January 29, 2025 Committee of the Full Board Item 7
Public Hearing on Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter I, Engineering
January 29, 2025
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION
SUMMARY: A public hearing before the State Board of Education (SBOE) is scheduled for Wednesday, January 29, 2025. Testimony will be presented regarding proposed new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for courses in engineering. In accordance with SBOE operating procedures, oral testimony will be limited to two minutes per person.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4); 28.002(a), (c), and (j); and 28.025(a) and (b-2)(2).
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(j), allows the SBOE by rule to require laboratory instruction in secondary science courses and require a specific amount or percentage of time in a secondary science course that must be laboratory instruction.
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 the TEC, §28.002.
TEC, §28.025(b-2)(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 career and technical education (CTE) course designated by the SBOE as containing substantially similar and rigorous content.
The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.
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.
Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff began supporting a CTE TEKS review for engineering in December 2023. Applications to serve on the engineering 2024 CTE TEKS review work groups were collected by TEA from December 2023 through April 2024. TEA staff provided SBOE members with batches of applications for approval to serve on a CTE work group in February, March, and April 2024. Work groups were convened to develop recommendations for the CTE courses in May, June, July, and August 2024. The SBOE held a public hearing and discussed the proposed new TEKS for engineering at the November 2024 meeting.
The CTE work groups met for a final time in December 2024 to address feedback from the SBOE and to finalize their recommendations for the new standards. The proposed new CTE TEKS would ensure the standards for engineering remain current and support relevant and meaningful programs of study.
Proposed new 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter I, Engineering, §§127.402-419, 127.452, and 127.453, is presented for first reading and filing authorization as a separate item in this agenda.
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Programs
Jessica Snyder, Senior Director, Curriculum Standards and Student Support