Texas Administrative Code
Title 19 - EDUCATION
Part 2 - TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
Chapter 120 - OTHER TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Subchapter A - CHARACTER TRAITS
Section 120.5 - Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Positive Character Traits and Personal Skills, Grades 3-5, Adopted 2020
Universal Citation: 19 TX Admin Code ยง 120.5
Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Implementation. The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.
(1) School districts and
open-enrollment charter schools are required to provide instruction in the
essential knowledge and skills for positive character traits and personal
skills outlined in this subchapter at least once in the following grade bands:
Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12.
(2) School districts may provide the required
instruction in a variety of arrangements, including through a stand-alone
course or by integrating the positive character traits standards in the
essential knowledge and skills for one or more courses or subject areas at the
appropriate grade levels.
(b) Introduction.
(1) Character education introduces students
to character traits and personal skills that empower them to be good citizens
who are trustworthy, responsible, and caring. The character traits and personal
skills reflect positive beliefs, attitudes, and mindsets; provide opportunities
for self-reflection; and permit students to apply effective strategies to make
decisions, solve problems, and behave responsibly.
(2) The standards for positive character
traits and personal skills are comprised of four strands: trustworthiness,
responsibility, caring, and citizenship. Each strand consists of the following
character traits and personal skills.
(A)
Trustworthiness: honesty, integrity, loyalty, punctuality, and
reliability.
(B) Responsibility:
accountability, diligence, perseverance, self-control, and
self-management.
(C) Caring:
interpersonal skills, including charity, compassion, consideration,
cooperation, empathy, generosity, kindness, and patience.
(D) Good citizenship: having concern for the
common good and the community; having respect for authority, law, justice, and
the rights of others; being free from prejudice; having gratitude and school
pride; being courteous, fair, and patriotic; and making responsible
decisions.
(3) Students
are expected to develop an awareness of self-identity as well as recognize
multiple perspectives, differences, diversity, biases, and the social and
cultural context in which they live.
(4) The knowledge and skills for positive
character traits and personal skills are organized in the following grade
bands: Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. However,
due to the complexity of the concepts, student expectations and knowledge and
skills statements cannot be taught, discussed, or viewed in
isolation.
(5) Statements that
contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while
those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative
examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Trustworthiness. The student
understands how personal skills, choices, and actions build trustworthiness.
The student is expected to:
(A) identify and
define traits of trustworthiness, including reliability and loyalty;
(B) identify and practice strategies for
being honest and punctual; and
(C)
define and identify examples of unethical behavior.
(2) Responsibility. The student understands
how personal choices are associated with responsibility. The student is
expected to:
(A) explain what it means to be
responsible for personal decisions and actions;
(B) describe positive and negative
consequences of personal decisions and actions;
(C) identify and demonstrate effective
self-management skills, including acting on feedback constructively and setting
and working toward goals; and
(D)
describe the relationship between being responsible and being
accountable.
(3) Caring.
The student understands how personal actions and interpersonal skills
demonstrate characteristics of caring. The student is expected to:
(A) describe how feelings impact decision
making and behaviors;
(B) identify
and practice interpersonal skills, including showing consideration and
compassion through listening, sharing, and cooperating with others;
and
(C) define empathy and discuss
the connection between empathy and charity.
(4) Good citizenship. The student understands
that personal responsibility and responsible decision making are associated
with good citizenship. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the differences and similarities
among gratitude, respect, and courtesy;
(B) compare fairness and justice;
(C) demonstrate responsibility and courage
when making decisions for the common good of the classroom and community;
and
(D) discuss the importance of
obeying laws and rules.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Texas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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