September 11, 2024 Committee of the Full Board Item 6

Discussion of Proposed New Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Certain Career and Technical Education State-Approved Innovative Courses

September 11, 2024

COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION

SUMMARY: This item provides an opportunity for the board to discuss proposed new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for certain career and technical education (CTE) courses that are currently approved innovative courses. The proposed rule action would add new TEKS for 21 state-approved innovative courses in the following CTE career clusters: agriculture, food, and natural resources; business, marketing, and finance; engineering; health science; hospitality and tourism; information technology; and law and public service.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4); 28.002(a), (c), (n), and (o); and 28.025(a), (b-2), and (b-17).

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 identify by rule 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, §28.002(n), allows the SBOE to develop by rule and implement a plan designed to incorporate foundation curriculum requirements into the CTE curriculum required in TEC, §28.002.

TEC, §28.002(o), requires the SBOE to determine that at least 50% of the approved CTE courses are cost effective for a school district to implement.

TEC, §28.025(a), requires the SBOE to determine by rule the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school graduation program that are consistent with the required curriculum under TEC, §28.002.

TEC, §28.025(b-2), requires the SBOE to allow a student by rule to comply with the curriculum requirements for the third and fourth mathematics credits under TEC, §28.025(b-1)(2), or the third and fourth science credits under TEC, §28.025(b-1)(3), by successfully completing a CTE course designated by the SBOE as containing substantially similar and rigorous content.

TEC, §28.025(b-17), requires the SBOE to ensure by rule that a student may comply with curriculum requirements under TEC, §28.025(b-1)(6), by successfully completing an advanced CTE course, including a course that may lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate or an associate degree.

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

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted 19 TAC §74.27, Innovative Courses and Programs, effective September 1, 1996, with amendments effective September 1, 1998, and December 25, 2007. In November 2019, the SBOE adopted additional amendments to 19 TAC §74.27 effective December 25, 2019. In November 2022, the SBOE again adopted amendments to 19 TAC §74.27 effective February 26, 2023. In November 2023, the SBOE adopted amendments effective February 18, 2024.

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 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.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: After the board adopted new rules concerning graduation requirements, the previously approved experimental courses were phased out as of August 31, 1998. Since the adoption of the TEKS, school districts and other entities have submitted requests for approval of innovative courses that do not have TEKS and meet a demonstrated student need. The process originally outlined in §74.27 provided authority for the commissioner of education to approve discipline-based courses but reserved for SBOE review and approval those courses that did not fall within any of the subject areas of the foundation or enrichment curriculum. In November 2023, the SBOE amended §74.27 to shift from the commissioner to the SBOE the authority to approve all innovative courses that fall under the foundation or enrichment curriculum.

In 2023, CTE advisory committees were convened to make recommendations for the review and refresh of programs of study as required by the Texas Perkins State Plan. Finalized programs of study were published in the fall of 2023 with an implementation date beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. CTE courses to be developed or revised to complete or update programs of study were determined.

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 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 instructional materials review and approval (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. In 2024, the SBOE began the review of current CTE TEKS, the development of new CTE TEKS, and the review of innovative courses to be approved as TEKS for courses in the new engineering program of study.

At the June 2024 meeting, the SBOE approved recommendations that TEA present 21 innovative courses with minor edits for consideration for adoption as TEKS-based courses.

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

Attachment I:
Text of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter C, Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, §127.59 and §127.61

Attachment II:
Text of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter F, Business, Marketing, and Finance, §127.262 and §127.263

Attachment III:
Text of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter J, Health Science, §127.510 and §127.511

Attachment IV:
Text of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter K, Hospitality and Tourism, §§127.569, 127.571, and 127.604

Attachment V:
Text of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter M, Information Technology, §§127.689-127.699

Attachment VI:
Text of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter N, Law and Public Service, §127.773