{"id":107697,"date":"2025-11-14T14:31:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T19:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historians.org\/?page_id=107697"},"modified":"2026-02-04T17:04:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T22:04:50","slug":"texas-social-studies-teks-revision-field-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.historians.org\/why-history-matters\/your-voice-matters\/texas-social-studies-teks-revision-field-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Social Studies TEKS Revision Field Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tSupport Honest History in Texas Public Schools\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\"2048px-Barbara_Jordan_State_Office_Building\"\n\t

Over the next few months, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) will make decisions with profound implications for the future of history and social studies instruction in Texas public schools.<\/p>\n

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards for social studies establish academic benchmarks to evaluate student learning. The TEKS revisions process depends on robust participation from teachers, curriculum specialists, subject matter experts, and the wider public.<\/p>\n

We encourage supporters of public education in Texas to urge the SBOE to develop social studies TEKS that are responsive to the needs of all Texans, grounded in honest history, and designed to support educators in preparing students for success.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWhat Are TEKS and Why Do They Matter? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t

TEKS are state academic standards that provide benchmarks for student achievement in public elementary and secondary schools.<\/p>\n

TEKS standards shape decisions at every level of education policy. The state uses social studies TEKS to structure standardized tests. School districts use the TEKS as frameworks for teacher training, professional development, curriculum assembly, instructional materials, and lesson planning. Many teachers use standards directly in their teaching. TEKS standards also guide expectations for parents, students, and the wider public. For more information on this form of education policy, consult the AHA’s Criteria for Standards in History\/Social Studies\/Social Sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n

TEKS revision is a technical process, and each stage involves jargon that is\u00a0 difficult to explain succinctly. Even SBOE members can find details difficult to parse. It is not necessary to understand all of the technical language in order to recognize the importance of academic standards for shaping public education.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWhat Has Happened So Far? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Under the direction of TEA staff, the standards revision process has departed significantly from that used in previous cycles. In November, some Content Advisors presented an outline for key topics meant to structure the new TEKS standards. In December, a majority of the Content Advisors voted to begin the process of drafting standards, and they have prepared a detailed set of what are being presented as “subtopics” for consideration by the SBOE. These subtopics are extremely detailed and deeply unbalanced. The content under consideration omits many key histories (e.g. labor, immigration, and social change) and frames topics in ideologically inflected ways (e.g. linking Pilgrims to free enterprise for first grade students).<\/p>\n

In September 2025, the SBOE voted by a narrow 8-7 margin to replace the existing social studies strands and course sequence with a radically restructured alternative that is at odds with best practices in history education.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A course sequence outlines the thematic and disciplinary focus of social studies instruction at each grade level (e.g., the order in which students learn topics). The SBOE adopted a course sequence<\/a> that differs dramatically from the framework used in any other state. As the AHA reported<\/a> in September, the new strands and sequence “implement an experimental and untested approach that dramatically alters what Texas students will be expected to learn from kindergarten through Grade 8.”<\/p>\n

The new course sequence, called the “framework,” combines Texas, US, and world history, along with the other social studies domains. This framework defines the scope in each grade level from 3-8 with reference to chronology, and aims to insert more advanced content into K-2. While the SBOE anticipates adding skills in later, the framework was not designed with scaffolding of conceptual knowledge or skills. Texas policymakers use strands to refer to subjects-including history, economics, and geography and culture-that TEKS will emphasize across all grades.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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As a result of the new K-8 framework, there will be major impacts to high school social studies, including to students’ graduation requirements. In the November SBOE meeting, however, Chair Aaron Kinsey did not directly respond to fellow Board members’ questions about those potential impacts; there has been little public information about the direction of the high school courses.<\/p>\n

In early October, the board announced<\/a> the appointment of nine Content Advisors, who are tasked with providing recommendations to guide this round of standards revision. The new appointees neither represent the range of qualifications and disciplinary perspectives we would hope to see in such a committee-with only one active K-12 educator among the advisors, and experts in world history, economics, and geography notably absent-nor do they reflect the demographics of the population of Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These developments raise serious questions about the integrity of the TEKS revisions process and the ability of educators to offer quality history instruction in Texas public schools in coming years.<\/p>\n

January 27, 2026\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Under the direction of TEA staff, the standards revision process has departed significantly from that used in previous cycles. In November, some Content Advisors presented an outline for key topics meant to structure the new TEKS standards. In December, a majority of the Content Advisors voted to begin the process of drafting standards, and they have prepared a detailed set of what are being presented as “subtopics” for consideration by the SBOE. These subtopics are extremely detailed and deeply unbalanced. The content under consideration omits many key histories (e.g. labor, immigration, and social change) and frames topics in ideologically inflected ways (e.g. the linking Pilgrims to free enterprise for first grade students).<\/p>\n\t\t

Live Updates from the January SBOE Meeting<\/h3>

On January 27, 2026, Whit Barringer, AHA program and data analyst, shared live updates regarding the Texas State Board of Education social studies TEKS revision on her Bluesky account, @drwhit.bsky.social.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 28 Updates\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 29 Updates\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 30 Updates\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tHow You Can Help\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\tMake Your Voice Heard \t<\/h4>\n\t

We encourage all Texas residents to stay informed about the SBOE revision process.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We expect you will have an opportunity to review drafts and submit public comment soon.<\/p>\n

Qualified Texans can also apply to serve on a work group to help draft new social studies learning standards<\/b>, including history standards. Below are the application details from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The sooner you submit an application, the more likely you will be considered in time to be on the full range of working groups:<\/p>\n