SBOE Receives Update on Social Studies TEKS Review

AUSTIN, Texas – February 8, 2022 – At its first meeting of the year, the State Board of Education (SBOE) was provided an update on the Social Studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) review. The update TEA staff provided to the Board is part of the early stages of the social studies TEKS review.

During the meeting, board members discussed social studies content advisors’ initial feedback and their consensus recommendations. The social studies content advisors convened in December 2021-January 2022 to discuss their initial feedback and develop consensus recommendations to guide the SBOE in its TEKS review. Content advisors provided 10 recommendations on various topics related to social studies TEKS. 

The board directed work groups to revise the social studies TEKS using the following four strands: civics and government, geography, economics, and history. 

The board also directed the work groups to use framework from content advisors’ recommendation for Kindergarten-Grade 2, with a focus on communities and the world at Grade 3, and place emphasis at Kindergarten-Grade 3 on teaching through the lenses of local, state, national, and world experiences. Additionally, the board directed work groups to keep Texas history as the focus for Grade 7.

The board also discussed a preliminary draft of the proposed new TEKS for a high school course focused on Personal Financial Literacy and Economics. The new social studies course will comply with the requirements of Senate Bill 1063 from the Regular Session of the 87th Texas Legislature (2021).

Following are social studies TEKS review draft recommendations from Work Group A: Work Group A Draft Recommendations (PDF, 264KB).

The Board is expected to address these two items at its April 2022 meeting.

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