Texas Education Code - Section 28.002. Required Curriculum
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§ 28.002. REQUIRED CURRICULUM. (a) Each school district
that offers kindergarten through grade 12 shall offer, as a
required curriculum:
(1) a foundation curriculum that includes:
(A) English language arts;
(B) mathematics;
(C) science; and
(D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United
States, and world history, government, and geography; and
(2) an enrichment curriculum that includes:
(A) to the extent possible, languages other than
English;
(B) health, with emphasis on the importance of
proper nutrition and exercise;
(C) physical education;
(D) fine arts;
(E) economics, with emphasis on the free
enterprise system and its benefits;
(F) career and technology education; and
(G) technology applications.
(b) The State Board of Education by rule shall designate
subjects constituting a well-balanced curriculum to be offered by a
school district that does not offer kindergarten through grade 12.
(c) The State Board of Education, with the direct
participation of educators, parents, business and industry
representatives, and employers shall by rule identify the essential
knowledge and skills of each subject of the required curriculum
that all students should be able to demonstrate and that will be
used in evaluating textbooks under Chapter 31 and addressed on the
assessment instruments required under Subchapter B, Chapter 39. As
a condition of accreditation, the board shall require each district
to provide instruction in the essential knowledge and skills at
appropriate grade levels.
(c-1) Expired.
(d) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1264, § 2.
(e) American Sign Language is a language for purposes of
Subsection (a)(2)(A). A public school may offer an elective course
in the language.
(f) A school district may offer courses for local credit in
addition to those in the required curriculum. The State Board of
Education shall be flexible in approving a course for credit for
high school graduation under this subsection.
(g) A local instructional plan may draw on state curriculum
frameworks and program standards as appropriate. Each district is
encouraged to exceed minimum requirements of law and State Board of
Education rule. Each district shall ensure that all children in the
district participate actively in a balanced curriculum designed to
meet individual needs.
(h) The State Board of Education and each school district
shall foster the continuation of the tradition of teaching United
States and Texas history and the free enterprise system in regular
subject matter and in reading courses and in the adoption of
textbooks. A primary purpose of the public school curriculum is to
prepare thoughtful, active citizens who understand the importance
of patriotism and can function productively in a free enterprise
society with appreciation for the basic democratic values of our
state and national heritage.
(i) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the
implementation of this subchapter. Except as provided by
Subsection (j), the board may not adopt rules that designate the
methodology used by a teacher or the time spent by a teacher or a
student on a particular task or subject.
(j) The State Board of Education by rule may require
laboratory instruction in secondary science courses and may require
a specific amount or percentage of time in a secondary science
course that must be laboratory instruction.
(k) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
Department of State Health Services and the Texas Diabetes Council,
shall develop a diabetes education program that a school district
may use in the health curriculum under Subsection (a)(2)(B).
(l) The State Board of Education, after consulting with
educators, parents, and medical professionals, by rule may require
a student enrolled in kindergarten or a grade level below grade nine
to participate in daily physical activity as part of a school
district's physical education curriculum or through structured
activity during a school campus's daily recess, except that the
board may not require more than 30 minutes of daily physical
activity. If the board adopts rules under this subsection, the
board must ensure by rule that students enrolled in middle and
junior high school settings are allowed to meet the physical
activity requirement by participating in physical activity twice
each week throughout the school year or the option to schedule at
least two semesters overall. If the board adopts rules under this
subsection, the board must provide for an exemption for:
(1) any student who is unable to participate in daily
physical activity because of illness or disability; and
(2) a middle school or junior high school student who
participates in an extracurricular activity with a physical
activity component that is considered a structured activity under
rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
(l-1) In adopting rules relating to an activity described by
Subsection (l)(2), the State Board of Education may permit an
exemption for a student who participates in a school-related
activity or an activity sponsored by a private league or club only
if the student provides proof of participation in the activity.
(l-2) To encourage school districts to promote physical
activity for children through classroom curricula for health and
physical education, the agency, in consultation with the Department
of State Health Services, shall designate nationally recognized
health and physical education program guidelines that a school
district may use in the health curriculum under Subsection
(a)(2)(B) or the physical education curriculum under Subsection
(a)(2)(C).
(l-3)(1) This subsection may be cited as "Lauren's Law."
(2) The State Board of Education, the Department of
State Health Services, or a school district may not adopt any rule,
policy, or program under Subsections (a), (k), (l), (l-1), or (l-2)
that would prohibit a parent or grandparent of a student from
providing any food product of the parent's or grandparent's choice
to:
(A) children in the classroom of the child of the
parent or grandparent on the occasion of the child's birthday; or
(B) children at a school-designated function.
(m) Section 2001.039, Government Code, as added by Chapter
1499, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, does not
apply to a rule adopted by the State Board of Education under
Subsection (c) or (d).
(n) The State Board of Education may by rule develop and
implement a plan designed to incorporate foundation curriculum
requirements into the career and technology education curriculum
under Subsection (a)(2)(F).
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, § 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1285, § 4.02, eff. Sept. 1,
1997; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 907, § 1, eff. June 14, 2001;
Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 925, § 3, eff. June 14, 2001; Acts
2003, 78th Leg., ch. 61, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th
Leg., ch. 1264, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg.,
ch. 1275, § 2(14), eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch.
784, § 1, eff. June 17, 2005.
Section: 26.009 26.0091 26.010 26.011 26.012 26.013 28.001 28.002 28.0021 28.003 28.004 28.005 28.0051 28.006 28.007
Last modified: August 10, 2007
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