September 2015 Committee of the Full Board Item 7
Discussion of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Personal Financial Literacy
September 9, 2015
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides an opportunity for the board to discuss the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the new personal financial literacy one-half credit elective course.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Statutory authority is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4), which requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to establish curriculum and graduation requirements. TEC, §28.002, identifies the subjects of the required curriculum and 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, §28.0021, requires each school district and each open-enrollment charter school that offers a high school program to provide an elective course in personal financial literacy that meets the requirements for a one-half elective credit, using materials approved by the SBOE. TEC, §28.025, requires the SBOE by rule to determine the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school graduation program that are consistent with the required curriculum under §28.002.
BOARD RESPONSE: This item is presented for review and comment.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: At the January 2014 meeting, the SBOE approved the final adoption of new 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements. During the January 2014 meeting the board also discussed future development of new courses. At the April 2014 meeting, the SBOE asked staff to move forward with the development of TEKS for two new mathematics courses, a one-half credit elective course in personal financial literacy, a one-credit career and technical education personal financial literacy course approved to satisfy a mathematics credit, and a one-credit combined world geography/world history course.
At the April 2014 meeting, the board approved the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Subchapter A, for second reading and final adoption, adding personal financial literacy to the required enrichment education curriculum. Section 74.1 was last amended effective June 18, 2014 and §74.3 was last amended effective August 24, 2015.
FUTURE ACTION EXPECTED: At the direction of the committee, a newly developed personal financial literacy one-half credit elective course could be presented for first reading and filing authorization at the next scheduled SBOE meeting.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: The 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, passed HB 5, amending the TEC, §28.025, to change the high school graduation programs from the current minimum, recommended, and advanced high school programs to one foundation high school program with endorsements to increase flexibility in graduation requirements for students. The 83rd Texas Legislature also passed HB 2662, amending the TEC, 28.0021, to require school districts and open enrollment charter schools offering a high school program to provide a one-half credit elective course in personal financial literacy. In August 2013, the SBOE held a work session to discuss changes to the graduation requirements in order to align with legislative requirements from the 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, including a discussion of the new courses required by HB 5 and HB 2662. At the January 2014 meeting, the SBOE approved the final adoption of new 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements. At that time, the SBOE also discussed new course development priorities.
At the April 2014 meeting, the board prioritized the new courses to be developed and requested that TEA staff move forward with the development of TEKS for two new mathematics courses, the one-half credit elective course in personal financial literacy, a one-credit career and technical education personal financial literacy course approved to satisfy a mathematics credit, and a one-credit combined world geography/world history course. In April 2014, the board approved for second reading and final adoption proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, to align rules for the required secondary curriculum, with requirements from the 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013.
A committee of secondary and postsecondary educators and business and industry representatives was convened in Austin in May 2015 for a face-to-face meeting to begin working on recommendations for the personal financial literacy elective course. The committee has conducted three additional virtual meetings to finalize its first draft recommendations. This item provides the opportunity for the committee to discuss the committee’s initial recommendations in accordance with statutory requirements that the SBOE adopt TEKS for a new personal financial literacy one-half credit elective course.
FISCAL IMPACT: There will be normal business costs associated with this process for the agency, including committee travel and production and dissemination of documents.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Benefits include additional course options for students.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: Procedural and reporting implications will be assessed after the board gives direction regarding the proposal to bring forward for first reading and filing authorization.
LOCALLY MAINTAINED PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: Locally maintained paperwork requirements will be assessed after the board gives direction regarding the proposal to bring forward for first reading and filing authorization.
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: Discussion of Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, is presented as a separate item in this agenda.
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs
Shelly Ramos, Division Director
Curriculum
Attachment:
Statutory Citations (PDF, 27KB)