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English Language Arts and Reading

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This English language arts and reading web page provides clarification, guidance, and support to English language arts and reading stakeholders, including districts, schools, parents, educators, and students, for the development and implementation of the K–12 English language arts and reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Announcements

RLA Stakeholder Engagement Session Recording Is Now Available

In October, the TEA Reading Language Arts (RLA) curriculum team hosted stakeholder engagement sessions and shared answers to Reading Language Arts frequently asked questions.  

To access the recording of the October stakeholder engagement session, “Reading Language Arts Frequently Asked Questions,” please visit the “Recent English Language Arts Communications” section below.

Black History Month: February 2026

Each year, during February, we celebrate the history and cultural contributions of Black Americans in the United States. Students will explore over 400 years of Black history within the broader context of American history.  

TEA has created a web page to provide resources, including a variety of lessons, activities, and instructional materials, that can be used to support instruction and honor Black History Month. Please visit the “Commemorative Weeks and Months” section below for additional information.

 TELPAS Transition-Year Assessments (2026–2027 and 2027–2028)

In the Fall of 2024, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted new English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). These new standards will become effective in classrooms in the 2026–2027 school year. As a result of the changes to the ELPS, the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) will transition to a new assessment.

Before the new assessment is implemented, transition-year assessments will be used during the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 school years. Additional information about the transition -years, including assessed curriculum documents, can be found on the TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate pages on the TEA website.  

Please contact the TEA Student Assessment Help Desk if you have any questions related to the TELPAS transition-year assessments. 
 

 

English Language Arts & Reading TEKS

The links below provide access to the web-based version of the current English language arts Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do. You can also access a PDF version of the TEKS.

TEKS Guide

The purpose of the TEKS Guide is to help teachers understand each student expectation in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and to provide valuable resources to support instruction. Currently, the TEKS Guide includes resources for K-8 English Language Arts and K-6 Spanish Language Arts.

Vertical Alignment

The following vertical alignment documents were created to reflect the alignment of the new English and Spanish language arts and reading TEKS across grade levels, kindergarten – grade 12.

English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) 

The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted new English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) at the September 2024 SBOE meeting. The new ELPS became effective in 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Chapter 120, on February 2, 2025.  

The new ELPS are scheduled to be implemented in classrooms beginning with the 2026–2027 school year. Local education agencies (LEAs) must continue providing instruction in the current ELPS in 19 TAC, Chapter 74, §74.4, until they are replaced with the new ELPS in 2026–2027.   

The links below provide access to the new ELPS posted on the TEA Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills web page.  

ELPS Resources

The ELPS resources below provide information to support understanding and implementation of the ELPS.

The side-by-side tables provide a comparison of the ELPS student expectations by grade band (Kindergarten–Grade 3 and Grades 4–12). Each grade band includes a side-by-side table for each domain showing the alignment between the current ELPS and the new ELPS adopted in 2024.

The links below provide a side-by-side view of the current ELPS and the new ELPS student expectations.  

Stakeholder Engagement Sessions

The reading language arts team at TEA is committed to enhancing opportunities for stakeholder engagement across the state of Texas. Reading Language Arts Stakeholder Engagement Sessions allow the TEA reading language arts team to expand information sharing and interaction with stakeholders. 

This section will be updated as future stakeholder engagement sessions are scheduled. Please check back for the latest information.

Recent English Language Arts Communications

The recent newsletters and engagement session presentations updates below have been shared by the reading language arts team with stakeholders.

  • Each year, during the week that includes September 17, Texas schools honor Celebrate Freedom Week (TEC § 29.907) to highlight the values and ideals on which the United States was founded as well as the sacrifices that were made for freedom in the founding of the country. Students learn about the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.  Students also examine the relationship between the ideas in these documents and subsequent American history.
  • Celebrate Freedom Week web page
  • Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans who trace their heritage to Latin America or Spain. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. The following websites provide instructional materials, activities, and lessons that can be used to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and to support instruction in Ethnic Studies: Mexican American Studies.
  • Hispanic Heritage Month web page
  • Each year, during February, we celebrate the history and cultural contributions of Black Americans in the United States. Students will explore over 400 years of Black history within the broader context of American History. The following websites provide a variety of lessons, activities, and instructional materials that can be used to honor Black History Month and to support instruction in Ethnic Studies: African American Studies and other social studies courses throughout the year.
  • Black History Month web page
  • SB 1828 was passed in 2019 in acknowledgment of the Holocaust’s ongoing significance. SB 1828 instructs the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC) to develop or approve materials for public schools for a statewide Holocaust Remembrance Week. Counseled by the Commission, the Governor’s Office selected the week of January 27th as the date for Remembrance Week. (International Holocaust Remembrance Day is January 27, which is the date that Auschwitz was “liberated” by Allied troops.)
  • Holocaust Remembrance Week web page
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Contact Information

Curriculum Standards and Student Support

(512) 463-9581

For questions or additional information, please submit a Curriculum Request Form through the TEA Help Desk.

TEA Help Desk

 

 

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Foundation Team

Shawna Wiebusch
Foundation Director

Tamara Robert
Reading Language Arts Content Specialist

Liz Baker
Science Content Specialist

Jenny Gaona 
Social Studies Content Specialist

James Slack
Mathematics Content Specialist