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The State Board of Education met on April 6 to take up multiple items. They heard comments from Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. Additionally, they discussed proposed changes to graduation requirements, the TEKS, education and training for certain disciplines, curriculum requirement, bids on SBOE instructional materials, and other items. The agenda in its entirety can be found here.

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.

 

Item 1: Commissioner’s Comments

Mike Morath, TEA Commissioner

  • Will provide an overview of the most recent annual report
  • Pandemic impact has been catastrophic; degree in statewide student achievement is about 10 years
  • For the 60×30 plan, are currently at 26% and need to be 60%
  • Have been significant increases in public school funding; since COVID, $21 billion has been added to this total
  • Are spending around $12,500 per pupil; is about a 20% increase since 2011
  • Are seeing a drastic amount of identification of students for special education
  • Have doubled the students who are receiving dyslexia services
  • Several schools have resolved their recruitment challenges
  • State has gone “all in” on reading; STAAR redesign is intended to have a major effect on the reading comprehension of students
  • New career clusters, major changes in the A-F system so schools get rewarded for the students going into career; overviews CCMR funding for schools through HB 3
  • Schools were provided with a large number of resources for high-impact tutoring; is the most profound resource to combat the effects of COVID
  • Most COVID funds were given directly to schools
  • Some has been used to incentivize districts through evidence-based practices to support students
  • 2022 NAEP has now been executed; will not get data back until about January
  • Update of the Teacher Vacancy Task Force (TVTF); Governor has asked this TVTF to handle teacher recruitment and retention
  • TVTF charged with: understanding operational challenges, identify best operational practices, develop recommendations for regulatory or other policy changes for TEA, and provide feedback on TEA vacancy initiatives
  • TVTF membership is diverse; currently expanding to include 24 additional teacher members
  • Turnover rate going into 21-22 SY is around 12%; anecdotal data is that trend is continuing through this SY
    • If compared to the last 15 years, is the highest turnover the state has ever seen
  • Alternative certification market is highly adaptive to market conditions; has been a steady erosion of traditional undergraduate preparation
  • Novice teachers leave the profession more than anyone else; this largely depends on their training and if they are equipped
  • If preparation experiences would more closely link to teacher’s work in the classroom, novice teacher turnover would be reduced
  • The bulk of the market in the state are novice teachers; about a third
    • Would want to shift the distribution long-term
  • Low-income students and students of color are more likely to have a novice teacher; talent is not distributed equally
  • Novice teachers achieve less academic growth with students than more experienced teachers
  • Have a number of initiatives to handle this; prepare (EPPs and LEAs), support, recruitment, and retainment
    • Have included materials in teacher supports; some teachers spend 6-10 hours scouring the internet for lesson plans
  • TVTF meetings are planned for the next 12 months; summative report will be produced at the end of the TVTF
  • Each TVTF meeting and other resources will be posted on their webpage
  • SBOE Member Audrey Young – How will TEA assure all districts will implement with high value instructional materials for reading academies? Notes Aldine ISD has done a system-wide revision with high-quality materials
    • Framework changed and now there is a huge amount of local control; would may be a consideration of the board on this
    • Not sure if that change was better for teachers or students
    • Feedback from teachers is that their training has been high quality
    • Reading Academies have made a tilt in strong phonics curriculum; are going through a rulemaking process on evidence-based phonics instructional materials
  • SBOE Member Tom Maynard – Task Force had a bit of blow back when they were released?
    • Initially was made up majority of administrators; during deliberations during the first meeting, it was apparent more teachers voices were needed
    • Expanded the Task Force immediately to include teachers in the meeting each time we meet
  • Maynard – Is there an opportunity for teachers to come and testify?
    • April 1 was the deadline for nominations; is also a presenter form on the Task Force webpage; will add this to TEA’s homepage
  • SBOE Member Patricia Hardy – What are we doing to get reading academies to be taught to pre-service teachers?
    • Recently announced a couple of changes in the 22-23 SY; new requirement in HB 3 that teachers have to pass a Science of Reading exam
    • Goal is (more on the SBEC side) ed-prep programs will go through the same practice-based experience in the reading academies
  • Hardy – Parental concerns about the amount of time spent on surveys; no one seems to know where the survey materials are being held after they are done
    • A few surveys are required by state law; every TEA survey is made publicly available and there is an advanced notice given to parents
    • Districts have the legal authority to provide their own surveys and is a school board responsibility
    • TEA retains some of that information
  • Hardy – Any way for the agency to share that the districts need to make parents aware of these surveys?
    • Will get something together for you
  • SBOE Member Aicha Davis – How do we make sure teachers do not get more training where they do not get paid, or to make sure they are compensated?
    • Reading Academies came with a massive amount of money which was given to districts
    • TEA has recommendations on how districts should deploy training, but districts make that decision
  • Davis – Expectation is that they would do it during the workday?
    • They either have sufficient time to do this, or there is a stipend for if they have to do it outside their normal work routine
  • Davis – What are you doing to prevent Teach for America from flooding the minority and low-income classroom?
    • Although there is high turnover for novice teachers, are variable individual competencies
    • Teach for America data shows they are quite good at “moving the needle” on student performance
  • SBOE Member Pam Little – Districts have gotten the message from TEA to accelerate instead of remediate?
    • For reading, the best thing you can do is ensure they are exposed to grade-level content
  • SBOE Member Georgina C. PĂ©rez – Asked previously on the charter application for Sunny Glen; further investigation into abuse by that provider?
    • Yes; will get you someone who can apprise you on that
  • PĂ©rez- Heritage has filed 11 new campus expansion amendments at the addresses of edTPA; a transfer or a merger?
    • Do not know the answer; will be more informed in a few weeks
  • PĂ©rez- Variations in teacher turnover and years of experience; are we tackling this problem ISD vs charter on the Teacher Vacancy Task Force?
    • Have both perspectives
  • SBOE Member Ruben Cortez – Some feedback for Reading Academies has been negative; a lot of school districts requiring to do this in their personal time – an opportunity for teachers to test out?
    • Yes
  • Cortez – Is the Teacher Vacancy Task Force the Governor pandering for his reelection campaign? How is this different from the work already being done?
    • Task forces have been reliable sources of recommendations in the past
  • Cortez – Any indication by the Governor that whatever the outcomes of the task force will be used next session?
    • One of the charges by the Governor is to address policy
  • SBOE Member Marisa B. Perez-Diaz – Voices missing from the Task Force seem to be university and educator prep programs?
    • They come before the Task Force often; some members do have educator prep experience
  • Perez-Diaz – Annual Report, $17.9 billion allocated to school districts, how much was supplanted?
    • $2-2.5 billion was supplanted
    • $15 billion net new
  • Perez-Diaz – What will the testing out process be for Reading Academies?
    • TEA Staff – Will have a webinar in 30 minutes; will need to obtain a written recommendation from the school districts, pass a screener, and complete a couple artifacts
  • SBOE Member Lawrence Allen – Has COVID impacted how we will evacuate and assign school accountability?
    • This year, have STAAR assessment; last year accountability information was not published
    • This August, will rate on an A-C basis
    • The A-F system will be back the following year; going into the next SY will adjust based on cut points
  • Allen – Concerned about reducing expectations/standards
    • Valid point; attempt to keep that in mind
  • SBOE Member Rebecca Bell-Metereau – If you look at school spending and accountability there is a strong correlation
    • Challenge this; spending does not correlate with accountability ratings
  • Bell-Metereau – Any goal to ask the Governor/legislature to increase spending per pupil? Trail behind other states
    • Texas funds two more grades more than the rest of the country; Texas has a lot more students relative to the population
    • Per public spending comparisons can be misleading because of this
  • Bell-Metereau – What about decreasing class sizes; data shows students perform better in a smaller class
    • Data does not show that, but ultimately that would be taking away local control
  • Bell- Metereau – What if we moved away from STAAR test, and move towards something more like the nationally normed test
    • Would abandon the concept of the TEKS
  • SBOE Member Matt Robinson – Concerning the Heritage Academy merge with ResponsiveEd’s higher education preparatory academy; is inappropriate the COO of ResponsiveEd is also the CEO of Heritage?
    • Not fully briefed on this; will know more in a couple weeks
  • Robinson and Morath discuss that Texas, California and New York are performing similarly, but Texas spends less

 

Item 2: Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements

  • SBOE Chair Keven Ellis – Are on the second reading and final adoption

 

Public Comment

Robert Floyd, Texas Music Educators Association

  • Appreciate the board’s recognition of the importance of fine arts
  • Body will soon begin the re-write of the fine arts TEKS
  • Body will look at CTE courses that meet the 1 credit fine arts requirement
  • HB 434 was previously strongly rejected by the House Education committee; supports fine arts
  • Need to ensure the sanctity of the fine arts requirement is kept
  • Hardy – CTE courses count for fine arts?
    • Yes, currently are three; floral design, 3D modeling and animation, and digital arts and animation
    • Need to see if these should still count towards fine arts; want to ensure the fine arts credit does not go away
  • Maynard – Need to also protect the CTE experience as well
  • Perez-Diaz – Quick question on the content of the work you handed out to us?
    • Chair Ellis – Need to keep this related to the agenda item
  • TEA Staff – Were two pieces of legislation from the 87th SB 369 which makes revisions to financial aid SB 1063 adds new option for a course to satisfy the half credit for economics
  • TEA Staff – Performance acknowledgement on scoring on a certain level; chose to make scores more aligned to a new test offered by ACT
  • TEA Staff – Were three public comments, but were submitted for a different rule item concerning CTE requirements
  • Chair Ellis – All those were supportive of the CTE changes though?
    • TEA Staff – Yes
  • TEA Staff – Was a change from “English language learner” to “emigrant bilingual learner”
    • Correct; provision is for biliteracy or bilingualism
  • Chair Ellis – ACT changing by 1 point is a typo or another recommendation?
    • TEA Staff – Did receive an email from ACT to have a 1-point increase
  • Chair Ellis – Is a change we need to make? Will add that now and will change from 441 to 442
    • TEA Staff – Yes; will be incorporated
  • Motion to approve proposed amendments passes
  • Are no staff amendments to this item

 

Item 3: Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 120, Other Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, Subchapter A, Character Traits

  • Chair Ellis – Are on second reading and final adoption

 

Public Comment

Mary Lowe, Self

  • Parents have concerns about SB 123, understand the SBOE does not have a lot of options
  • There was no floor discussion on this bill and it was slipped by through consent
  • Intent of this bill was not to teach character; is strictly about SEL
  • Request a no vote; and the opportunity for mid-year conference for clarity on this bill

 

Holly Plemmons, Self

  • Asks the board to vote no on this item
  • Students to not belong to the government; government should not teach children character

 

Marcy Gall, Self

  • Do not support mandatory character-trait teaching that goes beyond good manners
  • SB 123 goes into teaching attributes; bill was based on ill research based on CASEL SEL
  • A vote no will give more time to rescind this bill in the next legislative session

 

Richard McKenzie, Self

  • Need to take into account SB 3 in the additional session that was passed in addition to SB 123
  • Who gets to define what it means to be caring and a good citizen?

 

Questions for the Panel

  • Hardy – We can teach good character traits in school and is some of the obligation of the school; your concern is the program used to teach?
    • Lowe – Are multiple concerns; are adding more independent instruction at a time when performance is lagging
    • Lowe – If the bill was deferred, would give SBOE more relief
  • Hardy – How does this look in practice?
    • TEA Staff – Introduced version of the bill included social and emotional skills; language was revised is the only thing remaining
    • TEA Staff – Is a directive by the legislature to incorporate character skills in to the TEKS
    • TEA Staff – Language adds “personal skills” among others; it is then up to the district to determine how they will teach this
  • Chair Ellis – Can staff speak to the options of the SBOE when a bill is passed?
    • TEA Staff – Statute directions are that the SBOE “shall” integrate “personal skills” and “must include”
    • TEA Staff – School districts are directed to adopt a program to implement this in consultation with the community and board
  • Chair Ellis – We are making rule proposal changes, do witnesses understand the program is not involved in the rule?
    • Public commenters agree that SBOE
    • Gall – There is no penalty in the legislation if this is not implemented in this SY
    • TEA Staff – Even if this rule was not adopted, we would not be addressing
  • Perez-Diaz – Have had conversations soft skills are necessary for business and industry and higher education?
    • Gall – Transformative SEL in this bill is going well beyond manners; this will enable school districts to teach attitudes, values, and behaviors
  • Davis – Reiterate the purpose of the agenda item
    • TEA Staff – We are adding “personal skills” which was a directive by the legislature
  • Hardy – Legislation requires school districts to buy a program?
    • TEA Staff – They need to adopt a program; provided instruction can occur in a variety of different arrangements including a stand-alone course or into the TEKS
    • TEA Staff – Do not have a definition for what a program is
    • TEA Staff – Adoption of a program was already in place years before
  • Hickman – ISD could develop their own program or go and buy one?
    • Hardy – Still concerned about the program
    • TEA Staff – Do not think it is as narrow as it might seem
  • Maynard – What in the rule text is objectionable?
    • Panelists discuss that character development skills are subjective
    • Plemmons – Notes they disagree with equity panels and leadership at Fort Worth ISD; is a overstep against parental rights
  • Maynard – Those things are already happening even despite not adopting this rule
    • Lowe – Are adding subjective language; sets up a more struggle at the local level
  • Maynard – Do you have a problem with teaching honesty?
    • Lowe – Do not think you can, if you could SD10 would not be full of DAEP students
  • Maynard – Texas public education is not just about teaching a student to read, it is about teaching ethics and honesty; do you object to the whole thing?
    • Lowe – Yes, do have a proposed amendment for legislators and senators
    • Lowe – Could amend this to opt-in
  • Johnson – If we defer or table this today; how do you see this playing out?
    • Lowe – There is a winter conference and could add this item to their agenda
    • Chair Ellis – Even if they have interim charges or meetings, they would not be able to change the law until next session
  • Perez-Diaz – Are specifically talking about personal skills; parents do have the right to review curriculum and parents can pull children from instruction; notes the panel does not speak for all parents around Texas
  • Hardy – Adding opt-out is not under the SBOE’s wheelhouse?
    • TEA Staff – Is not relevant to this rule
  • SBOE Member Will Hickman – If a program is adopted that violates SB 3, what is the remedy?
    • TEA Staff – Starts at the school district; individuals could file an appeal through TEA or court
  • Hickman and TEA Staff discuss this as a directive through the legislature
  • Hickman – Have a couple of amendments
  • Chair Ellis – Can teach honesty and integrity; are definable terms
  • Hardy – What would deferring mean?
    • Chair Ellis – Today we are addressing doing the duty delegated to us by the legislature, that can also be taken away
  • Young – Does legislation need to change to go back to allowing the SBOE have more reign on what is considered high quality and appropriate?
    • Chair Ellis – We can add that to our legislative priorities
  • Hickman – Are doing a proclamation for these character traits?
    • TEA Staff – Was a desire for districts to incorporate these ideas into existing subjects in the original discussion
    • TEA Staff – Tabling is not something we can do, but we can postpone it to the next meeting; if it is referred to a subcommittee, they can hold it for longer
  • Motion to approve the proposed amendment; will move on to the amendment process of the amendment
  • Hickman – Conforming amendment to strike “diversity”; feels the word is duplicative and notes it means the same as “differences”
  • Perez-Diaz – asked if Hickman would pull back his motion given staff explanation, Hickman noted he still does not feel it is clear
  • Amendment fails 4-10
  • Character Traits TEKS recommendation adopted 13-1

 

Item 4: Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development, Subchapter G, Education and Training, §§127.317, 127.318, and 127.323, and Subchapter O, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, §127.783 and §127.784

  • Staff noted comments were received but really applied to graduation rules, those comments were not relevant to this ruling
  • Hickman – asked why 12 thru 19 year olds?
    • Staff – Ages of students that are enrolled
  • Hickman – asked if list of employability skills being duplicated were intentional
    • Staff – yes, since same field there is the assumption of same skills
  • Hardy – asked about forensics..
    • Staff – nothing in here that satisfies math or science requirement but there are work around options, district could exempt certain students from CTE pre-requisites
  • Maynard – asked how does this play out in a school district, provides agriculture example and does not want districts putting students in it just to satisfy science requirement
    • Staff – offered to discuss offline, but this is not about agriculture
  • TEKS recommendations adopted 13-0

 

Item 5: Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development, Subchapter O, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, §§127.788-127.794

  • Staff had a few changes to recommend and referred to them as innocuous, clarifying what students should be using and removing language on “conducting simulations”
  • Hickman – asked a question on workgroup intent and if they would see language again after SBOE changes, he is curious if they need to add simulate or not
    • Staff – if the language is not in the publication then people will not be able to comment on it
    • Staff – said they can ask workgroup to review and ask them to respond to change through the public comment process
  • Staff amendment requests adopted
  • First reading of TEKS recommendation as amended by staff to SBOE for filing 14-0

 

Lunch break until 1:15p

 

Item 6: Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 126, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Subchapter A, Elementary, §§126.1-126.3 and 126.8-126.10; and Subchapter B, Middle School, §§126.17-126.19

  • Recommendation for separate TEKS for grade levels, strands have been revised, computational thinking strand was added
  • Staff Recommendations to clarify or improve language where it could have been confusing, worked to keep to intent of workgroup and proposing to change from a trademark name of WiFi to a more generic term of “wireless network”
  • Hardy – would you incorporate this into another lesson, wouldn’t teach it in isolation?
    • Could be taught in isolation/stand along but also notes it could be taught integrated
  • First reading of TEKS recommendation as amended by staff to SBOE for filing 13-0

 

Item 7: Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 113, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Subchapter C, High School, §113.76, Personal Financial Literacy and Economics

  • Discussed SB 1063 which requires adoption of TEKS in this area, workgroup fine-tuned language and addressed issues
  • Staff Recommendations need to add implementation language, and two things on cleaning up students expectations which includes making them observable and measurable
  • Ellis – asked about the items being out of synch
    • Try to have consistent introductions, could leave it alone or take our 5 and 6 and once you adopted language in K-12 could come back and amend this language
    • Young – concern with “such as” language, would like the language placed in the teachers guide
    • Staff – concerned about use of teacher guide
  • Bell-Metereau – points out schemes and scams section repeats and provides a option of a way to address
  • Hickman – discussed programing by a provider and asked if course is about personal finance
    • Staff – 1/3 on economics and 2/3 on personal financial literacy
    • Staff – clarified what can be used to satisfy high school requirements
  • Hickman – asked for more details on what is included in the course
    • Staff – TEA will need to identify materials that exist free of charge and in that step of identifying existing materials will be looking for items on simulation as well
  • Staff – amendments by SBOE members would require either a change in language or to remove the language so need to take motions one at a time
  • Bell-Metereau – providing language to Young since she has to leave and asking Young to offer
  • Young – Motion made – wants to remove 9I “such as” language so that it says “describe and identify examples of common schemes and scams” and request such as examples be removed from TEKS and added to teacher guide instead in the future
  • Staff again says if you want public comment on something then leave it in for publication
  • Staff wants to be clear on moving forward request regarding “such as” and will need to know how much latitude on examples does the board intend for the agency to have
  • Ellis and staff clarify additional resources/information regarding “such as” moving to the teachers guide
  • Young – again says all the examples in the TEKS can be overwhelming
  • Ellis – agrees in part that the such as is clear and is what SBOE wants
  • Davis – asked if teachers are saying they are confused and when would it all be put into the guide
    • Staff – no date certain, staff starts working on this once the standards are adopted
    • Staff – teachers have not expressed to certain agency staff they are confused
  • Hardy – points out that “such as” examples have been used in testing as well
    • Staff points out taking our “such as” can broaden it up and students could then be tested on almost anything
  • More discussion by members on such as statements being in the guide vs in the TEKS and comfort level with agency determining
  • Discussion on voting on Motion by Young – Young withdraws her motion given Maynard’s remarks and will discuss again when it comes back before the SBOE
    • Maynard said he supports leaving language is for posting so people can comment on it
    • Ellis said the such as language being removed makes it to large
  • Hickman – asked about what Celebrate Freedom Week has to do with personal finance
    • Staff – the workgroup left it in because it is currently in the standards
    • Hickman – will leave it in for now and review once it comes back to SBOE
  • Hickman – under section that compares and contrasts sources of credit the request was to add “student loans”
    • Staff says under 3d there is language that addresses student loans
    • Hickman withdraws his motion
  • First reading of TEKS recommendation as amended by staff to SBOE for filing 11-0

 

Item 8: Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter A, Required Curriculum, §74.3, Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum

  • Course on financial literacy just adopted could meet requirements
  • Staff – do you want both PFL/economics and economics course or give choice to districts of offering one or the other
  • Hardy – would like to have “AND”
  • Staff – a third option could be to allow requirement reduced if applied to commissioner for districts with enrollment of less than 500 students
  • Hardy – supports the suggestion from staff
  • Maynard – supports the suggestion as well
  • Amendment passes 13-0
  • First reading of TEKS recommendation as amended to SBOE for filing 13-0

 

Item 9: Proclamation 2024 of the State Board of Education Advertising for Bids on Instructional Materials

  • Staff – IMA for science, technology and certain CTE courses and have solicited input from stakeholders which was provided to members
  • Staff – most comments related to TEKS over the Proclamation
  • Staff – have a few technical edits to courses on page 4 and 5 in response to request made by publishers (adding certain asterisks)
  • Staff – could call for financial course instructional materials in this proclamation
  • Perez – so what do teachers teach with if they are supposed to roll out the course this school year?
    • Staff – the agency needs to find open-source materials until the SBOE calls for materials
    • Hardy – members would be amazed about how much free material is available out there
  • Ellis – asks if this could be done two years in a row, issue a proclamation two years in a row for the financial course
  • Maynard – asked how this works in regard to the instructional material allotment (IMA)?
    • Staff – historically have been alternating
  • Financial course will be added to Proclamation 2024 (Approved as direction to staff 13-0)
  • Staff laid out timeline change, change when they bring question and answers after TEKS finalized in June (Approved as amended)
  • Staff laid out additional timeline change, deadline for pre-adoption samples up by 1 month from April to March so publishers have 11 months and May deadline for courses that will be finalized in June (Approved as amended)
  • Staff responded to request of providing package pricing for specific student quantities, draft language will now have per student pricing and information regarding volume discount in the manner they designate which will give staff time to develop a template (Approved as amended)
  • Staff gave results on TRR rubrics survey, language is being presented to be used as a starting point for discussions – TEA will contract with private entity to evaluate instructional material submitted in this proclamation, TRR reports will be submitted to SBOE prior to their adopted vote
    • There was some confusion on the changes
    • “To comply with TEC 31.082, TEA will contract with a private entity to evaluate instructional materials submitted in response to this proclamation for science through the Texas Resource Review (TRR). The TRR reports will be presented to the SBOE prior to their adoption vote.
      • Language struck includes this sentence – “and may be considered when determining a product’s suitability”
    • Perez – notes the question is do we want to signal SBOE will use the TRR prior to voting
    • Little – notes SBOE doesn’t have any input into the rubric
    • Perez – the TEA will contract and not SBOE, could TEA provide a list of private entities that are available
    • Staff said at this point it is not required because of private third-party evaluator component
    • Perez – noted concern of taxpayer dollars going to private entities, there was confusion on this point
    • Staff – clarified they will have that public because it is a vendor
    • Perez – wants to know if there can be input from SBOE on the reviewer
    • Staff – in terms of state review panels has been identified as an official committee as commissioner panel but text review workgroups are not, there is Commissioner authority on contracts for additional quality review
    • Legal staff – SBOE may only perform duties assigned, its not about what they are prohibited to do but are they authorized to do so
    • Hickman – asked if TEA reviews every response to Proclamation?
      • Staff – yes, and aligns so reviews are available
    • (Approved as amended 12-0)
  • Staff has another timeline proposal in light of TRR, so TRR rubric comment period, Rubric posting and TRR reports moved by approx. 1 month each (Approved as amended)
  • Hickman – has requested a rule to support filtering of inappropriate content, but current rule prohibits redirecting and contracts do flag this already for publisher contracts
    • Ellis – Proclamation does not focus on requirements for districts, so does not feel this appropriate to address in proclamation but rather in SBOE rule on internet safety
    • Ellis – Two things on Internet safety policy; in Texas Legislature Rider 8 and intent of legislature to ensure IMA funds used only when district is using internet safety policy
    • Ellis – thinks this federal code is useful because it defines words obscene, pornography and harmful to minors according to U.S. Supreme Court in Miller Case
    • Ellis – this would only apply to those districts getting e-rate, currently only about 85% but he would like to see it expanded to 100% of districts
    • Ellis – have also been directed by Abbott to address reading materials, so addressing the internet safety policy would do this and he wants to bring this back up for discussion in June
    • Ellis – looking at rule text 66.105, where districts certify materials cover a certain percentage of TEKS
    • Hickman – asked about rules that already exist with links that publishers provide
      • Staff – publishers could only include links that are relevant and important for instruction, that they are maintain and checking links, and rule in place that publishers have to request a change from SBOE before a change is made
    • Proclamation 2024 approved as amended (14-0)

 

Item 10: Update on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Review

Public Comment

Ethnic Studies Network of Texas

  • Believe curriculum should be reflective of diverse population and honest
  • Honest about past will help us move toward healing

 

Zane Evans, Self

  • Request incorporation of multi-cultural, SEL, and incorporation of creating student voices to help shape educational experiences

 

Ethnic Studies Network of Texas

  • Include or maintain in TEKS parts of SB 3 section 9
  • Instruct all working groups that social standards are representative and reflect diversity of Texas
  • Instruct working groups to apply law without bias, no additional meaning or interpretations
  • Ask TEA to instruct working groups a pattern of applying law to one political groups
  • Proposed groups be composed of content experts from Mexican American and African American studies

 

Alicia Tuft, Self

  • Wants to see amount of history shared to include black, indigenous and Latino communities

 

Questions

  • Davis – workgroup received copy of SB 3 and did they receive any guidance?
    • Yes
  • Davis – asked testifiers on Ethnic Studies how they could implement guidance?
    • Says there are some documents out there, but without bias means asking if they are applying evenly across all the TEKS
    • Ellis asked if TEA came out with guidance
    • Staff – there was a letter to the educator but it clarified teach TEKS until they are changed
  • Hickman – asked for more details on their recommendation #4, 1d from Texas Ethnic Network of Texas
    • Witness – if taking away something, groups should ask if by removing content does it inoculate on white superiority
    • Hickman – so is it saying if you don’t talk about white privilege then by default you are talking about white superiority
    • Witness – answer is we have a white dominant Euro-centric history so if don’t talk about concepts then a particular narrative is not identified, and it is not revealed as driving a narrative
    • Witness – need to discuss how systems are inequitable or not being truthful
  • Bell-Metereau – asked for more information on settlements
    • Witness from Texas Ethnic Network of Texas – not prepared to address these questions, but in general on workgroup direction

 

Public Comment

Valerie Martinez, Program head and teach Mexican American Studies

  • Thanks them for listening to the recommendations of the Texas Ethnic Network of Texas
  • Proposed groups be composed of content experts from Mexican American and African American studies
  • Working group recommendations 2 weeks before so proper review can be done
  • Maintain fidelity to researched content, historical periods, etc

 

Sarah Gold, Executive Director of Mexican American Civil Rights Institute

  • Have an opportunity to map out and provide an honest telling of the past

 

SBOE Discussion

  • Ellis calls up TEA Staff Monica Martinez to start discussion
    • Drafts here today will be considered in two months; are from the workgroups
    • Need additional guidance mostly for high school World History, HS US History, and 8th Grade History
    • Was wide-spread agreement to decreasing the strands to the four previously discussed
    • Looking for feedback on the drafts as they stand now
    • Have a separate workgroup working on the Social Studies skills; have asked them to meet concurrently with other workgroups in terms of integrating skills and any other stand-alone skills they recommend being included
  • Ellis – Asian American and Native American Studies?
    • Those are staggered, may be helpful to know adjustments to HS History before making adjustments to those two ethnic studies courses
    • Will be thoughtful when including examples
    • Current rules indicate that if there is an innovative course on ethnic study then it goes before SBOE, if its will of board staff can go ahead and convene workgroups for Asian American and Native American courses
  • Hardy – Native American group has proposed something and has not been approved?
    • Was submitted as an innovative course, but still needs revisions
    • Invite them to apply to serve on a workgroup and build it into a text-based course
  • Little – Is a good idea to work on those two courses while we work on social studies?
  • Ellis – Have talked to the Commissioner about our current Social Studies TEKS; consensus K-2 standards be more knowledge based and noted had discussion back in January about 3-8 grades becoming chronologically based courses
  • Ellis – based on this asked staff to put together handout on what it could look like
  • Ellis – Want to make clear the Texas SBOE will continue to adopt standards for Texas students to succeeds; we will not adopt national standards
  • Ellis – We will adopt standards that appropriately emphasizes significant role that Texas has had on growth of country and importance on Texas on world stage with emphasis on Texas history grades K-8
  • TEA Staff gives a presentation on what the chronological standards will look like:
    • All workgroups agree we need to focus on depth vs breadth
    • Overviews concepts High School World History identified that could be introduced in middle school; biggest changes would be around time periods
    • Content advisors recommend grades 5 and 6 focus on World Geography and History from 1400 to about 1450
    • Content advisors recommended K-3 focused on a theme; research indicates this would be foundation through literature
    • Content advisors also recommended grade 3 focus on impact of early civilization
    • Content advisors recommend increasing specificity of standards of the TEKS; especially in terms of geography and identification of Texas historical figures and why things are named after them
    • Aim to add more knowledge into K-2 and coherently covering key people, events and places in Texas 3-8
    • First three years would be focused on foundational knowledge in a thematic way and then six years through Texas, US, and World History; would need workgroups to dig into the specificity on the years covered between 4/5 grades and 6/7/8
    • Provides more examples of foundational knowledge building themes
    • Have looked at a lot of other states; everyone is trying to address social studies education in the same way and do not see success from that
    • Recommendation is based on a lot of research and listening to the conversation and thinking what the solution might be that is beneficial to all students in Texas
  • Little – Supportive of this, but concerned about this watering down Texas history and wants to go in a different direction if that is the case when they present next time
    • Would be a good starting point take 4 and 7 grade student expectations to find where they would fit in this framework
    • Approach would allow for greater focus in Texas history than current approach
  • Robinson – Agree with Little
  • Perez – Concern is how we improve instructional materials because of this dramatic shift? Where is professional development?
    • Ellis – thinks this allows instructional material providers to truly focus on Texas, such a unique focus on how we scaffold Texas history in US history and will have publishers redesigning Texas textbooks for Texas
    • Ellis – heard from a publisher this would actually probably raise the bar for our providers of instructional material to refocus on Texas
    • Little – believes publishers already have this content; for this developers watching the Texas schedule: this is a matter of structuring the content to get it to follow TEKS; this will require more planning as they can’t take a national edition and add Texas specific content; if this plan is approved, the publishers will develop a program for Texas; the content already exists
    • Staff – Commissioner will develop civics training program and will use the developed TEKS, opportunity to develop high quality professional development so that an educator and administrator will need to participate from every campus
    • Staff – goal is to make it so strong that more will want to participate
  • Hardy – don’t teach much social studies in grades K-5, so buying into this and wanting to make it cross curricula
  • Staff – have been asked by Commissioner to identify trade books that exist in elementary that would align to the social studies concepts, they do have examples of books that teachers would likely have that teachers could be encouraged to use during reading time
  • Bell-Metereau – what would be starting date for chronologically?
    • Roughly 5000 BC, just example but if board has a particular start and end date would be good to know
  • Hickman – 3-8 makes perfect sense to him, K-2 seems random to him and would suggest it be chronological as well
    • Staff – have had that conversation, it a matter of developmentally appropriateness
    • Hickman – provided example of teaching on Rome and then Cesar the following week so there is a thread that runs through that makes sense
    • Staff – felt this format leans better to ways teacher teaches
    • Staff – need to make sure there is published material out there in trade books, stories already published so there may be challenges finding text that are appropriate for kinder students in early years
    • Hickman – could you approach each theme chronologically
    • Staff – if that is the will of the board they could take it back to the workgroup, just know they may have to say the workgroup tried and couldn’t make it work
  • Little – like themes in early years, would like to see kinders start off with George Washington and thinks talking about people will be helpful to lower grades
  • Melton-Malone – chronological will be challenge but can take a theme unity and build it into it
  • Hickman – again ask if K-2 can be organized differently or better
    • Ellis – hearing keep it theme approach but if workgroup sees something they can raise it to the board
  • Perez-Diaz – Would like start to include indigenous people part of Texas
    • Staff – may also be in 5th grade
    • Hardy and Bell-Metereau – make supportive comments
    • Ellis – said slides are conceptual and are starting points for a discussion, and helps the discussion on what can be taught in that allotted time period
  • Staff – workgroups K-8 will shift to this focus, it will be a shift
  • Staff – Will have 8th grade group work on other grades, so when convening K-7 workgroups will have them work within this framework
  • Staff – knows November adoption is an important endpoint to be working on, having a challenge getting workgroup members time to do this work (discusses various schedules that may be impacting such as workforce shortage and challenges in getting substitutes)
  • Staff – Best guess is they may have K-8 groups with one meeting in between now and May, June meeting is when SBOE is scheduled to have discussion of the standards and staff thinks they will struggle to have a complete draft by then
  • Staff – asked if there is any additional pre-work the board is comfortable with the staff doing… then they could start on that?
  • Staff – feels confident they will get to a good place for first reading in September
  • Ellis – asked for assurance the workgroup will develop student expectations, and notes they have flexibility in scheduling additional meetings
    • Staff – could call a special meeting in July to address this draft and get feedback in advance of first reading or possibly first week in August
  • Staff – is there any additional work needed by staff before they convene the workgroup, for example they could move current student expectations into different grade levels under this framework to make sure they don’t lose any of them to help give the workgroup a starting point
  • Ellis – believes that is consistent with board direction
  • Davis – ask about applications for those interested in ethnic studies?
    • Staff – hopefully they have done it, need to do it now if not already
    • Staff – It would be helpful if those in Asian American and Native American Innovative courses would be encouraged to apply
    • Staff – trying to connect with board members if not getting many applications from their district
  • Staff – any direction to HS workgroup? Any thing you want them to think about that might be different from emphasis today?
    • Davis – can we provide that later?
    • Staff – it will come back on Friday, need direction before meeting is adjourned
    • Hardy said would like to consider early American History in HS, would say some World History could be cut out but if stay with new framework then it works
  • Staff – wants to know reasonable stopping point in history?
    • Hardy – pandemic
    • Ellis – asked for feedback from workgroup members on endpoint
    • Bell-Metereau – noted significant events such as insurrection have taken place, discussion of pandemic, etc
    • Staff – if you want standards a mile wide and inch deep then can keep all concepts, working on getting substance vs just touching on the subject

 

Item 11: Long Range Plan for Technology Update

  • In person staff presented the agenda item
  • Ellis – original product is from SBOE but updates are from the agency
    • Staff – yes
  • Cortez – are they addressing accessing in the plan?
    • Contractor – Yes, they are addressing the need of broadband connectivity
    • Contractor – Outlining resources both within TEA and program development office to help bridge connectivity gap
    • Contractor – High level resources and updating them as well as webinar and support tools
  • Ellis – confirmed they are talking with the contractor of the Long Range Plan, would like them to come in on Friday so they can discuss in person, worked out technical details of how to do this and then adjourn until to re-convene on Friday morning