Texas Administrative Code
Title 19 - EDUCATION
Part 2 - TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
Chapter 74 - CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS
Subchapter C - OTHER PROVISIONS
Section 74.27 - Innovative Courses and Programs

(1) The State Board of Education (SBOE) may approve discipline-based courses in the foundation or enrichment curriculum and courses that do not fall within any of the subject areas listed in the foundation and enrichment curricula when the applying school district or organization demonstrates that the proposed course is academically rigorous and addresses documented student needs.

(2) Applications shall not be approved if the proposed course significantly duplicates the content of a Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)-based course or can reasonably be taught within an existing TEKS-based course.

(3) To request approval from the SBOE, the applying school district or organization must submit a request for approval at least six months before planned implementation that includes:

(4) To request approval for a career and technical education innovative course, the applying school district or organization must submit with its request for approval evidence that the course is aligned with state and/or regional labor market data.

(5) To request approval of a new innovative course, the applying school district or organization must submit with its request for approval evidence that the course has been successfully piloted in its entirety in at least one school in the state of Texas.

(6) The requirements of paragraphs (3)(C) and (5) of this subsection do not apply to the consideration of a course developed to support a program of study in career and technical education.

(7) Newly approved innovative courses shall be approved for a period of three years, and courses approved for renewal shall be approved for a period of five years.

(8) With the approval of the local board of trustees, a school district may offer, without changes or deletions to content, any state-approved innovative course.

(9) Texas Education Agency shall review all approved innovative courses once every two years and provide for consideration for sunset a list of innovative courses that meet the following criteria:

(1) Only comprehensive ethnic studies courses in Native American studies, Latino studies, African American studies, and/or Asian Pacific Islander studies, inclusive of history, government, economics, civic engagement, culture, and science and technology, shall be considered by the SBOE.

(2) The chair of the Committee on Instruction, in accordance with SBOE Operating Rule 2.5(b), shall collaborate with the board chair to place the item on the next available Committee on Instruction agenda following SBOE approval of the innovative course.