Update on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Review

September 1, 2023

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) and the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) and for the board to provide additional guidance to TEKS review and ELPS work groups.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4); 28.002(a) and (c); 28.025(a); and 29.051.

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

TEC, §28.002(a), identifies the subjects of the required curriculum.

TEC, §28.002(c), requires the SBOE to by rule 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(a), requires the SBOE to by rule determine the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school graduation program that are consistent with the required curriculum under the TEC, §28.002.

TEC, §29.051, establishes state bilingual education and special language programs to meet the needs of emergent bilingual students.

The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted the TEKS for all subjects effective September 1, 1998. The English language arts and reading TEKS were amended effective September 4, 2008. The Spanish language arts and reading TEKS were amended effective November 26, 2008. The TEKS for high school English elective courses were amended effective August 23, 2010. The English and Spanish language arts and reading TEKS for Kindergarten-Grade 8 were amended effective September 25, 2017, and the English language arts and reading and English as a second language (ESL) TEKS for high school were amended effective November 12, 2017. The K-12 TEKS for English and Spanish language arts and reading were again amended effective August 1, 2019, to make technical adjustments to the standards. The mathematics TEKS were amended effective August 1, 2006. The secondary mathematics TEKS were amended effective February 22, 2009. The mathematics TEKS were again amended effective September 12, 2012. The science TEKS were amended effective August 4, 2009 and were amended again to streamline the science TEKS effective August 27, 2018. The social studies TEKS were amended effective August 23, 2010 and were amended again to streamline the social studies TEKS in 2018. The career and technical education (CTE) TEKS were amended effective August 23, 2010. The CTE TEKS were again amended effective August 28, 2017. The fine arts TEKS were amended effective August 24, 2015. The TEKS for languages other than English (LOTE) were amended effective July 15, 2014, and December 31, 2014. The technology applications TEKS were amended effective September 26, 2011. The health education TEKS and the physical education TEKS were amended to be effective August 1, 2022. The science TEKS were once again amended effective April 28, 2021, November 30, 2021, and April 26, 2022. The revised science TEKS are scheduled to be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year. The technology applications TEKS were amended effective August 7, 2022, and are also scheduled to be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year. At the November 2022 meeting, the SBOE approved proposed revisions to the social studies TEKS to align with requirements of Senate Bill 3, 87th Texas Legislature, Second Called Session, for implementation beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.

At the June 2019 SBOE meeting, the board held a work session to discuss updating the TEKS and instructional materials review and adoption schedule. At the September 2019 meeting, the board approved the schedule through the 2030-2031 school year. The board held another work session to discuss updates to the TEKS and instructional materials review and adoption schedule at the January 2021 meeting. The board approved updates to the TEKS and instructional materials review and adoption schedule at the April 2021 meeting. At the April 2023 SBOE meeting, the board approved changes to the TEKS review process, including the addition of a process for selecting work group members. At the June 2023 meeting, the SBOE discussed a preliminary draft of proposed changes to the ELPS.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: 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.

In 2017, the SBOE significantly revised the process for the review and revision of the TEKS. The 2017 TEKS review process was used for the streamlining of the social studies TEKS. At the November 2018 meeting, the SBOE approved updates to the 2017 TEKS review and revision process to better clarify the process. The updated process was used for the review of the physical education, health education, and science TEKS.

At the January 2021 meeting, the board held a work session to discuss the timeline for the TEKS review and revision process and associated activities, including updates to State Board for Educator Certification teacher assignment rules and certification exams, adoption of instructional materials, and the completion of the Texas Resource Review. TEA provided an overview of CTE programs of study and a skills gap analysis to inform the review and revision of the CTE TEKS. The board discussed potential adjustments to the TEKS and Instructional Materials Review and Adoption Schedule. At the April 2021 meeting, the SBOE approved revisions to the TEKS and Instructional Materials Review and Adoption Schedule.

In early 2019, the SBOE began the review of the ELPS in accordance with the SBOE's approved TEKS and instructional materials review schedule. Applications to serve on ELPS review work groups were posted on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website in December 2018. Work groups were convened in March, May, August, September, and October 2019. In September 2019, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) indicated that Texas only partially met the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act. In response to feedback from the work group members and feedback from the USDE, TEA staff convened a panel of experts in second language acquisition from Texas institutions of higher education to complete an analysis of the work group recommendations and current research on English language acquisition. Based on the panel's findings and direction from the SBOE, TEA executed personal services contracts with the panel members and a representative of an education service center to prepare a draft of revisions to the ELPS. Text of the draft ELPS completed by the expert panel was presented to the SBOE at the June 2023 meeting.

At the November 2022 SBOE meeting, the board approved a CTE TEKS review process that mirrors the process for other subjects, but accounts for factors unique to CTE. Staff provided SBOE members with applications received for work group members to review and revise the CTE TEKS for entrepreneurship and career preparation in November 2022 and January 2023. The approvals were due to TEA staff on December 1, 2022, and January 2023, respectively. TEA convened work groups for entrepreneurship and career preparation CTE TEKS in February, March, and April 2023. A public hearing and a separate action item in this agenda have been prepared for the board to discuss and approve for first reading and filing authorization the proposed revisions to the entrepreneurship and career preparation CTE TEKS.

In February 2023, TEA posted a work group application to develop recommendations for revisions to the TEKS for certain courses in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources career cluster; two CTE science courses that may satisfy a science graduation requirement, Principles of Technology and Scientific Research and Design; and the courses in the Aviation Maintenance program of study. TEA provided SBOE members with applications received in February, March, and April 2023. The approvals were due to TEA staff on March 3, March 24, April 14, and May 5. At the April 2023 SBOE meeting, the board took no action to approve advisory group members to review and comment on the proposed draft recommendations for selected courses in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources career cluster.

Additionally at the April 2023 SBOE meeting, the board discussed and approved changes to the TEKS review process, including approving a process for selecting work group members. The changes are scheduled to begin with the next subject to be reviewed and revised.

This item provides the opportunity for staff to update the board on progress related to the ongoing CTE and ELPS review processes and for the board to provide additional direction to TEKS review and ELPS work groups.

Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Programs
Shelly Ramos, Senior Director, Curriculum Standards and Student Support