Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Chapter 118, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits, and Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Concerning Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Courses
(First Reading and Filing Authorization)

February 2, 2018

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

SUMMARY: This item presents for first reading and filing authorization proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter D, Other Science Courses, Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter D, Other Social Studies Courses, Chapter 118, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits, Subchapter B, Other Economics Courses, and Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses. The proposed revisions would align the rules with current course offerings by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization and update the amount of credit available for IB and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4); 28.002; and 28.025, as amended by House Bill (HB) 3593 and Senate Bill (SB) 826, 85th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2017.

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, as amended by HB 3593 and SB 826, 85th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, 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 revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Subchapter D; Chapter 113, Subchapter D; Chapter 118, Subchapter B; and Chapter 126, Subchapter D, is August 27, 2018.

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE originally adopted the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for IB courses in English language arts and reading, mathematics, science, and economics effective September 1, 1998; IB social studies courses effective September 1, 2001; IB technology applications courses effective September 26, 2011; and IB languages other than English (LOTE) courses effective July 15, 2014. The IB mathematics TEKS were last amended effective October 10, 2012. IB History: Americas Higher Level and IB Geography Standard and Higher Levels were amended effective August 24, 2015. The TEKS for IB science courses were last revised effective August 24, 2015. A discussion item regarding the addition of TEKS for new IB course was presented for discussion to the Committee on Instruction at the January-February 2017 meeting. At the June 2017 SBOE meeting, the Committee of the Full Board held a work session, which included a discussion of IB courses currently included in SBOE rule and proposed IB courses to be added to SBOE rule. A discussion item regarding IB courses was again presented at the September 2017 meeting to the Committee of the Full Board. At the November 2017 meeting, the SBOE approved for first reading and filing authorization proposed revisions to IB courses in 19 TAC Chapters 110, 111, 112, and 114 to align board rules with current course offerings by the IB Organization and update the amount of credit available for IB courses.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: For students to earn state credit toward specific graduation requirements, a course must be approved by the SBOE and included in SBOE rule. At the September 2017 SBOE meeting, the committee discussed IB courses that are not currently included in SBOE rule and considerations regarding the appropriate amount of state credit that should be awarded for IB courses. At that time, the board requested that agency staff prepare rule text to address these issues and requested that staff balance the chapters that would be updated over two different meetings. At the November 2017 meeting, the SBOE was presented with proposed revisions to align the TEKS for English language arts and reading, mathematics, science, and LOTE with current IB course offerings. At that meeting, the SBOE approved the proposed revisions to the English language arts and reading, mathematics, science, and LOTE IB courses for first reading and filing authorization. The SBOE's approval included the addition of eight IB courses to SBOE rules and proposed updates to the amount of credit available for 13 IB courses currently in rule. Staff has since reviewed the amount of credit available for AP courses and has made recommendations to eliminate the range of credit in AP courses. Staff recommends adding two additional IB courses, not currently in rule, to Chapter 112.

This item presents the opportunity for the SBOE to approve for first reading and filing authorization proposed revisions to the TEKS for science, social studies, economics, and technology applications to align rules with additional IB course offerings and update the amount of credit available for both IB and AP courses in these subject areas.

Attachments II-V reflect the text of proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Subchapter D; Chapter 113, Subchapter D; Chapter 118, Subchapter B; and Chapter 126, Subchapter D.

FISCAL IMPACT: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has determined that there are no additional costs to persons or entities required to comply with the proposed revisions. In addition, there is 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. There is no effect on local economy for the first five years that the proposed revisions are in effect; therefore, no local employment impact statement is required under Texas Government Code, §2001.022. The proposed revisions do not impose a cost on regulated persons and, therefore, are not subject to Texas Government Code, §2001.0045.

GOVERNMENT GROWTH IMPACT: TEA staff has determined that the proposed revisions do not have a government growth impact pursuant to Texas Government Code, §2001.0221.

PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Benefits include the availability of additional IB courses to allow students more flexibility in meeting state requirements for graduation and consistency in the amount of credit available for AP and IB courses.

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

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

PUBLIC COMMENTS: The public comment period will begin when the proposal, approved for first reading and filing authorization, 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.

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, Chapter 111, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, and Chapter 114, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages Other Than English, concerning International Baccalaureate courses, are presented for second reading and final adoption.

• Proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, are presented for second reading and final adoption.

• Proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, and Chapter 111, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, are presented for first reading and filing authorization.

MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:

Approve for first reading and filing authorization proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter D, Other Science Courses, Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter D, Other Social Studies Courses, Chapter 118, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits, Subchapter B, Other Economics Courses, and Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses.

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, 52KB)
II. Text of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter D, Other Science Courses, §112.81, International Baccalaureate (IB) Design Technology Standard Level (One Credit), and §112.82, International Baccalaureate (IB) Design Technology Higher Level (One Credit) (PDF, 17KB)
III. Text of Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter D, Other Social Studies Courses (PDF, 35KB)
IV. Text of Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 118, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits, Subchapter B, Other Economics Courses (PDF, 18KB)
V. Text of Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses (PDF, 21KB)