Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for
Technology Applications
(First Reading and Filing Authorization)
January 21, 2011
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item presents for first reading and filing authorization proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, Subchapter C, High School, and proposed new 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses. The proposed rule actions recommend an implementation date of the 2012-2013 school year for the revised technology applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4), 28.002, and 28.025.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The proposed effective date of the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126 is 20 days after filing as adopted with the Texas Register. Under TEC, §7.102(f), the State Board of Education (SBOE) must approve the rule action at second reading and final adoption by a vote of two-thirds of its members to specify an effective date earlier than the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year. The earlier effective date will allow districts to begin preparing for implementation.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted the TEKS for technology applications to be effective September 1, 1998. The board approved revisions to the approved TEKS review process in November 2009. This process has been used for the review and revision of the technology applications TEKS. The board took action at the March 2010 meeting to approve guidelines for the technology applications expert reviewers. The board took action at the July 2010 meeting to direct staff to invite one member of each technology applications TEKS review committee to present invited testimony to the Committee of the Full Board at its September 2010 meeting. The board also took action at the July 2010 meeting to direct staff to invite the expert reviewers for technology applications to present invited testimony to the Committee of the Full Board at the September 2010 meeting and to attend the October TEKS review committee meeting. A discussion item regarding the proposed revisions to the technology applications TEKS was presented to the Committee of the Full Board during the November 2010 meeting.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: Applications for appointment to technology applications TEKS review committees were accepted by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in September and October 2009. Applications were provided to SBOE members at the November 2009 meeting, nominations were made in November and December 2009, and individuals were notified of their appointment to serve on a committee in March 2010. Also at the November 2009 meeting, SBOE members were asked to begin appointing experts to review the technology applications TEKS.
At the March 2010 meeting, staff presented the Committee on Instruction with draft guidelines for the technology applications expert reviewers. The committee had no additional guidance for staff regarding the expert reviewers. In April 2010, three expert reviewers appointed by the SBOE reviewed the current technology applications TEKS. Committees were convened in early May 2010 to begin review of the technology applications TEKS. The review committees met again in July 2010 to complete initial drafts of the recommended revisions to the technology applications TEKS. Initial drafts of the recommendations for revisions to the technology applications TEKS were posted on the TEA website for informal feedback.
Initial drafts were also reviewed by the three expert reviewers. During the September 2010 Committee of the Full Board meeting, expert reviewers and representatives from the TEKS review committees provided invited testimony.
The technology applications TEKS review committees met again in October 2010 to review feedback and complete recommendations for revisions to the technology applications TEKS. The recommendations from the review committees were provided to the Committee of the Full Board at the November 2010 meeting. At that time, the committee requested that the expert reviewers review the recommendations a final time and submit their written feedback to the board in advance of the January 2011 SBOE meeting.
Attachment II reflects the text of the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Subchapters A-C, and proposed new 19 TAC Chapter 126, Subchapter D, for consideration by the SBOE for first reading and filing authorization.
FISCAL IMPACT: There are fiscal implications for the TEA in the first two years to reimburse committee members for travel to review and revise the technology applications TEKS. There are also implications for the TEA to create professional development to help teachers and administrators understand the revisions to the TEKS. For fiscal year (FY) 2011, the estimated cost to the TEA for reviewing and revising the TEKS is $38,000. The estimated cost for professional development is $1 million for FY 2012 and $125,000 for FYs 2013-2015.
There are anticipated fiscal implications for school districts and charter schools to implement the revised TEKS, which may include the need for professional development and revisions to district-developed databases, curriculum, and scope and sequence documents. Since curriculum and instruction decisions are made at the local district level, it is difficult to estimate the fiscal impact on any given district.
The TEA has determined that there is no direct adverse economic impact for small businesses or microbusinesses; therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis, specified in Texas Government Code, §2006.002, is required.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Benefits include better alignment of the TEKS and coordination of the standards with the adoption of instructional materials.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: The proposed revisions would have no new procedural and reporting requirements.
LOCALLY MAINTAINED PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: The proposed revisions would have no new locally maintained paperwork requirements.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: The official public comment period will begin when the proposal, approved for first reading and filing authorization by the SBOE, is published in the Texas Register.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: A public hearing regarding proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Subchapters A-C, and proposed new 19 TAC Chapter 126, Subchapter D, is included as a separate item in this agenda.
COMMISSIONER'S RECOMMENDATION: I recommend that the State Board of Education:
Approve for first reading and filing authorization proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, Subchapter C, High School, and proposed new 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Scott
Commissioner of Education
Staff Members Responsible:
Anita Givens, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs
Norma Torres-Martinez, Deputy Associate Commissioner
Standards and Alignment
Monica Martinez, Managing Director
Curriculum
Attachments:
I. Statutory Citations
II. Text of Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, Subchapter C, High School, and Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter D, Other Technology Applications Courses