Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3009 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~By: Talarico, Rose, Ashby, VanDeaver, H.B. No. 3009~~
2		-	~~Morales~~
	1	+	86R8464 MP-D
	2	+	By: Talarico, Ashby H.B. No. 3009
3	3
4	4
5	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6		AN ACT
7	7		relating to civics instruction in public schools.
8	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9		SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
10	10		amended by adding Section 21.467 to read as follows:
11	11		Sec. 21.467. CIVICS COURSE TRAINING. The agency shall
12	12		advise school districts regarding training materials and resources
13	13		for a school district to use in assisting educators to:
14	14		(1) develop civics projects and methods of teaching as
15	15		described in Section 28.0028;
16	16		(2) understand and teach the relevance of:
17	17		(A) public policy; and
18	18		(B) the structure of federal, state, and local
19	19		governments; and
20	20		(3) engage students in:
21	21		(A) thinking critically;
22	22		(B) working cooperatively;
23	23		(C) identifying issues in the community;
24	24		(D) researching a problem, evaluating
25	25		alternative outcomes, and developing a solution; and
26	26		(E) creating public policy or action plans.
27	27		SECTION 2. Section 28.002(a), Education Code, is amended to
28	28		read as follows:
29	29		(a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through
30	30		grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum:
31	31		(1) a foundation curriculum that includes:
32	32		(A) English language arts;
33	33		(B) mathematics;
34	34		(C) science; and
35	35		(D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United
36	36		States, and world history, government, economics, with emphasis on
37	37		the free enterprise system and its benefits, civics, and geography;
38	38		and
39	39		(2) an enrichment curriculum that includes:
40	40		(A) to the extent possible, languages other than
41	41		English;
42	42		(B) health, with emphasis on the importance of
43	43		proper nutrition and exercise;
44	44		(C) physical education;
45	45		(D) fine arts;
46	46		(E) career and technology education;
47	47		(F) technology applications;
48	48		(G) religious literature, including the Hebrew
49	49		Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on
50	50		history and literature; and
51	51		(H) personal financial literacy.
52	52		SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
53	53		amended by adding Section 28.0028 to read as follows:
54	54		Sec. 28.0028. CIVICS INSTRUCTION. (a) The essential
55	55		knowledge and skills for the social studies curriculum under
56	56		Section 28.002 must include instruction in civics:
57	57		(1) at least once in grade four, five, six, seven, or
58	58		eight; and
59	59		(2) as part of one or more courses offered at the high
60	60		school level that satisfy graduation requirements under Section
61	61		28.025.
62	62		(b) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school
63	63		that offers a high school program shall provide an elective course
64	64		in civics that meets the requirements for one credit in civics under
65	65		Section 28.025(b-1)(4).
66	66		(c) The State Board of Education shall develop a civics
67	67		curriculum as described by this section. The curriculum must be
68	68		developed to:
69	69		(1) measure the civics learning objectives contained
70	70		in the essential knowledge and skills for social studies;
71	71		(2) demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of
72	72		the relevance of:
73		-	(A) public policy;
	73	+	(A) public policy; and
74	74		(B) the structure of federal, state, and local
75	75		governments; and
76		-	(C) the foundational texts of American history,
77		-	including:
78		-	(i) the Declaration of Independence;
79		-	(ii) the United States Constitution;
80		-	(iii) the Federalist Papers;
81		-	(iv) the Lincoln-Douglas debates; and
82		-	(v) On Democracy in America by Alexis de
83		-	Tocqueville; and
84	76		(3) include opportunities for students to engage in:
85	77		(A) thinking critically;
86	78		(B) working cooperatively;
87	79		(C) identifying issues in the community;
88	80		(D) researching a problem, evaluating
89	81		alternative outcomes, and developing a solution; and
90	82		(E) creating public policy or action plans.
91	83		(d) In implementing the curriculum described under this
92	84		section, each school district or open-enrollment charter school
93	85		shall develop a course of study that is project based. The course
94	86		of study may take the form of a capstone project, portfolio, or
95	87		presentation. The course of study must:
96	88		(1) use inquiry-based learning;
97	89		(2) focus on problem solving; and
98	90		(3) address an issue that is relevant to the students.
99	91		(e) Not later than September 1 of every even-numbered year,
100	92		each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall
101	93		submit to the agency a report that describes the projects developed
102	94		through civics courses offered by the district or school.
103	95		(f) The agency shall adopt rules necessary to gather data
104	96		and conduct research to substantiate any correlation between taking
105	97		a civics course offered under this section and student achievement
106	98		under Section 39.053.
107	99		SECTION 4. Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, is amended
108	100		to read as follows:
109	101		(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require
110	102		that the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school
111	103		program under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students
112	104		successfully complete:
113	105		(1) four credits in English language arts under
114	106		Section 28.002(a)(1)(A), including one credit in English I, one
115	107		credit in English II, one credit in English III, and one credit in
116	108		an advanced English course authorized under Subsection (b-2);
117	109		(2) three credits in mathematics under Section
118	110		28.002(a)(1)(B), including one credit in Algebra I, one credit in
119	111		geometry, and one credit in any advanced mathematics course
120	112		authorized under Subsection (b-2);
121	113		(3) three credits in science under Section
122	114		28.002(a)(1)(C), including one credit in biology, one credit in any
123	115		advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2), and one
124	116		credit in integrated physics and chemistry or in an additional
125	117		advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2);
126	118		(4) three credits in social studies under Section
127	119		28.002(a)(1)(D), including one credit in United States history, at
128	120		least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in
129	121		economics, and one credit in world geography, [or] world history,
130	122		or civics;
131	123		(5) except as provided under Subsections (b-12),
132	124		(b-13), and (b-14), two credits in the same language in a language
133	125		other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A);
134	126		(6) five elective credits;
135	127		(7) one credit in fine arts under Section
136	128		28.002(a)(2)(D); and
137	129		(8) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one
138	130		credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C).
139	131		SECTION 5. Not later than September 1, 2020, each school
140	132		district and open-enrollment charter school shall submit the
141	133		initial report required under Section 28.0028, Education Code, as
142	134		added by this Act.
143	135		SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
144	136		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
145	137		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
146	138		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
147	139		Act takes effect September 1, 2019.