SBOE approves revised K-8 Science TEKS, OKs some health materials

This article was updated on Dec. 17, 2021.

At its November meeting, the State Board of Education completed final amendments to the new K-8 Science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. The SBOE finalized adoption of the new Science TEKS at a special meeting Dec. 1. The process of amending the Science TEKS began in early 2020 with high school courses.

The SBOE is now in the process of reviewing and revising the Social Studies TEKS for grades K-12. TEA asked for educator input in December and work groups will provide recommendations to SBOE members in the coming months.

At November’s meeting, the board also approved instructional materials from Goodheart-Willcox for Grades 6-12 health education and for one high school course in physical education.

The instructional materials will be introduced to classrooms in the 2022-23 school year, at the same time as the new Health TEKS. The new TEKS, which SBOE members approved last year, allow school districts to teach middle school students about forms of birth control aside from abstinence.

The board heard hours of public testimony on Nov. 16 outlining concerns about the proposed sex education materials, mostly centered around the belief that they did not do enough to present abstinence “as the preferred choice of behavior in relationship to all sexual activity for unmarried persons of school age” as required by current law.

After the publisher agreed to make some revisions to address concerns, the board approved the Goodheart-Wilcox materials for grades 6-12. The recommended materials for grades K-5 were not approved. While districts are not required to purchase instructional materials on the state’s adopted list, districts must ensure that the materials they use provide 100% coverage of the TEKS.

In other action, the board approved proposed new TEKS for Education and Training; Health Science; Hospitality and Tourism; Law and Public Service; and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The new career and technical education standards are designed to better support the CTE programs of study.