January 28, 2020 Committee of the Full Board Item 5
Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, §74.11, High School Graduation Requirements, §74.12, Foundation High School Program, and §74.13, Endorsements
(First Reading and Filing Authorization)
January 31, 2020
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item presents for first reading and filing authorization proposed amendments to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, §74.11, High School Graduation Requirements, §74.12, Foundation High School Program, and §74.13, Endorsements. The proposed amendments would update the rules to align with the requirements of House Bill (HB) 678, 86th Texas Legislature, 2019, and revisions to career and technical education (CTE) programs of study.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4); 28.002(a) and (c); and 28.025(a) and (c-1).
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 program that are consistent with the required curriculum and to designate the specific courses in the foundation curriculum that are required under the foundation high school program.
TEC, §28.025(c-1), requires the SBOE to by rule provide students with multiple options for earning each endorsement, including, to the greatest extent possible, coherent sequences of courses. The SBOE by rule must permit a student to enroll in courses under more than one endorsement curriculum before the student's junior year.
The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The proposed effective date of the proposed amendments is August 1, 2020. Under TEC, §7.102(f), the SBOE must approve the rule action at second reading and final adoption by a vote of two-thirds of its members to specify an effective date earlier than the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. The earlier effective date will allow districts of innovation that begin school prior to the statutorily required start date to implement the proposed rulemaking when they begin their school year.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted rules in 19 TAC Chapter 74, Subchapter B, to implement the Foundation High School Program effective July 8, 2014. The SBOE adopted amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Subchapter B, effective August 22, 2016; August 28, 2017; and August 27, 2018. The SBOE last adopted amendments effective August 1, 2019. A discussion item regarding Chapter 74, Subchapter B, was included on the agenda for the Committee of the Full Board during the November 2019 SBOE meeting.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: The 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, passed HB 5, amending the TEC, §28.025, to transition from three high school graduation programs to one foundation high school program with endorsement options to increase flexibility for students. HB 5 gave the SBOE the authority to identify advanced courses related to the new graduation program, identify the curriculum requirements for the endorsements, and determine the requirements for performance acknowledgments related to the graduation program.
The 86th Texas Legislature, 2019, passed HB 678, which amended TEC, §28.025(b-21), to allow elementary school students to earn one high school credit toward the languages other than English (LOTE) graduation requirement by successfully completing a course in American Sign Language (ASL).
The 86th Texas Legislature, 2019, also passed House Bill 963, which requires the SBOE, not later than March 1, 2020, to conduct a review of the TEKS for CTE and technology applications courses for Grades 9-12 and amend the board's rules to consolidate courses and eliminate duplicative courses. The SBOE is required to implement this provision only if the legislature appropriated money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature did not appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the SBOE may, but is not required to, implement a requirement using other appropriations available for that purpose. The legislature did not appropriate money specifically for the purpose of implementing this requirement.
Texas is redesigning state-level programs of study to include coherent and rigorous content with challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical content. Programs of study will be aligned with state and regional labor market information, including high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand occupations. As a part of the program of study revision process, Texas conducted a statewide labor market analysis that discovered several instances where occupations and postsecondary training overlap.
The attachment to this item reflects the text of proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, §74.11, High School Graduation Requirements; §74.12, Foundation High School Program; and §74.13, Endorsements, for consideration by the SBOE for first reading and filing authorization. The proposed amendments would update the graduation requirements to reflect changes to the rules on endorsements to reflect the revised programs of study and to ensure that a student who completed a program of study could earn one of the endorsements. Additionally, the proposed amendments would update the rules to align with the consolidation of the high school technology applications and CTE TEKS, allow students who completed an ASL course in elementary school to earn one high school credit toward the LOTE graduation requirement, and clarify language regarding the requirements for satisfying a LOTE graduation requirement by completing a dual language immersion program while in elementary school.
Proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter C, High School, and Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses, and Chapter 130, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education, Subchapter A, Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; Subchapter C, Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications; Subchapter K, Information Technology; and Subchapter O, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and proposed new 19 TAC Chapter 130, Subchapter Q, Energy, is presented as a separate item in this agenda.
FISCAL IMPACT: The TEA has determined that there are no additional costs to state or local government required to comply with the proposal.
LOCAL EMPLOYMENT IMPACT: The proposal has no effect on local economy; therefore, no local employment impact statement is required under Texas Government Code, §2001.022.
SMALL BUSINESS, MICROBUSINESS, AND RURAL COMMUNITY IMPACT: The proposal has 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.
COST INCREASE TO REGULATED PERSONS: The proposal does not impose a cost on regulated persons, another state agency, a special district, or a local government and, therefore, is not subject to Texas Government Code, §2001.0045.
TAKINGS IMPACT ASSESSMENT: The proposal does not impose a burden on private real property and, therefore, does not constitute a taking under Texas Government Code, §2007.043.
GOVERNMENT GROWTH IMPACT: TEA staff prepared a Government Growth Impact Statement assessment for this proposed rulemaking. The proposed rulemaking would expand an existing regulation by allowing elementary school students to earn one high school credit toward the LOTE graduation requirement by successfully completing a course in ASL. The proposed rulemaking would also expand a regulation by allowing students to fulfill graduation requirements by completing courses in a new career cluster for CTE.
The proposed rulemaking would not create or eliminate a government program; would not require the creation of new employee positions or elimination of existing employee positions; would not require an increase or decrease in future legislative appropriations to the agency; would not require an increase or decrease in fees paid to the agency; would not create a new regulation; would not limit or repeal an existing regulation; would not increase or decrease the number of individuals subject to its applicability; and would not positively or adversely affect the state's economy.
PUBLIC BENEFIT AND COST TO PERSONS: The proposal would provide added flexibility in course options for students to meet high school graduation requirements. There is no anticipated economic cost to persons who are required to comply with the proposal.
DATA AND REPORTING IMPACT: The proposal would have no new data and reporting impact.
PRINCIPAL AND CLASSROOM TEACHER PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: The TEA has determined that the proposal would not require a written report or other paperwork to be completed by a principal or classroom teacher.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: The public comment period on the proposal begins March 6, 2020, and ends April 10, 2020. The SBOE will take registered oral and written comments on the proposal at the appropriate committee meeting in April 2020 in accordance with the SBOE board operating policies and procedures. 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 on March 6, 2020.
MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:
Approve for first reading and filing authorization proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, §74.11, High School Graduation Requirements; §74.12, Foundation High School Program; and §74.13, Endorsements.
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Support Services
Shelly Ramos, Senior Director, Curriculum Standards and Student Support
Attachment: Text of Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, §74.11, High School Graduation Requirements; §74.12, Foundation High School Program; and §74.13, Endorsements