September 11, 2024 Committee of the Full Board Item 7
Discussion of Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.3, Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum
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 a proposed amendment to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.3, Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum. The proposed amendment would update the list of high school courses for science that are required to be offered to students.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4), 28.002(a), and 28.025(b-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, §28.025(b-1), requires the SBOE to determine by rule specific courses for graduation under the foundation high school program.
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 Chapter 74, Subchapter A, effective September 1, 1996. Section 74.3 was last amended effective August 1, 2022.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: In accordance with statutory requirements that the SBOE identify by rule the essential knowledge and skills of each subject in the required curriculum, the SBOE follows a board-approved cycle to review and revise the essential knowledge and skills for each subject. In late 2019, the SBOE began the process to review and revise the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Kindergarten-Grade 12 science. At the recommendation of Work Group A, the SBOE directed the work groups to follow a backwards-by-design approach to the revisions to the Kindergarten-Grade 12 science TEKS. Consequently, work groups started first with recommendations for revisions to the high school science TEKS. In November 2020, the SBOE approved for second reading and final adoption revised TEKS for four high school science courses: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Integrated Physics and Chemistry. At the June 2021 SBOE meeting, the board approved for second reading and final adoption new TEKS for Specialized Topics in Science and revised standards for Aquatic Science, Astronomy, Earth Science Systems (formerly titled Earth and Space Science), and Environmental Systems. The updated TEKS for high school science will be implemented beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
Additionally, CTE TEKS Review work groups were convened from March-July 2021 to develop recommendations for certain CTE courses that satisfy a science graduation requirement. Proposed new TEKS for certain CTE courses that may satisfy science graduation requirements were approved for second reading and final adoption by the SBOE at the April 2024 SBOE meeting.
The attachment to this item reflects the text of the proposed amendment to §74.3 for discussion. The proposed amendment would align the required secondary curriculum in §74.3(b)(2)(C) with the updates to the secondary science course offerings made during recent TEKS revisions.
Staff Member Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Programs
Attachment:
Text of Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.3, Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum