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Jan-Feb 2019 Committee on Instruction Item 6

Discussion of Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 114, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages Other Than English, Subchapter C, High School, §114.53, Advanced Language for Career Applications (One Credit)

January 31, 2019
 

COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION
 
SUMMARY: This item provides the opportunity for the board to discuss a proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 114, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages Other than English, Subchapter C, High School, §114.53, Advanced Language for Career Applications (One Credit). The proposed amendment would eliminate language that is outdated and no longer necessary.
 
STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
 Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102(c)(4), 28.002(t), and 28.025.

TEC, §7.102(c)(4), requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to establish curriculum and graduation requirements.

TEC, §28.002, identifies the subjects of the required curriculum and requires the SBOE to by rule identify the essential knowledge and skills of each subject in the required curriculum that all students should be able to demonstrate and that will be used in evaluating instructional materials and addressed on the state assessment instruments. TEC, §28.002(t), requires the SBOE, in consultation with the commissioner of higher education and business and industry leaders, to develop an advanced language course that a school district may use to provide students with instruction in industry-related terminology that prepares students to communicate in a language other than English in a specific professional, business, or industry environment.

TEC, §28.025, requires the SBOE to by rule determine the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school graduation program that are consistent with the required curriculum under the TEC, §28.002.

The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.

FUTURE ACTION EXPECTED: The proposed amendment to 19 TAC §114.53 will be presented for first reading and filing authorization at the April 2019 meeting.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: House Bill 1431, 84th Texas Legislature, 2015, added TEC, §28.002(t), to require that the SBOE, in consultation with the commissioner of higher education and business and industry leaders, develop an advanced language course that a school district may use to provide students with instruction in industry-related terminology that prepares students to communicate in a language other than English in a specific professional, business, or industry environment. In August 2016, a committee of secondary and postsecondary educators and business and industry representatives were selected to develop recommended Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the advanced career-oriented languages other than English (LOTE) course.

The committee's initial draft recommendations were presented to the Committee on Instruction for discussion at the November 2016 SBOE meeting. Following that meeting, a draft of the proposed TEKS was shared with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and representatives from the business and industry community for feedback. The committee used that feedback to develop its final recommendations, which were presented to and approved by the SBOE at its January-February 2017 meeting. At the April 2017 meeting, the SBOE approved for second reading and final adoption §114.53, Advanced Language for Career Applications (One Credit). The new course was implemented in the 2017-2018 school year.

The general requirements for Advanced Language for Career Applications originally specified that the course could not be used to satisfy a LOTE requirement for an endorsement. However, at the April 2017 SBOE meeting, the board approved for second reading and final adoption language in 19 TAC §74.13, Endorsements, that allows Advanced Language for Career Applications to count toward the four levels in the same language of LOTE required to earn a LOTE arts and humanities endorsement. The proposed amendment would eliminate the specification in the TEKS that the course may not be used to satisfy a LOTE requirement for an endorsement as it is not aligned with the rule related to endorsements.

The attachment to this item reflects the text of the proposed amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 114, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages Other Than English, Subchapter C, High School, §114.53, Advanced Language for Career Applications (One Credit), for consideration by the SBOE.
 
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner, Standards and Support Services
Shelly Ramos, Senior Director, Curriculum Standards and Student Support

Attachment:               
Text of Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 114, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Languages Other Than English, Subchapter C, High School, §114.53, Advanced Language for Career Applications (One Credit)