Source: https://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Leadership/State_Board_of_Education/2019/January/January_2019_Committee_of_the_Full_Board_Item_3/
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 16:45:42+00:00

Document:
19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, §74.12, Foundation High School Program, and §74.13, Endorsements, to update the rules to align with recent changes to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for fine arts and to establish courses to be included in a cybersecurity pathway for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) endorsement.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4), 28.002, and 28.025.
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 by rule identify the essential knowledge and skills of each subject in the required curriculum that all students should be able to demonstrate and that will be used in evaluating instructional materials and addressed on the state assessment instruments.
TEC, §28.002(f)(2), requires the SBOE to approve courses in cybersecurity for credit for high school graduation.
TEC, §28.025(a), requires the SBOE to by rule determine the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school program that are consistent with the required curriculum under TEC, §28.002, and to designate the specific courses in the foundation curriculum that are required under the foundation high school program.
TEC, §28.025(b-1), requires the SBOE to by rule require that the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school program include a requirement that students successfully complete four credits in English language arts, including one credit in English I, one credit in English II, one credit in English III, and one credit in an advanced English course; three credits in mathematics, including one credit in Algebra I, one credit in geometry, and one credit in any advanced mathematics course; three credits in science, including one credit in biology, one credit in any advanced science course, and one credit in integrated physics and chemistry or in an additional advanced science course; 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, and one credit in world geography or world history; two credits in the same language in a language other than English; five elective credits; one credit in fine arts; and one credit in physical education.
TEC, §28.025(c-1), requires the SBOE to by rule provide students with multiple options for earning each endorsement, including, to the greatest extent possible, coherent sequences of courses. The SBOE by rule must permit a student to enroll in courses under more than one endorsement curriculum before the student's junior year.
TEC, §28.025(c-1)(1), establishes that an endorsement may be earned in STEM, which includes courses related to science, including environmental science; technology, including computer science, cybersecurity, and computer coding; engineering; and advanced mathematics.
TEC, §28.025(c-2), requires the SBOE, in adopting rules, to require a student in order to earn any endorsement to successfully complete four credits in mathematics, which must include Algebra I, geometry, and two advanced mathematics courses; four credits in science, which must include biology, integrated physics and chemistry or an additional advanced science course, and two advanced science courses or an advanced career and technology course; and two additional elective credits. The SBOE, in adopting rules, is also required to develop additional curriculum requirements for each endorsement with the direct participation of educators and business, labor, and industry representatives and to require each school district to report to the agency the categories of endorsements for which the district offers all courses for curriculum requirements, as determined by board rule.
TEC, §28.025(c-10), requires the SBOE to adopt or select five technology applications courses on cybersecurity to be included in a cybersecurity pathway for the STEM endorsement.
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 amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Subchapter B, is August 1, 2019. 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 2019-2020 school year. The earlier effective date will allow districts of innovation that begin school prior to the statutorily required start date to implement these amendments when they begin their school year.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted rules in 19 TAC Chapter 74, Subchapter B, to implement the Foundation High School Program effective July 8, 2014. The SBOE adopted amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Subchapter B, effective August 22, 2016, and August 28, 2017. The SBOE last adopted amendments effective August 27, 2018.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: The 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, passed House Bill (HB) 5, amending TEC, §28.025, to transition from three high school graduation programs to one foundation high school program with endorsement options to increase flexibility for students. HB 5 gave the SBOE the authority to identify advanced courses related to the new graduation program, identify the curriculum requirements for the endorsements, and determine the requirements for performance acknowledgments related to the new graduation program.
The 85th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, passed HB 3593, amending TEC, §28.025(c-1)(1), to add cybersecurity and computer coding to the courses to be included in a STEM endorsement. HB 3593 also added TEC, §28.025(c-10), to require the SBOE to adopt or select five technology applications courses to be included in a cybersecurity pathway for the STEM endorsement. In August 2018, a committee of secondary and postsecondary educators and business and industry representatives were selected to develop recommendations for TEKS for new cybersecurity courses and for the cybersecurity pathway. The committee met again in October 2018 and January 2019 to finalize their recommendations.
For students to earn state credit toward specific graduation requirements, a course must be approved by the SBOE and included in SBOE rule. At the September 2017 SBOE meeting, the committee discussed International Baccalaureate (IB) courses that are not currently included in SBOE rule and considerations regarding the appropriate amount of state credit that should be awarded for IB courses. At that time, the board requested that agency staff prepare rule text to address these issues. Throughout 2018, the SBOE adopted rules to align the TEKS with current course offerings by the International Baccalaureate Organization. In September 2018, the SBOE discussed the addition of two currently approved innovative courses, IB Film Standard Level and IB Film Higher Level, to the TEKS for fine arts, and in November 2018, the SBOE approved for first reading and filing authorization the proposal to add the two new courses.
This item provides an opportunity for the SBOE to update the rules to align with recent changes to the TEKS for fine arts. The attachment reflects the text of the proposed amendment to 19 TAC §74.12, Foundation High School Program, for consideration by the SBOE for first reading and filing authorization. The proposed amendment to 19 TAC §74.13, Endorsements, will be provided as a separate exhibit at the January-February 2019 SBOE meeting.
Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, §74.12, Foundation High School Program, and §74.13, Endorsements, was not presented as a discussion item. However, the proposed amendment related to fine arts was discussed by the SBOE in November 2018 as part of consideration of Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 117, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Fine Arts, Subchapter C, High School, Adopted 2013, §117.327, International Baccalaureate (IB) Film Standard Level (SL) (Two Credits), and §117.328, International Baccalaureate (IB) Film Higher Level (HL) (Two Credits). The proposed amendment related to the cybersecurity pathway for the STEM endorsement was discussed by the SBOE in November 2018 as part of the discussion on proposed new cybersecurity TEKS.
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. 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 expand, 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 add flexibility in course options for students to meet high school graduation requirements. 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 will begin when the proposal, approved for first reading and filing authorization by the SBOE, is published in the Texas Register. 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.
Approve for first reading and filing authorization proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements, §74.12, Foundation High School Program, and §74.13, Endorsements.

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