Public Hearing on Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 113,
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School, and 19 TAC Chapter 118, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits, Subchapter A, High School
May 19, 2010
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, May 19, 2010 in the William B. Travis Building, Room 1-104. Testimony will be presented regarding proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School, and 19 TAC Chapter 118, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits, Subchapter A, High School.
BOARD RESPONSE: This item is presented for review and comment.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for social studies and economics to be effective September 1, 1998. A discussion item regarding the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 113, Subchapters A-C, and 19 TAC Chapter 118, Subchapter A, was presented to the Committee of the Full Board during the November 2009 meeting. Proposed revisions to social studies and economics TEKS were presented for first reading and filing authorization at the January 2010 SBOE meeting. At that time, the Committee of the Full Board postponed action on the revisions until the March 2010 meeting. Proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 113, Subchapters A-C, and 19 TAC Chapter 118, Subchapter A, were approved for first reading and filing authorization at the March 2010 meeting.
FUTURE ACTION EXPECTED: Proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapters A-C, and 19 TAC Chapter 118, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits, Subchapter A, High School, are presented for second reading and final adoption as a separate item in this agenda.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: In January and February 2009, committees were convened to review the social studies and economics TEKS. On April 22, 2009, the Committee on Instruction held a work session to study the process for review of the TEKS, make recommendations to the full board regarding adjustments to the process approved by the SBOE in July 2008, and provide guidance to agency staff and social studies and economics TEKS review committees regarding next steps in the review of the social studies and economics TEKS. Information from the April Committee on Instruction meeting was discussed by the board at the May meeting. In June 2009, six expert reviewers appointed by the SBOE reviewed the current social studies and economics TEKS and submitted feedback to the SBOE.
In July 2009, committees were convened to complete initial drafts of recommended revisions to the social studies and economics TEKS. Initial drafts of the recommendations for revisions to the social studies and economics TEKS were posted on the Texas Education Agency Web site for informal feedback. Initial drafts were also reviewed by the six expert reviewers. During the September 2009 meeting expert reviewers and representatives from the TEKS review committees provided invited testimony.
The social studies and economics TEKS review committees met again in October 2009 to review feedback and complete recommendations for revisions to the social studies and economics TEKS. The recommendations from the review committees were presented to the SBOE during a discussion item at the November 2009 meeting. The proposed revisions were presented for first reading and filing authorization at the January 2010 meeting, and a public hearing on the proposed revisions was held at that time. The Committee of the Full Board postponed action on the proposed revisions until the March 2010 SBOE meeting, at which time they heard additional public testimony related to the item. Proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 113, Subchapters A-C, and 19 TAC Chapter 118, Subchapter A, were approved for first reading and filing authorization at the March 2010 SBOE meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: Numerous comments have been received about the TEKS revision process and proposed revisions to the social studies and economics TEKS.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
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