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The State Board of Education held a special meeting on May 16 to hear public and invited testimony on the proposed revision to the social studies TEKS framework. Speakers testified both for and against the proposed frameworks. Concerns about the revision were that the focus on ancient and world history at elementary may not be developmentally appropriate for young learners, and that the significant need for additional professional development to prepare teachers would be burdensome and costly. Supporters of the new frameworks believed that a chronological approach across grades that integrates world, US, and Texas history would give students a deeper understanding by spiraling topics across grades. The SBOE will consider this item at the next meeting, June 14—17.

Part one of the hearing can be found here and part two can be found here. Read more

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

 

Opening Remarks

  • Chair Ellis – Meeting is out of the ordinary schedule; after social studies revision, had significant framework decision in April
  • Did not feel there was enough public input on these changes
  • Are specifically taking about the framework; like what we teach what grade band
    • Will discuss specifics at a later time

 

Content Advisors Panel

Steve Mintz, Member of Content Advisory Board

  • Appreciate we are devoting more time to world history
  • Recommend two years on world history; first should focus on major world civilizations and the second would be world history from the 1400s
  • Should be more specific focus on civics; need to devote more attention to Texas under Spanish and Mexico rule
  • Importance of primary sources; students will need to learn how to analyze and see the bias in these sources
  • Student should be knowledgeable on “e pluribus unum”
  • Would need significant teacher training after the new framework is in place
  • SBOE Member Hardy – Two years of world history?
    • Talking about dividing the 6-8 framework differently; would learn about civilization and then more recent history
  • Chair Ellis – What do you think about the framework?
    • Like the integrated approach; when we get to specific grades to ensure they are rich as possible
  • SBOE Member Hickman – Suggest grades 3-4 be world and then switch to Texas and U.S. 5-8?
    • Like the idea of integrating these; should spend more time on civics

 

Jeff Lash, Member of Content Advisory Board

  • In favor of a revision to K-2 to include more developmentally appropriate content
  • Against the revised chronologically organized social studies TEKS framework through 3-8
  • Need to re-organize strands into economics, government civics, geography, and history; reflects intent of SB 3
  • Need to preserve existing K-8 framework; do not need rushed change for change’s sake
  • Hardy – What is your proposition?
    • Scale is less important than content; K-2 needs to focus on process/skills
    • That age cannot build up content knowledge they could draw on later
  • Hardy – Teaching things like patriotism would be appropriate then?
    • Integrating civics skills and spiraling them through the strands would be important
  • Hardy – 3-8 you feel more comfortable with current framework?
    • Yes; need to do a better job at integrating strands
  • Hardy – How would you improve 3rd grade?
    • Integrate the reading concepts for social studies TEKS with new STAAR redesign
  • SBOE Member Bell-Metereau and Lash discuss concrete concepts that would teach patriotism
  • Chair Ellis – Why else would you be opposed to chronological framework?
    • Would be reinforcing the best way to see the world is chronologically
    • People would not learn how to think from a government, civics, or economic point of view
  • Chair Ellis – See from your point of view; could you envision a 3-8 framework that is chronological but also spirals concepts?
    • Do not know how you would spiral while teaching chronologically; current framework is ideal and worries about the cost of radically changing the framework
  • Hickman – How else would you organize K-8?
    • Need skillful teaching and scaffolding knowledge; would reorganize around four strands
  • Hardy – Are having a hard time having anything taught in elementary school; concerned that kids need to learn more about Texas and U.S. first?
    • Need to attach ideas to local concepts in K-3; concepts could be missed if there is no connection to the topic

 

Shalon Bond, Texas Council of Social Studies

  • K-8 framework needs to look at the quality of social studies and look at empathy-based models
  • Hopeful and optimistic that changes will enhance learning of Texas students
  • Believe students receive a well-rounded social studies education; consider advancing the community of education
  • Chair Ellis – Are you opposed to chronological framework?
    • In support of the four strands and in support of content spiraled; content needs to spiraled closer together
    • Support the proposed K-8 framework
  • SBOE Member Little – How do you see this playing out with teachers?
    • Working with current standards has been the issue because the standards are bundled
    • A framework that provides clarity empowers teachers
  • Little – Heard world history 3-5 is not developmentally appropriate?
    • Are not lowering the high school content or standards come down to elementary; social studies is about bringing stories to in earlier
  • Perez-Diaz – Does bringing concepts down to elementary level help students ask more questions about other cultures?
    • Yes, will enrich our students
    • Mintz – Agree; want students to see all cultures
  • Maynard – Is an opportunity bring up these cultures/topics earlier and kids respond to that
    • Yes, is about getting kids introduced early-on and are able to connect to the larger world around them
  • Davis – Where would culture go if it is not one of the strands?
    • Need to have culture enfolded in history and civics content

 

Public Testimony

 

Panel 1

Julia Brookins, American Historical Association

  • People are struck by the ambition of the new framework and like the expansion of Texas courses
  • Need to eliminate redundancy between grades 5 and 6 to make room for modern history

 

Marcy Diehl, Self

  • Have been a social studies teacher for more than 30 years; works for HEB ISD
  • Against the new framework; do not need to create chaos by throwing out the current system
  • Texas History and World Cultures courses will get lost in this new framework
  • Current reimagined framework matches those in other states

 

Renee Blackman, Self

  • Social studies educator, current curriculum specialist and past president of Texas Council for Social Studies
  • Is little to no research to what the K-8 framework should be
  • Appreciates the focus on building foundational knowledge and opportunity for depth and rigor
  • One challenge of the new framework is the elimination of grade 6 content; need to look at 3-5 proposed and integrate those
  • Need to address anxiety this change would be for teachers

 

Linda Miller, Texas Historical Commission

  • Encourages the scaffolded integration throughout the framework of historic preservation, strategies and skills content
  • Could provide the opportunity to create invested individuals who are stewards of Texas history

 

Q&A Panel 1

  • Maynard – Asks Brookins to finish testimony
    • Brookins – Need to practice skills and make connections across topics and give students ability to deploy their knowledge; to learn history need to know more than chronically
  • Hardy – District deployed the E. D. Hirsch core knowledge model?
    • Diehl – Had core knowledge framework for certain courses and have disbanded since; was difficult to train teachers and students were frustrated
  • Hardy – Have not seen much in social studies support; what makes you think we would be getting this support?
    • Blackman – Would hope if TEKS were clearer in K-2 that would motivate people and STAAR redesign
  • Little – Elaborate that this would be following a pattern from other states
    • Diehl – Seen something similar in Louisiana and are discussions in other states; building a good foundation is better than starting at a high academic level
    • Need to focus on vertical alignment and keep it Texas unique
  • Chair Ellis – Professional development is important regardless; SB 3 provided $14m for professional development
  • Chair Ellis – Have not seen any specific framework that other states that are doing the same
    • Blackman – Louisiana has a Louisiana history strand

 

Panel 2

Dr. Joann Zadrozny, Self

  • Senior Research Associate for the Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education
  • Would like to keep the current framework, specifically grade 6 geography

 

Rocio Fierro-PĂ©rez, Texas Freedom Network

  • TFN has no specific input on this item; concerned teachers’ voices will not be heard
  • Concerned the advisory panel still involves Stephen Balch and this framework was his recommendation
  • Chair Ellis – Need to stay on topic

 

Meghan Dougherty, Texas Social Studies Supervisors Association

  • Supports the new framework; is grade-level appropriate
  • May need to rework 11 grade TEKS to create more of a through line
  • Currently not clear how students will learn civics at the local and state level
  • Need to vertically align all this; provides SBOE with Round Rock ISDs through line

 

Lisa Welbourne, Self

  • Retired educator and current consultant
  • Not in favor of the proposed the framework; is not age appropriate
  • Students’ social studies lacks fidelity possibly because it is not tested on; could add reading passages on the 3-5 grade STAAR test
  • In favor of deepening the content/framework we already have

 

Q&A Panel 2

  • Hardy – Expand on how the depth needs to increase
    • Welbourne – Is a nested process and about creating a foundation for later social studies
  • Hardy – What we have now would be changed by the emphasis on grades 1-3 and focus that on Texas and U.S.
    • Welbourne – Yes, would be introduced to pieces they learn in 4-6; would increase complexity for younger students by changing the verbs
  • Bell-Metereau – Have an issue with saying you would teach patriotism to young kids because it is abstract; explain what students can understand at these levels
    • Dougherty – Need to focus on concrete concepts, but should not focus on
    • Welbourne – Students can learn abstract ideas if they are given concrete examples

 

Panel 3

Patience LeBlanc, Self

  • Previously taught middle school and high school; work for Frisco ISD
  • Revised framework does not address promises or language of SB 3; lacks specific focus on civics education promised by SB 3
  • Civics training programs were provided by SB 3 and would need to implement these

 

Samantha Voris, Self

  • Currently employed at Northside ISD
  • Concerned the framework is not developmentally appropriate; without foundational knowledge of the world around them, students will not understand world history
  • Brining in new content at all grade levels will require extensive research and developmental time which teachers do not have time for

 

Emily Countrymen, Self

  • Currently employed at Northside ISD
  • New framework removes of important topics of local democracy and world cultures
  • See the addition of new courses teachers do not have the time to learn to teach
  • Current framework is more age-appropriate

 

Dr. Michael Boucher

  • Have served on the National Council of Social Studies and worked in Minnesota and Indiana Councils of Social Studies
  • In favor of the proposed framework for the 6-8 history TEKS

 

Q&A Panel 3

  • Perez-Diaz – See a way to bring in world geography and history while balancing age-appropriateness?
    • Countrymen – Is manageable to maintain current framework and add in those voices
  • Perez-Diaz – Find integrating framework 6-8 is developmentally appropriate?
    • Boucher – Yes; currently TEKS “crams” many years together
  • Young – When would this be implemented?
    • Chair Ellis – Earliest would be SY 2025-2026
    • Staff – Board could consider a later or staggered implementation
  • Bell-Metereau – Where is an appropriate place for students to learn about competition for territory
    • Boucher – Is an important topic that would inform what is going on currently
    • Was in the 8 grade TEKS; 7-8 grade is a good place to do that
  • Hardy – Recommendation to enrich the current framework to get more government and civics in there?
    • LeBlanc – Is about beefing up current topics; SB 3 talks about moving in the founding documents and about citizenship challenges
    • Need to beef up language of the verbs like “participate”
  • Hardy – Better to weave civics or can it be taught by itself?
    • LeBlanc – In favor of teaching thematically
  • Hardy – Is not developmentally appropriate, should be brought back to more local?
    • Voris – Guiding piece is civics and citizenship; then should be brought to world cultures
  • Hardy and Voris discuss how current standards need to be beefed up
  • Bell-Metereau – Need to be mindful of what founding documents we would include
    • Countryman – Primary sources should be brought up at the elementary level

 

Panel 4

Dr. Shereen Bhalla, Hindu American Foundation

  • Support the revised framework
  • Concerned about misportrayal of certain cultures through this new framework
  • Ask the committee reach out to experts to ensure accurate information is taught

 

Casey Cole, Self

  • Curriculum specialist for Bastrop ISD
  • Thanks the workgroups for their work on this new framework
  • Concerned the revised curriculum would not have concrete and foundational components

 

Eliza Epstein, Ethnics Studies Network of Texas

  • Propose a model based on the curricular practice of backward design
  • Recommend developmentally appropriate critical thinking skills be emphasized along global and regional content
  • Recommend anti-bias equity checks
  • Support efforts to reduce strands, but recommend culture is included as a fifth strand
  • Recommend an approach designed around who we wants students want to become

 

Jaimi Boutemy De Guislain, Self

  • Techer at Plano ISD
  • Concerned that history is not a STAAR tested topic; will need a STAAR test to ensure they are taught with due-diligence
  • Concerned parents will have a stronger push back on teaching other religions at a younger age
  • Concerned about the scaled down version of history for 3-5
  • Concerned about the difficulty in teaching founding documents in 6 grade

 

Q&A Panel 4

  • PĂ©rez – Thoughts about culture being embedded in the four strands?
    • Epstein – Concerned it will get lost
    • PĂ©rez – Will write it in a way to ensure it does not get lost
  • Perez-Diaz – Recommendation that we do not talk about religion at all in lower grade levels?
    • Boutemy De Guislain – It does need to be taught; concerned about parent push back and afraid students will not be able to make connections and appreciate other cultures
  • Perez-Diaz – Should engage in these conversations as early as possible; could begin with empathy and then scaffold later?
    • Boutemy De Guislain – Agrees
  • Hardy – Do you favor the heavy involvement in the elementary grade?
    • Cole – Concerned about developmental appropriateness

 

Panel 5

Jeremiah Rush, Self

  • Employed at Frisco ISD
  • Concerned about the age-appropriateness of the content; concerned will be surface-level which will lead to stereotypes and inaccuracies for students
  • Missing piece of the framework is how social studies skills will be taught and spiraled through

 

Michelle Castillo, IDRA

  • Have been tracking the negative impacts of SB 3; have seen racial justice and inclusivity pulled from shelves
  • Surveyed teachers and barriers in meaningful lessons and leadership
  • Recommend integrating civics skills and dispositions throughout K-8
  • Recommend consider adding historical figures who are black, indigenous, Latino and women

 

Anita Zusman Eddy, Jewish Community Relations Council Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas

  • Speaking against the proposed framework
  • Alarmed the teaching of Judaism, cultural influences of ancient Israel, monotheism, and world religions will no longer be taught in high school
  • Concerned ancient religions and civilizations will be moved from 3-5 grade
  • Under this plan, the Jewish community is removed from history
  • Urge the board decide Judaism and other world religions are taught in middle and high school
  • Chair Ellis – Want to address this; world history is not taken out of high school
    • Concerned that the bulk of the teaching is going to be taught at a level where students will not have the necessary understanding/knowledge

 

Erika Lowrey, Self

  • Educator
  • Concerned about the viability and scope of the proposed framework
  • Language used in reference to social studies is limited to the most basic actions by students
  • Large gap in the framework and social studies skills we know are necessary for students
  • Need to pause this process
  • Students can graduate and never have a required geography class

 

Panel 6

Dr. Kathleen Gilbert, Self

  • Social studies educator; not in favor of the new framework
  • Content is not age-appropriate and is an “unusual” amount of content from ancient history
  • Dismayed by the deletion of the deletion of the 6 grade Contemporary World Cultures

 

Dr. Kelly Glos, Self

  • Currently at EMS ISD
  • Teachers already struggle to teach current TEKS; adding more will water down entire curriculum
  • Will require a lot of money to overhaul the system; is not the teachers’ responsibility to ask for this

 

Daniel Norwood, Self

  • Educator at Skeet ISD
  • Concerned particularly with changes to K-2; concerned with the ability for kids to understand the chronology at these ages
  • Students need to first understand where they are as citizens

 

Eva Goins, Self

  • Teacher in the Fort Worth area
  • Concerned about the developmental appropriateness of the K-5 courses
  • Discusses the recent update to the ELAR

 

Q&A Panel 6

  • Hardy – K-2 is not concerned about chronology and will be thematic

 

Panel 7

LaWanda Williams, Self

  • Educator in Galveston County
  • Past two years has changed education; notes the recent changes in ELAR
  • Concerned about the level of specificity, rigor and feasibility for younger learners of the framework

 

Karlene Jolly, Self

  • Audio during the beginning of their testimony cut in and out
  • Against the proposed framework

 

Daniel Derasaugh, Self

  • Against the revised TEKS as it takes away from people, community, and the concept of civics
  • Bell-Metereau – Where do you see it appropriate to teach democracy?
    • Concept could be introduced in K and built upon

 

Richard Golden, Self

  • Retired professor emeritus UNT
  • Would be a mistake to teach world history and geography in lower grades
  • High schools should focus on world history

 

Panel 8

Christine Thompson, Self

  • From Birdville ISD
  • Concerned about the movement of critical criteria to 3-5 and the removal of the globally focused course in 6 grade

 

Lanette Aguero, Self

  • Employed at Grand Prairie ISD
  • Proposed framework for K-2 is scattered and not developmentally appropriate

 

Pier Larsen, Self

  • Employed at Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD
  • Agree we need vertical alignment and depth in curriculum
  • Proposed K-2 alignment is not developmentally appropriate

 

Andrea Kline, Self

  • Social studies coordinator in North Texas
  • Support streamlining and updating social studies TEKS
  • Concerned about watering down of historical concepts and students need an intentional understanding of geography
  • A full re-imagining of the TEKS is not worth the cost

 

Panel 9

Beri Schwitzer, Congregation Beth Torah

  • Have over 30 years of teaching experience
  • Is a need for culture to be addressed in the proposed framework
  • Framework does not have specificity on what is taught when; need a focus on geography and world religions
  • Concerned about developmentally appropriateness of the plan

 

Melanie Rubin, Self

  • Have experience in early learner education
  • Framework is not developmentally appropriate; ancient civilizations should be taught in middle school and high school, not elementary

 

Valerie Klein, Self

  • Educator for over 30 years
  • Alarmed with the proposal’s removal of Jewish topics in middle and high school
  • Students need knowledge and understanding of minority cultures in Texas

 

Sharon Thorne-Green, Self

  • Social studies educator and attorney; serve on the board National Council for the Social Studies
  • Serve on the social studies TEKS workgroup 8-12; support the proposed framework
  • Changes are in order to create more informed citizens

 

Q&A Panel 9

  • Hardy – Have you done polling of membership for input on this framework?
    • Thorne-Green – Not yet, will do soon
  • Chair Ellis – SBOE’s survey at the beginning of the process: 44% thought Texas and U.S. history should be integrated/taught together and 55% thought it should be organized chronologically
  • Hardy – Product has morphed through the process, need clarifications on that
  • Little – Have heard a lot about 3-5 not being developmentally appropriate; would be better to put it off until high school
    • Thorne-Green – Not getting rid of world history in high school, but goal is to build an age-appropriate foundation
  • Bell-Metereau – Knowledge on research on how elementary children can understand time?
  • Chair Ellis – Have not pulled out Judaism in high school; will talk offline about this
  • Chair Ellis – Have heard certain skills are not in the framework
    • Thorne-Green – Have been charged with imbedding skills; are still working on that
  • Hardy – Will have standalone skills, but will incorporate skills?
    • Thorne-Green – Yes and have looked at 9-12 pieces, but this is a work in progress and are also working through 8
  • Little – We heard a lot about 3-5 not being developmentally appropriate & doing world history, if we do developmentally appropriate at 3-5 & then world history at high school, seems like a stronger foundation
    • Thorne-Green – Not getting rid of world history, building a foundation to build upon
    • People seem to think this will be much more intense than it is now; can integrate this together and build a foundation in elementary school, not working right now
    • Have students who don’t understand the Constitution
  • Bell-Metereau – Not sure of research of age where children can understand chronology; ancient history would be farthest away from the experience of 3rd graders, wondering if anyone has any knowledge of when children can understand time at that level
  • Chair Ellis – Regarding Judaism in high school; surely have not pulled the concepts out of high school, pretty sure those are still in and would like to talk offline
    • Klein – Will do
  • Chair Ellis – Asks Throne-Green, you’re on workgroup B for the skills process?
    • Thorne-Green – Yes, workgroup C & B
  • Chair Ellis – Have heard concerns about skills, can you talk about workgroup B and skills process
    • Thorne-Green – Have been charged with embedding skills within the content as much as possible, standalone skills would still be by themselves, still working
  • Hardy – You’re going to have the standalone skills, but also incorporate those; asks after process
    • Thorne-Green – Have been required to look at the meetings here & the recommendations, will also be working on K-8 soon
    • Martinez, TEA – Workgroup B is still meeting, will also be asked to look at K-8
  • Bell-Metereau – Google says only after age 11 will children be able to determine chronology
  • Chair Ellis – As attorneys say, asked and answered

 

Panel 10

Sherry Owens, Social Studies Advocate

  • Support revision of TEKS to expand and enrich educational experience, framework of existing TEKS supports this initiative
  • Support building of patterns, trends, and skills development that give meaning to facts
  • Do not support suggested alignment of topics and content, should not ask students to understand culture or history of foreign countries before they learn what it means to be citizens of local communities, the USA
  • SBOE should share sources of this information

 

Darsi Bickley, Educator

  • Opposed to proposed K-8 framework for multiple reasons, many of which have already been discussed
  • Will require hours of training teachers do not have time for, strengthening of current verbal alignment will allow students to make strong foundation, elimination of world cultures at 6th grade & elimination of world geography in high school will create scenario where many will graduate without having taken geography at all

 

Sarah Lott, Social Studies Teacher

  • Disappointed at the totality of changes considered; teachers try to prepare students to interact with a diverse population, current framework teaches stude4nts about the US and other cultures
  • Students need to know their role in the global community, not helping by taking away the current curriculum and teaching 9 years of history

 

John Hatch, Garland ISD PK-12 Social Studies Coordinator

  • Supports new framework
  • Maybe introducing religions earlier might expose students to religions that are part of their world; will provide a much deeper understanding of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, etc.
  • Regarding ability to understand the Constitution, asking children already to engage with freedom-based topics

 

Q&A Panel 10

  • Hardy – Asks Owens, you said you would like to see the change expanded and enriched, can you expand at the eliminatory level?
    • Owens – Opportunities to include more diverse voices and tell the untold stories of our history, bring students into the stories
    • Can put primary source, grade-level appropriate docs into their hands
    • Opportunity to do more, but can do this in the existing framework
  • Hardy – If there were an enrichment or expansion of the existing framework, how would you go about doing a good job with cross-curricular topics
    • Owens – Would love to say social studies would be the driver, but will need to aggressively partner with RLA to look for historical novels, biographies, etc.
    • TEKS in RLA can be reinforced, supported, & enriched, can teach these skills in the social studies classroom
  • Little – For Hatch, one of the things that was brought up was loss of world cultures course, what are your thoughts about that?
    • Hatch – This would be part of the charge to the workgroups, great potential to build world culture connections in 3-5 framework that is proposed
  • Little – Big concern is the teachers and how they are generalists and specialists at lower grade level, can you speak to that and problems that could create?
    • Hatch – On my mind, coordinators work with teachers to help get curriculums ready, would be up to that task
    • Would be training involved, but giving teachers the clarity of the TEKS would help
  • Perez – For Bickley, understand that as a generalist this could appear challenging, but with appropriate training, professional development, etc., teachers would not be unprepared; can you give me a little more detail about your concerns?
    • Bickley – Already asking elementary teachers to attend a Reading Academy for RLA, asking them to become well-versed in multiple social studies content pieces like ancient history is asking them to become more specialized
  • Perez – Knowing that this is not rolled out for some time & there are training supports, would your concerns continue
    • Bickley – Concerns would still continue, secondary education teachers are specialists; even if we give teachers training, doesn’t mean they will be prepared
    • Owens – When time is a factor, you have math, RLA, etc. being tested, but social studies is not; social studies is the last to be considered
  • Perez – Are you saying we want to be tested?
    • Owens – Cannot speak for the whole, sure polling would be a split, my understanding was it was the principals that put a stop to this
    • If the only way to do this is through a test then many would agree
    • Bickley – Don’t believe a specific social studies test is required, with new STAAR test and reading portion, can test students by presenting social studies in these prompts but doesn’t need to be world history concepts; could fall within current framework
  • Bell-Metereau – Has concerns about teaching to tests, highlights how methods used to differ, e.g. discussing news articles & teachers weren’t expected to be masters of a subject
  • Chair Ellis – Any answers should reference the proposed framework
  • Bell-Metereau – Framework is driven by the test, right?
  • Chair Ellis – No, tests should be driven by curriculum standards

 

Panel 11

Stacie Nickols, Educator

  • Asking that you reconsider proposed framework and reconsider the developmentally appropriateness of the material
  • Students learn in an egocentric way, bringing in world history is not developmentally appropriate; material should be focused much more on personal relationships
  • Questions young learner’s ability to understand world history; could revise current standards

 

Julie Russell, International Leadership of Texas

  • Asking board to reconsider proposal and revise current standards with a focus on civics, history & government, economics, and geography
  • Agrees framework needs to be revised, but this does not mean it needs to be thrown out and replaced
  • Concerned with the wide framework scope for K-8, fear is that social studies will be watered down even more
  • In support of alternative proposal that colleagues developed, presented earlier

 

Q&A Panel 11

  • Hardy – Would caution against using the term reimagine, sounds like we’re creating something new and not history
  • Chair Ellis – Concurs
  • Chair Ellis – A couple different directions we can take, concepts that came up frequently incl. “developmentally appropriate;” understands concern about where we’re going and the outcome as what we have presented to the public isn’t that developed
  • Chair Ellis – Heard also a lot about civics and agree with that; workgroups can start developing curriculum standards, other option is to let workgroups continue and get a better idea of what this looks like in practice
  • Chair Ellis – I don’t think the sides are as far apart as some feel, once we get the draft we can start make sure it is developmentally appropriate
  • Chair Ellis – Three options: 1) continue, 2) change the approach via action item, and 3) wait and see what the workgroups do

SBOE recessed briefly

 

SBOE Discussion

  • Little – Thinks Kinder can have current TEK about exploring their world and then build out on it, thinks we can ask our Kindergarteners to learn some of this content
  • Hardy – Feeling reservations about current proposal, about 25 people who spoke are her constituents and in opposition of the direction the SBOE is taking; would like to propose to go back to sequence they have been doing regarding enrichment
  • Ellis – We set our time schedule, will do the right things to get done at the appropriate time and will make decision of where they are on the train going down the tracks
  • Maynard – Begin to see patterns when people have same exact talking points and he wonders what is going on there, doesn’t know if what he is hearing is representative of the field
  • Maynard – Gives examples on how there could be confusion with the discussion of “developmentally appropriate;” not necessarily convinced that comments today were representative of community and not ready to “ditch what we proposed”
  • Robinson – Would not want to bring in world history/culture type themes that fall flat and ends up being waste of time
  • Hickman – Heard spiraling or scaffolding the story, like proposal and the way 3-8 is organized; should be age appropriate and would like organization in K-2
  • Young – Thinks framework as set up is highly appropriate, additional curriculum can be added in
  • Metereau – Concur with Maynard, Hickman, and Young that this is something students can do; concerned about gap in 3rd grade but if look at interdisciplinary then information can be repeated in a variety of ways
  • Hardy – Addresses Maynard’s remark about similar content from people testifying, agrees they have worked together and she wanted their opinions early on and will stay with the educators who spoke
  • Hardy – At the very least need a sketch of what it looks like after they meet and discuss, thinks this is a big change
  • Perez – Loves the idea of expanded Texas history; can guarantee curriculum in underserved communities where students are pulled out to work on other subjects
  • Perez – If we test for multiple years, does it guarantee curriculum
  • Hickman – Do we as a board decide what is tested and not tested?
  • Ellis – No, but assessments are taken from curriculum standards
    • Staff – Agency is responsible for items on assessment, in science they test multiple grades like 6-8 so if the board wanted to pursue then Commissioner may be able to engage in that conversation
  • Ellis – Can continue along with seeing work product and have a touch point during the June meeting, would like true discussion meeting in July; asked for a motion on one of the three steps
    • Staff – Do not need a motion
  • Ellis – Small changes can happen by direction of the board but if there is a significant change then need a motion
  • Hardy – Wants option number 2; keep working but see a draft
    • Staff – Will get invitations out to workgroup, may get a meeting in during early June so they can bring a draft during the June meeting
  • Ellis – It will not be a completed draft but at least a touch point of the direction they are taking
  • Hardy – Can they take current sequence and show ability to be enriched
    • Staff – It depends on if they can get enough workgroup members and they will be getting 2 weeks advance notice vs the usual 4 weeks
  • Hickman – Asked about make up of workgroups
    • Staff – Staggering K-2 after 3-8 had chance to do preliminary work, now looking at 2-4 workgroups
  • Hickman – K-2 draft says thematically based, is there a way to organize it chronologically or geographically?
    • Staff – They were directed to do themes previously, 4 strands were integrated at every grade level
  • Hickman – Would like to direct workgroup to determine themes as broadly as they want
  • Ellis – Feels consensus on seeing work draft, should workgroups do a second work product within parameters of availability
  • Hickman – Does not need a second work product, wants to stay with current approach
  • Hardy – Hearing testimony that they want it more enriched and robust
  • Ellis – Asked Hardy about the work product she saw and if they keep working on it could that be the second work product
  • Ellis – Coming back in June to continue discussions (Hardy – With caveat the second work product will be looked at)