The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) has released its draft revisions to the Social Studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), marking the next phase in the state’s curriculum overhaul.
In plain terms, TEKS are the official academic standards that determine what Texas public school students are required to learn at each grade level. When Social Studies TEKS are revised, the board is effectively rewriting the framework that guides how Texas students are taught history, civics, economics, and government across kindergarten through high school.
Because those standards shape classroom instruction statewide — influencing textbooks, lesson plans, and even state assessments — the level of teacher and parent participation in drafting them carries significant weight.
Officials involved in the revision describe this cycle as reflecting the highest level of teacher and parent participation in a Social Studies TEKS review to date.
126 Participants in Work Group A
The published participant list for Social Studies Work Group A includes 126 educators, parents, and community members representing all SBOE districts.
Work Group A includes classroom teachers, parents, higher education representatives, Education Service Center personnel, and campus and district-level administrators from across the state.
According to TEA officials, that number exceeds participation levels in prior Social Studies TEKS review cycles.
Shannon Trejo, Deputy Commissioner of School Programs, Texas Education Agency (TEA):
“This is the highest level of educator, parent, and community member involvement we have seen in a Social Studies TEKS revision. Work Group A alone includes over 120 participants, and by the time this process concludes, it will have the highest amount of teacher participation compared to previous TEKS revisions.”
Trejo added that educator participation will continue expanding as the draft moves through additional review stages.
Draft Based on Board-Adopted Framework
The draft reflects guidance previously adopted by the board, including the K–8 Social Studies Framework and the Key Topics and Subtopics approved earlier in the cycle.
Those adopted documents established a chronological structure for teaching Texas and American history while embedding civics and economics strands within student expectations.
First Social Studies Revision Under 2023-Adopted Process
This is the first Social Studies TEKS revision conducted under the SBOE’s updated review framework adopted in 2023.
The 2023-adopted TEKS Review and Revision Process outlines how work groups are formed, how draft standards are developed, and how public comment and board adoption proceed.
Chairman Aaron Kinsey formally outlined the work group charge in a February memorandum directing members to translate the board-adopted Key Topics and Subtopics into written TEKS.
Brandon Hall, SBOE District 11:
“This is the first Social Studies TEKS revision being conducted under the board’s updated 2023-adopted process. We are following that process step by step. Claims that the process is flawed simply ignore the framework the board formally adopted.”
Responding to Process Criticism
As the draft enters public discussion, some advocacy groups have raised concerns about the review process.
Board members maintain that the revision is proceeding under the procedures formally adopted in 2023 and that educator participation in this cycle exceeds prior Social Studies reviews.
What Happens Next
The draft now moves into additional board discussion and public comment.
Remaining steps include:
- Board discussion
- Public hearings
- A formal 30-day public comment period
- Second reading and final adoption
If adopted in 2026, instructional materials alignment would follow, with implementation targeted for the 2030 school year.
Officials say educator involvement will continue throughout the review process before final adoption.