The TEKS streamlining work groups will be provided with the results of the survey to inform their recommendations for streamlining the social studies TEKS.

At the September 2017 SBOE meeting, initial applications for social studies TEKS streamlining work groups were provided to SBOE members and the members were asked to submit approvals to the agency by October 18, 2017. TEA will continue collecting applications throughout the TEKS streamlining process and will provide to the SBOE any new applications received prior to the November 2017 meeting.

Also at the September 2017 meeting, the board approved a request for the commissioner to convene a group of experts to develop a study to provide guidance for the development of revised health education TEKS. At that time, the SBOE also approved parameters for the recommendations of the commissioner’s committee to include a framework for what the strands should be for kindergarten through grade 12, distinctions regarding grade levels and/or grade bands at which health concepts are most appropriately taught, and a summary of all statutory requirements related to health education and suggestions regarding the most appropriate way to integrate those requirements into the framework. The review of the health education TEKS is scheduled to begin in 2018.

FISCAL IMPACT: There will be normal business costs associated with this process for the agency, including staff and committee travel, meeting accommodations, and production and dissemination of documents.

PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Benefits include better alignment and streamlining of the TEKS and coordination of the standards with the adoption of instructional materials.

PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.

OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: Proposed revisions to 19 TAC, Chapter 130, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education, Subchapter B, Architecture and Construction, Subchapter H, Health Science, Subchapter J, Human Services, Subchapter M, Manufacturing, and Subchapter O, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, are presented for first reading and filing authorization as a separate item in this agenda.

Proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Subchapter D, Other High School English Language Arts and Reading Courses, Chapter 111, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, Subchapter D, Other High School Mathematics Courses, Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter D, Other Science Courses, and Chapter 114, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages Other Than English, Subchapter D, Other Languages Other Than English Courses, concerning International Baccalaureate Courses, are presented for first reading and filing authorization as a separate item in this agenda.

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

Shelly Ramos, Senior Director
Curriculum Standards and Student Support

Attachment:
Statutory Citations (PDF, 35KB)