Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB229 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R3171 MLH-D
2	2	By: Johnson S.B. No. 229
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 21.466 to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 21.466. 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 28.0022;
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:
43	43	(i) physical health, including the
44	44	importance of proper nutrition and exercise;
45	45	(ii) mental health, including instruction
46	46	about mental health conditions, substance abuse, skills to manage
47	47	emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and
48	48	responsible decision-making; and
49	49	(iii) suicide prevention, including
50	50	recognizing suicide-related risk factors and warning signs;
51	51	(C) physical education;
52	52	(D) fine arts;
53	53	(E) career and technology education;
54	54	(F) technology applications;
55	55	(G) religious literature, including the Hebrew
56	56	Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on
57	57	history and literature; and
58	58	(H) personal financial literacy.
59	59	SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
60	60	amended by adding Section 28.0022 to read as follows:
61	61	Sec. 28.0022. CIVICS INSTRUCTION. (a) The essential
62	62	knowledge and skills for the social studies curriculum under
63	63	Section 28.002 must include instruction in civics:
64	64	(1) at least once in grade four, five, six, seven, or
65	65	eight; and
66	66	(2) as part of one or more courses offered at the high
67	67	school level that satisfy graduation requirements under Section
68	68	28.025.
69	69	(b) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school
70	70	that offers a high school program shall provide an elective course
71	71	in civics that meets the requirements for one credit in civics under
72	72	Section 28.025(b-1)(4).
73	73	(c) The State Board of Education shall develop a civics
74	74	curriculum as described by this section. The curriculum must be
75	75	developed to:
76	76	(1) measure the civics learning objectives contained
77	77	in the essential knowledge and skills for social studies;
78	78	(2) demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of
79	79	the relevance of:
80	80	(A) public policy; and
81	81	(B) the structure of federal, state, and local
82	82	governments; and
83	83	(3) include opportunities for students to engage in:
84	84	(A) thinking critically;
85	85	(B) working cooperatively;
86	86	(C) identifying issues in the community;
87	87	(D) researching a problem, evaluating
88	88	alternative outcomes, and developing a solution; and
89	89	(E) creating public policy or action plans.
90	90	(d) In implementing the curriculum described under this
91	91	section, each school district or open-enrollment charter school
92	92	shall develop a course of study that is project based. The course
93	93	of study may take the form of a capstone project, portfolio, or
94	94	presentation. The course of study must:
95	95	(1) use inquiry-based learning;
96	96	(2) focus on problem solving; and
97	97	(3) address an issue that is relevant to the students.
98	98	(e) Not later than September 1 of every even-numbered year,
99	99	each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall
100	100	submit to the agency a report that describes the projects developed
101	101	through civics courses offered by the district or school.
102	102	(f) The agency shall adopt rules necessary to gather data
103	103	and conduct research to substantiate any correlation between taking
104	104	a civics course offered under this section and student achievement
105	105	under Section 39.053.
106	106	SECTION 4. Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, is amended
107	107	to read as follows:
108	108	(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require
109	109	that the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school
110	110	program under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students
111	111	successfully complete:
112	112	(1) four credits in English language arts under
113	113	Section 28.002(a)(1)(A), including one credit in English I, one
114	114	credit in English II, one credit in English III, and one credit in
115	115	an advanced English course authorized under Subsection (b-2);
116	116	(2) three credits in mathematics under Section
117	117	28.002(a)(1)(B), including one credit in Algebra I, one credit in
118	118	geometry, and one credit in any advanced mathematics course
119	119	authorized under Subsection (b-2);
120	120	(3) three credits in science under Section
121	121	28.002(a)(1)(C), including one credit in biology, one credit in any
122	122	advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2), and one
123	123	credit in integrated physics and chemistry or in an additional
124	124	advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2);
125	125	(4) three credits in social studies under Section
126	126	28.002(a)(1)(D), including one credit in United States history, at
127	127	least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in
128	128	economics, and one credit in world geography, [or] world history,
129	129	or civics;
130	130	(5) except as provided under Subsections (b-12),
131	131	(b-13), and (b-14), two credits in the same language in a language
132	132	other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A);
133	133	(6) five elective credits;
134	134	(7) one credit in fine arts under Section
135	135	28.002(a)(2)(D); and
136	136	(8) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one
137	137	credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C).
138	138	SECTION 5. Not later than September 1, 2022, each school
139	139	district and open-enrollment charter school shall submit the
140	140	initial report required under Section 28.0022, Education Code, as
141	141	added by this Act.
142	142	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
143	143	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
144	144	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
145	145	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
146	146	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.