Bill Text: TX HB57 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to civics instruction in public schools.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-25 - Referred to Public Education [HB57 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB57-Introduced.html
| 87R3171 MLH-D | ||
| By: Talarico | H.B. No. 57 | |
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| relating to civics instruction in public schools. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 21.466 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 21.466. CIVICS COURSE TRAINING. The agency shall | ||
| advise school districts regarding training materials and resources | ||
| for a school district to use in assisting educators to: | ||
| (1) develop civics projects and methods of teaching as | ||
| described in Section 28.0022; | ||
| (2) understand and teach the relevance of: | ||
| (A) public policy; and | ||
| (B) the structure of federal, state, and local | ||
| governments; and | ||
| (3) engage students in: | ||
| (A) thinking critically; | ||
| (B) working cooperatively; | ||
| (C) identifying issues in the community; | ||
| (D) researching a problem, evaluating | ||
| alternative outcomes, and developing a solution; and | ||
| (E) creating public policy or action plans. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 28.002(a), Education Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (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, economics, with emphasis on | ||
| the free enterprise system and its benefits, civics, and geography; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) an enrichment curriculum that includes: | ||
| (A) to the extent possible, languages other than | ||
| English; | ||
| (B) health, with emphasis on: | ||
| (i) physical health, including the | ||
| importance of proper nutrition and exercise; | ||
| (ii) mental health, including instruction | ||
| about mental health conditions, substance abuse, skills to manage | ||
| emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and | ||
| responsible decision-making; and | ||
| (iii) suicide prevention, including | ||
| recognizing suicide-related risk factors and warning signs; | ||
| (C) physical education; | ||
| (D) fine arts; | ||
| (E) career and technology education; | ||
| (F) technology applications; | ||
| (G) religious literature, including the Hebrew | ||
| Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on | ||
| history and literature; and | ||
| (H) personal financial literacy. | ||
| SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 28.0022 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 28.0022. CIVICS INSTRUCTION. (a) The essential | ||
| knowledge and skills for the social studies curriculum under | ||
| Section 28.002 must include instruction in civics: | ||
| (1) at least once in grade four, five, six, seven, or | ||
| eight; and | ||
| (2) as part of one or more courses offered at the high | ||
| school level that satisfy graduation requirements under Section | ||
| 28.025. | ||
| (b) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school | ||
| that offers a high school program shall provide an elective course | ||
| in civics that meets the requirements for one credit in civics under | ||
| Section 28.025(b-1)(4). | ||
| (c) The State Board of Education shall develop a civics | ||
| curriculum as described by this section. The curriculum must be | ||
| developed to: | ||
| (1) measure the civics learning objectives contained | ||
| in the essential knowledge and skills for social studies; | ||
| (2) demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of | ||
| the relevance of: | ||
| (A) public policy; and | ||
| (B) the structure of federal, state, and local | ||
| governments; and | ||
| (3) include opportunities for students to engage in: | ||
| (A) thinking critically; | ||
| (B) working cooperatively; | ||
| (C) identifying issues in the community; | ||
| (D) researching a problem, evaluating | ||
| alternative outcomes, and developing a solution; and | ||
| (E) creating public policy or action plans. | ||
| (d) In implementing the curriculum described under this | ||
| section, each school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
| shall develop a course of study that is project based. The course | ||
| of study may take the form of a capstone project, portfolio, or | ||
| presentation. The course of study must: | ||
| (1) use inquiry-based learning; | ||
| (2) focus on problem solving; and | ||
| (3) address an issue that is relevant to the students. | ||
| (e) Not later than September 1 of every even-numbered year, | ||
| each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall | ||
| submit to the agency a report that describes the projects developed | ||
| through civics courses offered by the district or school. | ||
| (f) The agency shall adopt rules necessary to gather data | ||
| and conduct research to substantiate any correlation between taking | ||
| a civics course offered under this section and student achievement | ||
| under Section 39.053. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require | ||
| that the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school | ||
| program under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students | ||
| successfully complete: | ||
| (1) four credits in English language arts under | ||
| Section 28.002(a)(1)(A), including one credit in English I, one | ||
| credit in English II, one credit in English III, and one credit in | ||
| an advanced English course authorized under Subsection (b-2); | ||
| (2) three credits in mathematics under Section | ||
| 28.002(a)(1)(B), including one credit in Algebra I, one credit in | ||
| geometry, and one credit in any advanced mathematics course | ||
| authorized under Subsection (b-2); | ||
| (3) three credits in science under Section | ||
| 28.002(a)(1)(C), including one credit in biology, one credit in any | ||
| advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2), and one | ||
| credit in integrated physics and chemistry or in an additional | ||
| advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2); | ||
| (4) three credits in social studies under Section | ||
| 28.002(a)(1)(D), including one credit in United States history, at | ||
| least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in | ||
| economics, and one credit in world geography, [ |
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| or civics; | ||
| (5) except as provided under Subsections (b-12), | ||
| (b-13), and (b-14), two credits in the same language in a language | ||
| other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A); | ||
| (6) five elective credits; | ||
| (7) one credit in fine arts under Section | ||
| 28.002(a)(2)(D); and | ||
| (8) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one | ||
| credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C). | ||
| SECTION 5. Not later than September 1, 2022, each school | ||
| district and open-enrollment charter school shall submit the | ||
| initial report required under Section 28.0022, Education Code, as | ||
| added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
