June 25, 2024 Committee of the Full Board Item 5

Consideration of Next Steps for Review, Revision, and Development of Career and Technical Education Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

June 28, 2024

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

SUMMARY: This item provides an opportunity for the board to take action on next steps related to adoption of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for career and technical education (CTE) courses that are needed for completion of programs of study and to consider a schedule for future review and revision of CTE TEKS.

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

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.

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 CTE TEKS were amended effective August 23, 2010. The CTE TEKS were again amended effective August 28, 2017. CTE TEKS for courses in education and training; health science; and science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) were amended to be effective April 26, 2022; June 14, 2022; and August 7, 2022. In November 2023, the SBOE adopted new TEKS for CTE career preparation and entrepreneurship courses to be implemented 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 April 2024 meeting, the SBOE approved for second reading and final adoption proposed new CTE TEKS for courses in the agribusiness, animal science, plant science, and aviation maintenance programs of study as well as two science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses that may satisfy science graduation requirements.

At its January-February 2024 meeting, the board adopted the IMRA process and procedures, as amended, in addition to the first set of quality rubrics.

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.

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.

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 being implemented beginning with the engineering TEKS review process.

At the November 2023 meeting, the SBOE indicated that it would begin work on new TEKS for the new engineering CTE career cluster. In December 2023, TEA posted an application for individuals interested in serving on an engineering TEKS review work group. The first set of completed applications was sent to SBOE members on February 6, 2024, and a second set of applications was sent out on March 1, 2024.

At the April 2024 meeting, the SBOE approved new TEKS for 23 courses in the agribusiness, animal science, plant science, and aviation maintenance programs of study as well as two science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses that may satisfy science graduation requirements, Physics for Engineers and Scientific Research and Design. Additionally, TEA staff shared an overview of upcoming interrelated needs for TEKS review and revision and IMRA. Staff explained upcoming needs related to development and amendment of CTE courses, made recommendations for completing the work in batches, and recommended including CTE in the next three cycles of IMRA. The board was presented with the list of individuals who will be included in the CTE TEKS Review Engineering Advisory Group.

This item provides the opportunity for the board to take action on next steps related to the adoption of CTE courses that are needed to complete programs of study and to consider a schedule for future CTE TEKS reviews.

Staff Member Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Programs