Grade K-12
In Texas, every student learns from the same curriculum. The standards and knowledge that every student should learn is called the “Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills,” or TEKS.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, requires schools to provide students with disabilities “access to the general curriculum.” In other words, students with disabilities must receive instruction based on the same curriculum used with ALL students, the TEKS.
You can find the TEKS curriculum here: http://tea.texas.gov/index2.aspx?id=6148
The curriculum is organized by subject matter, as well as by grade level for Grades K-5.
The TEKS align with the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR).
Preschool
For preschool children receiving a public education, Texas does not require prekindergarten curriculum. Since research clearly demonstrates the value of early education for young children, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) designed a document to help educators make good decisions about what to teach their prekindergarten students.
The PreK guidelines are divided into various domains of learning:
| Social & Emotional | Math |
| Language & Communication | Science |
| Emergent Literacy Reading | Social Studies |
| Emergent Literacy Writing | Physical Development |
| Technology | Fine Arts |
Each of the domains offers detailed descriptions of the expected behaviors that should be observed in a 4-5 year old child at the end of their prekindergarten experience.
You can find the PreK Curriculum Guidelines here (available in English, Espanol & Vietnamese): http://tea.texas.gov/index2.aspx?id=2147495508
The Prekindergarten Guidelines align with the Early Childhood Outcomes that are required for all children in preschool programs for children with disabilities (ages 3-5). The state collects this information and reports the percent of preschool children with disabilities with individualized education programs (IEPs) who demonstrate improved:
- Positive Social & Emotional Skills (including relationships)
- Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication [and early literacy]); and
- Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.
What Parents Need to Know
To effectively participate in the ARD Process, parents need to know what learning standards are expected for the grade that your child is in. You can find the content expectations by grade level in the TEKS.
Once you know what is expected, you can help the ARD team determine the most appropriate educational plan for your child. The ARD team, of which parents are a member, will use the TEKS or Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines to determine if a student will be held responsible for learning the entire grade level curriculum, in every subject area, or if IEP (Individualized Education Plan) goals will need to be written in certain subject areas.
Additional Resources:
The Targeted Success with Quality Curriculum and Aligned Assessment TEKS Resource System is an online resource for viewing the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the Prekindergarten Guidelines, the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards, the English Language Proficiency Standards, and the TEA Essence Statements.
Birth to Grade 2 Curriculum Alignment
Updated Pre-K – Grade 2 Vertical Alignments (by subject area)
In addition to the TEKS & PreKindergarten Guidelines, the Texas Education Agency has developed other resources on student expectations that you may find useful in planning for your child.
Performance Level Descriptors are an additional tool that you can use to better understand the grade level expectations for grades 3-11. Performance Level Descriptors are a short list of the knowledge and skills that students are expected to achieve for each grade and subject tested on the statewide assessments. To view the STAAR Performance Level Descriptors, click here http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/staar/performance-standards/
The TEKS Vertical Alignment for STAAR-Alt provides an overview of the curriculum from pre-K through high school for subjects that are tested on the statewide assessments.
The TEKS Curriculum Framework for STAAR-Alt provides a listing of the student expectations from earlier grade levels, including pre-K, (i.e. “pre-requisite skills”) that lead up to the knowledge and skills tested on the statewide assessments. If your child is not expected to meet some or all of the grade level expectations, these documents may be helpful to you in determining appropriate educational goals that align with what the other students in your child’s grade will be learning. To view these resources, click here: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/
