Members of the State Board of Education are set to discuss the newly developed revisions to state social studies standards, which will dictate the curriculum and textbooks used in Texas government schools.
The Board previously approved the framework that is the basis for the revisions, which include specifications on course sequence and the topic strands that are to be included in the social studies curriculum. The strands focus on world, U.S., and Texas history, geography, government, economics, and social studies/critical thinking skills.
According to the SBOE’s Rule and Revision Process as reported by the Dallas Express, board members appointed a group of nine content advisors who have reviewed the current social studies standards and have given recommendations for proposed revisions. These advisors include college professors and faculty, education consultants, and historians.
Following this, a work group was created by the board to take the key topics and subtopics adopted in January and create written guidelines. This group is known as Work Group A and consists of parents, teachers, and representatives from higher education institutions.
Earlier this month SBOE Chairman Aaron Kinsey gave direction to the work group as they began writing the new guidelines, known as Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
“It is my intent that the TEKS produced by Workgroup A will serve as the initial draft of TEKS, to be presented for discussion at the SBOE’s Special Called Meeting on February 25th,” wrote Kinsey.
He told group workers that the board will provide feedback “on alignment with the Board’s intent” and that they will “proceed forward toward a final completion in June 2026.”
Kate Bierly, higher education policy analyst for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, wrote that even though these revisions are a monumental change for Texas education, intended to teach children the chronological history of American exceptionalism, there are several activist groups that are staunchly against their implementation. These organizations include the Texas Council for the Social Studies, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Federation of Teachers.
“These groups are the primary obstacles to a chronological curriculum that honors our heritage,” said Bierly. “They prefer a fragmented, politicized version of history that serves their own agendas rather than the truth.”
If the new guidelines receive final approval in June, the projected implementation date will be August 2030.
At the upcoming meeting tomorrow, February 25, board members will discuss the proposed guidelines, hear public testimony, and offer feedback.
This will be followed by a 30-day public comment period before the guideline’s second reading and final adoption.
The board will also be voting to approve the content for a required civic’s program and parental rights training for district trustees.
