TEA News Briefs


Fiscal Ratings
The TEA released (Nov. 6) the final 2019-20 Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) ratings.
read more

Gifted/talented (G/T)
The TEA:
  • Issued pandemic-related guidance that covers the identification of, and provisions for, services (either in-person or remotely) for G/T students.

  • Announced a series of “G/T Tuesdays” informational webinars for school personnel.

  • Posted info about a long-term University of North Texas research project that is seeking responses on a survey about district-level changes to gifted education practices following the passage of 2019’s HB3 and COVID-19 related school closures.
Click here for more info about all of the above.

TEKS News
The TEA is seeking individuals to review Health and PE instructional materials next summer to determine the extent the materials meet the required TEKS.

Applications and nominations are being sought from teachers, administrators, parents, business and community members — and “others with appropriate content knowledge.”

The materials will be based on the final Health/PE TEKS approved by the State Board of Education during its Nov. 17-20 meeting.

TEA Rule News (click here for more info about all of the following)
Adopted:
  • Implementing a 2019 HB3 requirement to add pregnancy to the list of reasons to be reported by districts to the TEA via PEIMS for a student dropping out (or otherwise no longer attending) a public school.

    Effective Nov. 10.


Proposed (comment by Dec. 7):
  • Setting educator certification exam passing scores for: 1) Early Childhood to Grade 6, 2) Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities and 3) Student Services.

  • Streamlining the process used to determine whether an out-of-state educator can be exempted from having to take a Texas certification exam.