HOUSE BILL 5 UPDATE Foundation and Endorsement FAQs

House Committee on Public Education Meeting: March 26 Implementation of HB 5 and 3-8 assessments Additional rigorous mathematics and science courses needed to address the current and projected needs of the state's workforce Review the TEKS in the tested grades, format, testing calendar, and the limitation on instructional days Recommend options to streamline the assessment of TEKS to focus on core concepts Review current federal testing requirements in grades 3-8 to determine if testing relief is possible

Senate Education Committee Meeting: April 14 Review the redesign of high school English EOC exams. Review accommodations available as a result of the elimination of the STAAR-M Review the redesign of the STAAR Alternate assessment. Monitor implementation of HB 5 relating to accountability, assessment, and curriculum requirements

FOUDATION FAQS

Foundation FAQs A course may satisfy both a foundation and an endorsement requirement, including an elective. Credit can not be given twice If a student earns more than one credit for a course, any additional credit may be applied to an elective and/or endorsement requirement.

Speech Skills Each school district is responsible for ensuring that students demonstrate proficiency in the speech skills. A district may require a speech course. This is a local decision. (Professional Communications, Comm. Apps.)

Speech Skills Documentation of a student’s demonstrated proficiency must be included on the Academic Achievement Record (AAR). Additional guidance will be provided in the revised Minimum Standards for the AAR.

Math Models Math Models may be offered first in the sequence of math courses. ( ) Math Models may be offered concurrently with Algebra I or geometry ( ) Algebra I will be a prerequisite for Math Models when the revised TEKS are implemented in the school year.

Science The “second” science credit does not have to be taken before the “third” science credit. No sequence implied in the rules or law A student can take IPC after chemistry and/or physics

LOTE Computer Science I, II, and III may satisfy this requirement until September 1, Can CTE computer programming courses satisfy the LOTE requirement? No. At this time only Computer Science I, II, and III may satisfy this requirement.

Caution!! You can require more course work as a graduation requirement in your district, but you can not violate the SBOE rules or HB5 by changing the minimum requirements for the Foundation Plan or an endorsement. There are not specific course sequence requirements however, districts should pay close attention to prerequisite requirements.

Examples LOTE – You can not require a student to take two or more years of the same language other than English, if they qualify for an option Not even as a local requirement for graduation Algebra II - You can not require a student to take Algebra II for the foundation plan or non-STEM endorsement You can require Algebra II as a local graduation requirement outside of the above

ENDORSEMENT FAQS

Endorsements General Rule: “This section does not entitle a student to remain enrolled to earn more than 26 credits.” A student cannot continue to earn credits for endorsements indefinitely. They can earn more than 26 credits, District decides when they have enough to graduate.

Endorsements General The district determines coherent sequence and identifies courses within that sequence. The district determines the specific set of courses each student must complete to earn an endorsement prerequisites must be followed the set of courses meets the requirements of SBOE rule for that endorsement.

Endorsements General A school district may define advanced CTE courses That course must be the third or higher course in a sequence. The state list of “CTE Advanced” courses is not definitive

Endorsements General Career Preparation may be used as one of the courses in the coherent sequence The final course in an endorsement sequence must come from one of the career clusters listed in the rule.

Endorsements General Courses that could apply to two or more endorsements: The district must determine which course is part of the coherent sequence of courses that a student takes. The career cluster of that course would determine which endorsement the student earns. This is a local decision.

Endorsements General A student may substitute an ELA, social studies, LOTE course, or fine arts course for 4 th science credit required to earn an endorsement. Need the written permission of the student’s parent

STEM Option 5: Earn a STEM endorsement with “a coherent sequence of three additional credits.” Students must take Algebra II, Physics, and Chemistry and three additional credits. from no more than two of the following categories: The three additional credits must be a coherent sequence of courses from the required areas as determined by the local district.

Public Services A coherent sequence of courses may include courses from any CTE career cluster The final course in the sequence is from one of the CTE career clusters under the public services endorsement Districts determine if courses from different career clusters create a coherent sequence of courses

Multidisciplinary Studies Rule: A student may take “four advanced courses that prepare a student to enter the workforce successfully or postsecondary education without remediation”? Each local school district has the authority to identify advanced courses.

Things to think about? How will districts address transfers where different courses are selected as advanced? How will districts address transfers where different coherent sequences earn the same endorsement?

Coming Soon! Performance Acknowledgment FAQs HB 5 FAQs on other components of the bill