<<Prev Rule

Texas Administrative Code

Next Rule>>
TITLE 19EDUCATION
PART 2TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
CHAPTER 74CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS
SUBCHAPTER CCCOMMISSIONER'S RULES CONCERNING READING PRACTICES
RULE §74.2001Phonics Curriculum

(a) The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings.

  (1) Systematic instruction--Instruction that is carefully planned and sequenced where simple concepts are taught first before progressing to more complex concepts. This form of instruction is broken down into manageable step-by-step pieces that are aligned to instructional goals.

  (2) Direct instruction--Explicit, teacher-led instruction that clearly and specifically teaches a skill through concise explanation, modeling, practice, and feedback.

  (3) Phonics--The ability to read (decode) and spell (encode) individual words. Decoding refers to the process of using letter-sound knowledge to blend sounds and word parts to read words. Encoding refers to the process of using letter-sound knowledge to spell words.

(b) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt a phonics curriculum for Kindergarten-Grade 3. Explicit and systematic instruction is necessary to effectively teach phonics in English and in Spanish.

  (1) A phonics curriculum must:

    (A) for the applicable Kindergarten-Grade 3 grade level and as identified in the Texas Resource Review rubric, align with a subset of the developing and sustaining foundational language skills portion of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, as follows:

      (i) for English Language Arts and Reading when teaching students to read in English; or

      (ii) for Spanish Language Arts and Reading when teaching students to read in Spanish;

    (B) align with current and confirmed research in reading and cognitive science;

    (C) provide concise, direct, explicit, and systematic phonics instruction with cumulative review;

    (D) provide specific daily instructional sequences and routines, which include modeling, guided practice, and application with immediate, corrective feedback;

    (E) include ongoing practice opportunities in isolation and in connected, controlled text that follows the instructional focus;

    (F) include assessments to measure and monitor student progress;

    (G) provide specific guidance after monitoring progress to support students in reaching mastery of a concept or to accelerate instruction as needed; and

    (H) include the quality components addressed in a phonics-specific rubric approved by the commissioner of education for use in the Texas Resource Review.

  (2) The program may:

    (A) function as a stand-alone phonics program, be part of a core language arts program, or act as a supplemental foundational literacy skills program; and

    (B) include scaffolded application in specific daily instructional sequences and routines.

  (3) The program may not:

    (A) teach word recognition, when teaching students to read in English, through visual memory, guessing, the shape of a word, or the use of pictures or context clues to decode words instead of explicitly teaching words that cannot be sounded out and that do not follow the rules of phonics; or

    (B) be used solely for intervention purposes rather than for core instruction implementation.

  (4) A phonics program that does not meet all criteria in paragraph (1) of this subsection may be used by a school district or open-enrollment charter school if the program has a strong evidence base and is used in conjunction with a phonics program that meets all criteria in paragraph (1) of this subsection.


Source Note: The provisions of this §74.2001 adopted to be effective April 28, 2022, 47 TexReg 2131

Link to Texas Secretary of State Home Page | link to Texas Register home page | link to Texas Administrative Code home page | link to Open Meetings home page