Update on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Review

June 23, 2017

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

SUMMARY: This item provides the opportunity for staff to present an update on the review of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The item also provides the opportunity for the board to take action regarding the processes for revision and streamlining of the 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. 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.

The board approved revisions to the process for review and revision of the TEKS in January 2011 and requested that staff use the revised process beginning with review and revision of the mathematics and fine arts TEKS. At the November 2011 SBOE meeting, the Committee of the Full Board held a work session to examine the instructional materials adoption cycle and the timeline for the review and revision of the TEKS. At the January 2012 meeting, the board adopted a revised instructional materials adoption cycle and updated the schedule for the review and revision of the TEKS to better align with the new instructional materials adoption cycle. The board took action at the July 2012 meeting to approve revisions to the process for the review and revision of the TEKS. At the January 2013 meeting, the board approved changes to its operating rules and asked staff to update the process for review and revision of the TEKS to align with changes to its operating rules. The revised process was used for the review and revision of the LOTE TEKS. In April 2014, the board again revised the process for review and revision of the TEKS to include more specific direction to TEKS review committees. The revised process was used for the review and revision of the CTE TEKS and was used for the English and Spanish language arts and reading TEKS review.

A discussion item on the process for streamlining the TEKS was presented to the Committee on Instruction at the November 2015 SBOE meeting. At the January 2016 meeting, the board approved the process to be used in streamlining the TEKS. This process was used for the streamlining of the science TEKS.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: The board received training from a standards writing advisor at the July 2014 meeting. The standards writing advisor provided additional training to Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff in October 2014 to support future facilitation of the TEKS review committees. This guidance was fully implemented beginning with the review and revision of the English and Spanish language arts and reading TEKS.

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.

At the September 2015 meeting, the SBOE requested that staff update the TEKS and Instructional Materials working document to add streamlining of the science and social studies TEKS to the cycle for the review and revision of the TEKS. The SBOE began the streamlining of the science TEKS in spring 2016. A discussion item regarding the proposed amendments to the science TEKS was presented to the Committee of the Full Board at the November 2016 SBOE meeting. In accordance with the board's TEKS streamlining process, one member of each TEKS review committee presented invited testimony at the meeting. At the January/February 2017 meeting, proposed amendments to the science TEKS were approved for first reading and filing authorization. The SBOE approved proposed amendments to the science TEKS for second reading and final adoption at the April 2017 meeting.

This item provides the opportunity for the board to take action regarding the processes for revision and streamlining of the TEKS.

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:

A public hearing on proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Subchapter C, High School, and 19 TAC Chapter 128, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Spanish Language Arts and Reading and English as a Second Language, Subchapter C, High School, is included as a separate item in this agenda. Additionally, the following related proposals are presented as separate items in this agenda.

• Proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Subchapter C, High School, and 19 TAC Chapter 128, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Spanish Language Arts and Reading and English as a Second Language, Subchapter C, High School, are presented for second reading and final adoption.

• Proposed repeal of 19 TAC Chapter 114, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages Other than English, Subchapter A, Elementary, §114.1 and §114.2, Subchapter B, Middle School, §114.11 and §114.12, and Subchapter C, High School, §§114.21-114.29, is presented for second reading and final adoption.

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

Shelly Ramos, Senior Director
Curriculum Standards and Student Support

Attachment:
Statutory Citations (PDF, 34KB)