November 15, 2023 Committee of the Full Board Item 5
Discussion of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter C, High School, §113.52, Ethnic Studies: American Indian/Native Studies
November 15, 2023
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides the opportunity for the committee to discuss proposed new 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter C, High School, §113.52, Ethnic Studies: American Indian/Native Studies, to add Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for a new ethnic studies course in American Indian/Native studies.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §7.102(c)(4); 28.002(a) and (c); and 28.025(a).
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, §28.002(c), requires the SBOE to identify by rule 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, §28.025(a), requires the SBOE to determine by rule the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school graduation program that are consistent with the required curriculum under TEC, §28.002.
The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.
FUTURE ACTION EXPECTED: Proposed new 19 TAC §113.52 could be presented for first reading and filing authorization at a future SBOE meeting.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: The 83rd Texas Legislature, 2013, passed House Bill (HB) 5, amending the TEC, §28.025, to change the high school graduation programs from the minimum, recommended, and advanced high school programs to one foundation high school program with endorsements to increase flexibility in graduation requirements for students. In August 2013, the SBOE held a work session to discuss changes to the graduation requirements in order to align with the requirements of HB 5, including discussion of courses required by the legislation. In 2014, the SBOE prioritized the development of new courses to align with requirements of HB 5. The list of new courses to be developed included a Mexican American studies course.
An innovative course in Mexican American Studies was approved by the commissioner of education in 2015 and was available to school districts and charter schools beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. In September 2018, the SBOE adopted TEKS for a new Ethnic Studies: Mexican American Studies course effective July 1, 2019.
In November 2019, the SBOE adopted an amendment to its rule on innovative courses to require comprehensive ethnic studies innovative courses in Native American studies, Latino studies, African American studies, and/or Asian Pacific Islander studies be presented to the SBOE for discussion and consideration for inclusion in the TEKS.
In June 2019, a new African American Studies innovative course was approved by the commissioner of education for use beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. The SBOE gave final approval to TEKS for a new Ethnic Studies: African American Studies course in April 2020 effective August 1, 2020.
In July 2023, the commissioner of education approved a new innovative course in Ethnic Studies: American Indian/Native Studies. At the August-September 2023 SBOE meeting, the Committee on Instruction requested that a discussion item regarding development of TEKS for the new course be presented at the November 2023 meeting. This item provides the opportunity for the SBOE to consider the addition of TEKS for an American Indian/Native studies course to the list of approved social studies courses.
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Programs
Shelly Ramos, Senior Director, Curriculum Standards and Student Support