June 2026 Committee on Instruction Item 2

Discussion of Transferring Innovative Courses to TEKS-Based Courses

June 25, 2026

COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION

SUMMARY: This item provides an opportunity for the committee to discuss next steps to transfer certain career and technical education (CTE) innovative courses to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)-based course status.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4); 28.002(a), (c), and (f); 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, §28.002(f), authorizes local school districts to offer courses in addition to those in the required curriculum for local credit and requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to be flexible in approving a course for credit for high school graduation. 

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 links above.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: After the SBOE adopted new rules concerning graduation requirements, the previously approved experimental courses were phased out as of August 31, 1998. Since the adoption of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (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.

Following the implementation of CTE programs of study in 2020, innovative courses were used to make certain CTE courses available to complete programs of study until TEKS‑based courses could be adopted. This item provides an opportunity for the committee to discuss next steps to transfer certain career and technical education (CTE) innovative courses to TEKS-based courses.

Staff Member Responsible:     
Shannon Trejo, Deputy Commissioner, Office of School Programs