Part 2 of 2
(Part 1, in the Feb. 10 issue, starts here)
SBOE Info: texednews.com/sboe
=============
Also in this issue:
-- Morath Spotlights Special-Ed Advances
-- School Board Training Rules Approved
=============
Other SBOE Activity:
Final Adoption (no changes made from agenda):
- (agenda/webcast-click Item 1) Allowed districts to award course credit proportionally for successfully completing half a course regardless of the time duration of the course.
- (agenda/webcast-click Item 2) Revised the Fine Arts Music TEKS to align with current International Baccalaureate music offerings.
- (agenda) Implemented recent legislation regarding the Permanent School Fund.
First (of two) reading for public comment (no changes from agenda):
- Implemented — in two separate rules (agenda 5 and agenda 7) provisions related to career and technical education and technology applications courses.
Among other things, the rules seek to consolidate or delete courses to eliminate duplication, authorize new courses, and create a new
Energy Career Cluster (see Agenda 7) of courses to focus on the study of the energy industry. - (agenda) Made several legislatively required changes to graduation requirements, such as by allowing a student who completes an American Sign Language course in elementary school to earn one high school Languages Other than English credit.
Other Action:
- (agenda/webcast-click Item 6) Approved (by not vetoing) SBEC board rules implementing 2019 legislation for new misconduct reporting requirements, including by implementing the SBEC’s portion of the requirements for the so-called “do not hire” registry.
- (agenda/webcast-click Item 6) Gave routine five-year renewal approvals to these innovative courses: 1) Advanced Placement Seminar, 2) Advanced Placement Research, 3) Gifted and Talented Interdisciplinary Studies/Mentor Seminar I-IV, 4) Logic I and 5) Logic II.
- (agenda/webcast click Item 5) Delayed until April to decide whether to fine or otherwise penalize the Origo Education publishing company for violating SBOE rules by not informing the TEA ahead of time, and getting permission from the agency, before substituting — in 2016 — updated consumable student workbooks to accompany the company’s grades K to 5 math books that were state adopted for first time use in School Year 2014-15.
Staff said four districts, including
Fort Worth ISD, use the adopted materials. The company could possibly be fined as much as $1,000 for each day they are found to be in noncompliance with the rules. - (agenda/webcast click Item 3) Delayed until April, pending the outcome of an ad hoc committee, the approval on first (of two) reading of rules to implement HB3 provisions allowing the UT Austin and Texas Tech correspondence high schools to receive state funding if they stop charging tuition to in-state students.
The proposed rules, when adopted, will specify which state education laws applicable to traditional ISDs apply — and don’t apply — to the two correspondence schools.
- (agenda / webcast click Item 2 both here and here) Received an update about, and provided guidance to staff on, upcoming TEKS reviews in the areas of health, physical education and science.