April 6, 2022 Committee of the Full Board Item 8
Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.3, Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum
(First Reading and Filing Authorization)
April 8, 2022
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item presents for first reading and filing authorization a proposed amendment to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.3, Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum. The proposed amendment would update the list of high school courses for social studies and physical education that are required to be offered to students.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4), 28.002(a), and 28.025(b-1)(4) and (b-22), as added by SB 1063, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021.
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, §28.025(b-1)(4), requires the SBOE to by rule require as part of the foundation high school program that students successfully complete three credits in social studies, including one credit in United States history, at least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in economics or personal financial literacy & economics, and one credit in world geography or world history.
TEC, §28.025(b-22), as added by SB 1063, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, requires that in adopting TEKS for a personal financial literacy and economics course, the SBOE must ensure that the required curriculum allocates two-thirds of instruction time to instruction in personal financial literacy one-third of instruction time to instruction in economics.
The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The proposed effective date of the proposed amendment is 20 days after filing as adopted with the Texas Register. Under TEC, §7.102(f), the 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 2023-2024 school year. The earlier effective date would update the rule to address new physical education and social studies courses as soon as possible.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted 19 TAC Chapter 74, Subchapter A, effective September 1, 1996. Section 74.3 was last amended effective October 25, 2020.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: The 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, passed Senate Bill (SB) 1063, amending TEC, §28.025, to add a one-half credit course in personal financial literacy and economics as an option to meet the one-half credit graduation requirement for economics under the Foundation High School Program. SB 1063 requires that the SBOE adopt Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for a combined personal financial literacy and economics course to be offered beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. To ensure that students have the option of satisfying the economics graduation requirement with the new Personal Financial Literacy and Economics course, it is recommended that the SBOE add the new course to the list of social studies courses that districts are required to offer.
Additionally, in 2020 the SBOE adopted new Kindergarten-Grade 12 physical education TEKS, which will be implemented beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. The new TEKS replaced the existing high school physical education courses with three new courses.
The proposed amendment would add a requirement in subsection (b)(2)(D) that districts offer the new Personal Financial Literacy and Economics course and align the required secondary curriculum in subsection (b)(2)(E) with the changes to the high school physical education course offerings.
The attachment to this item reflects the text of proposed amendment to §74.3 for consideration by the SBOE for first reading and filing authorization.
The proposed amendment was not presented as a discussion item. The SBOE, however, may wish to consider this item for first reading and filing authorization as authorized under its operating procedures. Therefore, this item is presented for consideration for first reading and filing authorization at this meeting. It is recommended the SBOE consider this item for first reading and filing authorization to update the rule to address new physical education and social studies courses as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has determined that there are no additional costs to state or local government required to comply with the proposal.
LOCAL EMPLOYMENT IMPACT: The proposal has no effect on local economy; therefore, no local employment impact statement is required under Texas Government Code, §2001.022.
SMALL BUSINESS, MICROBUSINESS, AND RURAL COMMUNITY IMPACT: The proposal has no direct adverse economic impact for small businesses, microbusinesses, or rural communities; therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis specified in Texas Government Code, §2006.002, is required.
COST INCREASE TO REGULATED PERSONS: The proposal does not impose a cost on regulated persons, another state agency, a special district, or a local government and, therefore, is not subject to Texas Government Code, §2001.0045.
TAKINGS IMPACT ASSESSMENT: The proposal does not impose a burden on private real property and, therefore, does not constitute a taking under Texas Government Code, §2007.043.
GOVERNMENT GROWTH IMPACT: TEA staff prepared a Government Growth Impact Statement assessment for this proposed rulemaking. During the first five years the proposed rulemaking would be in effect, it would expand an existing regulation by updating the list of high school courses required to be offered.
The proposed rulemaking would not create or eliminate a government program; would not require the creation of new employee positions or elimination of existing employee positions; would not require an increase or decrease in future legislative appropriations to the agency; would not require an increase or decrease in fees paid to the agency; would not create a new regulation; would not limit or repeal an existing regulation; would not increase or decrease the number of individuals subject to its applicability; and would not positively or adversely affect the state's economy.
PUBLIC BENEFIT AND COST TO PERSONS: The proposal would update the rule regarding secondary courses required to be offered in order to provide additional flexibility for students in meeting high school graduation requirements and to avoid confusion for districts and schools regarding course names. There is no anticipated economic cost to persons who are required to comply with the proposal.
DATA AND REPORTING IMPACT: The proposal would have no new data and reporting impact.
PRINCIPAL AND CLASSROOM TEACHER PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: TEA has determined that the proposal would not require a written report or other paperwork to be completed by a principal or classroom teacher.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: The public comment period on the proposal begins May 6, 2022, and ends at 5:00 p.m. on June 10, 2022. The SBOE will take registered oral and written comments on the proposal at the appropriate committee meeting in June 2022 in accordance with the SBOE board operating policies and procedures. A request for a public hearing on the proposal submitted under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received by the commissioner of education not more than 14 calendar days after notice of the proposal has been published in the Texas Register on May 6, 2022.
MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:
Suspend the board operating procedures in accordance with §5.2(a) to allow consideration at first reading and filing authorization; and
Approve for first reading and filing authorization the proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.3, Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum.
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Programs
Shelly Ramos, Senior Director, Curriculum Standards and Student Support
Attachment:
Text of Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.3, Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum