| (a) A school district may offer innovative courses
to enable students to master knowledge, skills, and competencies not
included in the essential knowledge and skills of the required curriculum.
(1) The State Board of Education (SBOE) may approve
any course that does not fall within any of the subject areas listed
in the foundation and enrichment curricula when the applying school
district or organization demonstrates that the proposed course is
academically rigorous and addresses documented student needs.
(2) The commissioner of education may approve a discipline-based
course in the foundation or enrichment curriculum when the applying
school district or organization demonstrates that the proposed course
is academically challenging and addresses documented student needs.
(3) Applications shall not be approved if the proposed
course significantly duplicates the content of a Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS)-based course or can reasonably be taught within
an existing TEKS-based course.
(4) To request approval from the SBOE or the commissioner,
the applying school district or organization must submit a request
for approval at least six months before planned implementation that
includes:
(A) a description of the course and its essential knowledge
and skills;
(B) the rationale and justification for the request
in terms of student need;
(C) data that demonstrates successful piloting of the
course in Texas;
(D) a description of activities, major resources, and
materials to be used;
(E) the methods of evaluating student outcomes;
(F) the qualifications of the teacher;
(G) any training required in order to teach the course
and any associated costs; and
(H) the amount of credit requested.
(5) To request approval from the commissioner for a
career and technical education innovative course, the applying school
district or organization must submit with its request for approval
evidence that the course is aligned with state and/or regional labor
market data.
(6) To request approval of a new innovative course,
the applying school district or organization must submit with its
request for approval evidence that the course has been successfully
piloted in its entirety in at least one school in the state of Texas.
(7) With the approval of the local board of trustees,
a school district may offer, without modifications, any state-approved
innovative course.
(b) An ethnic studies course that has been approved
by the commissioner as an innovative course shall be presented to
the SBOE for discussion and consideration for inclusion in the TEKS.
(1) Only comprehensive ethnic studies courses in Native
American studies, Latino studies, African American studies, and/or
Asian Pacific Islander studies, inclusive of history, government,
economics, civic engagement, culture, and science and technology,
shall be presented to the SBOE for consideration.
(2) The chair of the Committee on Instruction, in accordance
with SBOE Operating Rule 2.5(b), shall collaborate with the board
chair to place the item on the next available Committee on Instruction
agenda following commissioner approval of the innovative course.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §74.27 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 4311; amended to be effective September 1, 1998, 23 TexReg 5675; amended to be effective September 1, 2001, 25 TexReg 7691; amended to be effective December 25, 2007, 32 TexReg 9623; amended to be effective December 25, 2019, 44 TexReg 7980; amended to be effective February 26, 2023, 48 TexReg 840 |
