2023 Texas Statutes › Education Code › Title 2 - Public Education › Subtitle E - Students and Parents › Chapter 26 - Parental Rights and Responsibilities › Section 26.006. Access to Teaching Materials

Sec. 26.006.  ACCESS TO TEACHING MATERIALS.  (a)  A parent is entitled to:
(1)  review all teaching materials, instructional materials, and other teaching aids used in the classroom of the parent's child, including while the child is participating in virtual or remote learning;
(2)  review each test administered to the parent's child after the test is administered; and
(3)  observe virtual instruction while the parent's child is participating in virtual or remote learning to the same extent the parent would be entitled to observe in-person instruction of the child.
(b)  A school district shall make tests readily available for review by parents in person and teaching materials readily available for review by parents both in person and, if applicable, through an instructional materials parent portal established under Section 31.154.  In providing access to instructional materials to a student's parent under this section, the district shall:
(1)  allow access beginning not later than 30 days before the school year begins and concluding not earlier than 30 days after the school year ends; and
(2)  include, for the entire period specified in Subdivision (1), access to all instructional materials that pertain to each subject area in the grade level in which the student is enrolled, except for:
(A)  tests or exams that have not yet been administered to the student; and
(B)  the student's graded assignments.
(b-1)  The district may specify reasonable hours for in-person review.
(c)  A student's parent is entitled to request that the school district or open-enrollment charter school the student attends allow the student to take home any instructional materials used by the student.  Subject to the availability of the instructional materials, the district or school shall honor the request.  A student who takes home instructional materials must return the instructional materials to school at the beginning of the next school day if requested to do so by the student's teacher.  A school district or open-enrollment charter school must provide the instructional materials to the student in printed format if the student does not have reliable access to technology at the student's home.  In this subsection, "instructional material" has the meaning assigned by Section 31.002.
(d)  The requirement under Subsection (c) to provide to a student instructional materials in a printed format does not require a school district or open-enrollment charter school to purchase printed copies of instructional materials that the district or school otherwise would not purchase.  A district or school may comply with Subsection (c) by providing the student a printout of the relevant electronic instructional materials.
(e)  Each school district and open-enrollment charter school that uses a learning management system or any online learning portal to assign, distribute, present, or make available instructional materials as defined by Section 31.002 to students shall provide login credentials to the system or portal to each student's parent.
(f)  A school district may not deny a parent access to an instructional materials parent portal hosted under Section 31.154.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.  Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 805, Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2001.
Amended by:
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 6 (S.B. 6), Sec. 12, eff. July 19, 2011.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1031 (H.B. 391), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 558 (S.B. 348), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2021.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., 2nd C.S., Ch. 9 (S.B. 3), Sec. 2, eff. December 2, 2021.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 818 (H.B. 1605), Sec. 5, eff. June 13, 2023.