Adopted Rules Title 19

TITLE 19. EDUCATION

PART 2. TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY

CHAPTER 74. CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

SUBCHAPTER C. OTHER PROVISIONS

19 TAC §74.36

The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopts new §74.36, concerning requirements for elective courses on the Bible's Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament and their impact on the history and literature of Western civilization. The new section is adopted without changes to the proposed text as published in the April 18, 2008, issue of the Texas Register (33 TexReg 3110) and will not be republished. The adopted new rule adds requirements for the teaching of an elective course on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the New Testament and their impact, as required in Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.011.

The 80th Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 1287, adding TEC, §28.011, allowing school districts to teach an elective course on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the New Testament and their impact on the history and literature of Western civilization. School districts currently have the discretion to teach any topic in Special Topics in Social Studies or Independent Study in English. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for these courses focus on the skills students should develop, and the content decisions are left to local district discretion.

During the July 2007 meeting, the SBOE Committee of the Full Board discussed the requirements of HB 1287 as part of a discussion item on the process for TEKS review. At the meeting, the committee directed staff to send the TEKS for both Special Topics in Social Studies and Independent Study in English to the Attorney General. A proposed rule allowing the elective course on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the New Testament to be taught using the TEKS for Special Topics in Social Studies or Independent Study in English was presented to the SBOE at its March 2008 meeting.

Following SBOE approval of proposed new 19 TAC §74.36 for first reading and filing authorization at the March 2008 meeting, the proposal, which includes the proposed essential knowledge and skills of a course offered under the TEC, §28.011, was submitted to the Attorney General for review. In accordance with TEC, §28.011(e), the proposal was required to be submitted to the Attorney General for review to ensure that the course complies with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution before the SBOE adopted the proposal.

The SBOE postponed action on this item at the May 2008 meeting because no comments had been received from the Attorney General's office. Subsequent to receiving a response from the Attorney General's Office that the proposal had been reviewed and appears to be facially valid under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the SBOE approved the new section for second reading and final adoption at the July 2008 meeting.

In accordance with the TEC, §7.102(f), the SBOE approved this rule action for final adoption by a vote of two-thirds of its members to specify an effective date earlier than the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. The earlier effective date will allow for professional development and dissemination of information to occur prior to implementation in the 2009-2010 school year. The effective date of the adopted new section is September 1, 2008.

The Texas Education Agency determined that the adopted new section will have no direct adverse economic impact for small businesses and microbusinesses; therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis, specified in Texas Government Code, §2006.002, is required.

Following is a summary of comments received and corresponding SBOE responses regarding the proposed new section.

Comment. A professor of comparative literature at The University of Texas at San Antonio and an individual expressed concern that the guidelines for teaching of the Bible in public schools are too vague and allow for the possibility of indoctrination rather than instruction.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. The SBOE determined that the rule was sufficient to meet the requirements of the law.

Comment. The National Council of Jewish Women and an individual expressed concern that the vague guidelines under consideration focus on skills, not content, and include no meaningful standards schools can use to teach how the Bible has been influential in history and literature. The individual urged the adoption of clear, specific, and unbiased curriculum standards that promote a respectful study of the Bible and protect the religious freedom of students.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. The SBOE determined that the rule was sufficient to meet the requirements of the law.

Comment. An educator and an individual expressed the belief that the proposed rule violates separation of church and state and that the course cannot be taught without religious bias.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. Based upon the determination by the Texas Attorney General, the SBOE determined that the rule was sufficient to meet the requirements of the law.

Comment. An individual expressed the belief that knowledge of Biblical stories would be advantageous to understanding allusions/archetypes of literature, but finds the course necessarily limited. The individual suggests a complementary course in Greek/Roman mythology.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. The SBOE has adopted Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for various high school courses that are sufficiently broad to enable schools to teach courses such as Greek/Roman mythology.

Comment. An individual asked which version of the Bible would be used for this course.

Response. State law indicates that a student may not be required to use a specific translation as the sole text of the Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament and may use as the basic textbook a different translation of the Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament from that chosen by the board of trustees of the student's school district or the student's teacher.

Comment. An individual stated that mythologies of the Norse, Greeks, Romans, and Babylonians as well as the holy works of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam had an enormous impact on Western literature and should be included in this course as well.

Comment. An individual expressed support for the course as long as it is not taught as religious Bible study and provided that districts do not make it a "de facto" requirement.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed.

Comment. Six individuals supported the proposed rule.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed.

Comment. A professor at Rice University expressed the belief that this course should only be taught by people who have extensive, certified training in biblical scholarship and in such a way that absolutely no effort will be made to convert students to a particular point of view regarding the truth or falsity of the Hebrew Bible.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. The law outlines requirements for training of teachers who would teach this course.

Comment. An individual expressed concern that the course will become a religious/faith-based course. The individual further commented that the main purpose of the course should be to teach understanding of biblical allusions that are commonly referred to in other written works.

Response. The SBOE disagreed with the comment that the course will become a religious/faith-based course and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. Both law and rule require that a course offered under this section follow applicable law and all federal and state guidelines in maintaining religious neutrality and accommodating the diverse religious views, traditions, and perspectives of students in their school district. A course under this rule shall not endorse, favor, or promote, or disfavor or show hostility toward, any particular religion or nonreligious faith or religious perspective.

Comment. Two individuals supported the rule as long as the class is an elective and is not made mandatory.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. The course will be an elective course and will not be mandatory.

Comment. An individual asked what type of certification would be required for this course.

Response. State law requires that a teacher of a course offered under this section must hold a minimum of a High School Composite Certification in language arts, social studies, or history with, where practical, a minor in religion or biblical studies.

Comment. An individual expressed opposition to the rule. The individual further commented that these concepts are the responsibility of the home and religious institutions.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. The SBOE was required by law to identify Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for an elective course on the Bible's Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament and Their Impact on the History and Literature of Western Civilization.

Comment. Two individuals suggested that a course in all religions or in comparative religion would help further understanding of various cultures and religions by both teachers and students.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed.

Comment. An individual expressed opposition to the teaching of religion in public high schools using taxpayer dollars.

Comment. A professor at Southern Methodist University expressed the belief that the proposed standards are inadequate and do not address the First Amendment aspect of religion courses. The professor indicated that standards developed specifically for Bible courses are essential to give Texas teachers the guidance they need to offer academically and legally appropriate classes.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. Based upon the determination by the Texas Attorney, the SBOE determined that the rule was sufficient to meet the requirements of the law.

Comment. Three members of the Texas House of Representatives commented that the main purpose of the legislation authorizing this rule was to provide for a well-defined curriculum. The state representatives indicated that the legislature expects the SBOE to adopt specific curriculum for elective courses and that extra attention to curriculum is required so districts will be less fearful of legal challenges. The state representatives further indicated that the existence of vendors selling Bible curricula in the marketplace does not justify the adoption of vague curriculum standards. In closing, the state representatives urged the SBOE to reject the proposed vague standards and begin a process to build a well-defined course.

Comment. The Texas Conservative Coalition commented in support of the proposed rule.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed.

Comment. The Anti-Defamation League commented that the best way to safeguard religious freedom is through separation of church and state. The Anti-Defamation League further expressed concerns that the proposed rule is constitutionally problematic. Rather than being specific and exacting, it is overly general, broad, and discretionary. The Anti-Defamation League urged modification and revision of the rule.

Comment. A member of the Texas House of Representatives expressed the belief that the proposed rule does not meet the intent of the law.

Comment. A representative from the Texas Citizens for Science expressed the belief that the rule did not include content and is not adequate for this course.

Comment. A professor at The University of Texas at Austin expressed the belief that the skills in the rule are appropriate, however, content is missing from the rule.

Comment. A representative from the Texas Freedom Network shared information on courses that school districts are already implementing on this topic under general Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and indicated that this information demonstrates that more specific requirements are needed.

Comment. A representative from the American Civil Liberties Union urged the SBOE to adopt rigorous standards to guard against future use of unconstitutional materials in public schools.

Comment. An attorney indicated that based on his study and years of experience in the field he believes that using non-specific education standards for religious courses in public schools will result in lawsuits.

Comment. An individual expressed the belief that setting up this type of course as an elective is very brave and asked the SBOE to create unbiased TEKS.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed. Based upon determination by the Texas Attorney General, the SBOE determined that the rule was sufficient to meet the requirements of the law.

Comment. A representative from the Free Market Foundation asked the SBOE to stick to their duties as an elected body, which is to follow what the law says and adopt the rule.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt the rule as filed as proposed.

The new section is adopted under the Texas Education Code, §28.011, as added by House Bill 1287, 80th Texas Legislature, 2007, which authorizes the SBOE to adopt rules, subsequent to review of the proposal by the Attorney General, identifying the essential knowledge and skills of a course on the Bible's Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament and their impact on the history and literature of Western Civilization.

The new section implements the Texas Education Code, §28.011.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on August 12, 2008.

TRD-200804306

Cristina De La Fuente-Valadez

Director, Policy Coordination

Texas Education Agency

Effective date: September 1, 2008

Proposal publication date: April 18, 2008

For further information, please call: (512) 475-1497

CHAPTER 110. TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND READING

The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopts amendments to §§110.1, 110.21, and 110.41 and new §§110.10 - 110.20 and 110.30 - 110.34, concerning Texas essential knowledge and skills (TEKS) for English language arts and reading. The amendments to §§110.1, 110.21, and 110.41 are adopted without changes to the proposed text as published in the April 18, 2008, issue of the Texas Register (33 TexReg 3115) and will not be republished. New §§110.10 - 110.20 and 110.30 - 110.34 are adopted with changes to the proposed text as published in the April 18, 2008, issue of the Texas Register (33 TexReg 3115). The adopted amendments and new sections establish revised English language arts and reading TEKS for Kindergarten-Grade 8 and English I-IV for implementation beginning with the 2009-2010 school year in order to allow districts to begin preparing for implementation. Included in the revisions are amendments to specify that existing TEKS will be superseded by the revised TEKS once implemented.

The SBOE adopted the original TEKS for elementary, middle, and high school English language arts and reading courses to be effective September 1, 1998. The refinement and alignment of English language arts and reading TEKS began in 2005. In June 2006, the SBOE directed Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff to reconvene the review committees for further revision of the English language arts and reading TEKS. The committee was charged with making the TEKS more grade-level specific, less repetitive, and measurable at the state or local level. In September 2007, StandardsWork was hired as a facilitator through a request for qualifications process to assist with the completion of the revisions.

Proposed revisions, which included restructuring and revising knowledge and skills statements as well as student expectations for Kindergarten-Grade 8 and English I-IV, were presented to the SBOE for first reading and filing authorization on February 13, 2008. These revisions were based on recommendations made by educator review committees and compiled by the facilitator. At the special called February 13, 2008, meeting, the SBOE chair appointed a subcommittee to use the document compiled by the facilitator, input from all interested parties and expert reviewers, and the college readiness standards to prepare a document for consideration by the SBOE for first reading and filing authorization at the March 2008 SBOE meeting.

The subcommittee met on February 29, 2008, to appoint an expert committee to review proposed revisions to the English language arts and reading TEKS and to discuss preliminary changes/suggestions to the most recent draft of the revised TEKS. The subcommittee met on March 14, 2008, to receive an update on the draft of the proposed revisions to the English language arts and reading TEKS, including recommendations of the expert reviewers. The subcommittee met again on March 19, 2008, to sign off on the final proposed revisions to the English language arts and reading TEKS prior to sending the document to the Committee of the Full Board for review. However, the subcommittee did not receive the document from the facilitator prior to the meeting, therefore, no action was taken. The subcommittee met on March 27, 2008, to sign off on the final proposed revisions to the English language arts and reading TEKS prior to sending the document to the Committee of the Full Board for review.

The Committee of the Full Board held a public hearing on the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Subchapters A - C, on March 26, 2008. During the public hearing, a group of Texas educators presented a version of the March 19 draft with additional revisions for SBOE consideration. This document was referred to as the "yellow document."

At the March 28, 2008, meeting, the SBOE amended and approved proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Subchapters A - C, for first reading and filing authorization. During the March 2008 meeting, the SBOE also directed the facilitator to work with the yellow document and teacher work groups, including Hispanic experts Dr. Katherine Escamilla and Dr. Elena Izquierdo, to improve the March 19, 2008, StandardsWork document.

The Committee of the Full Board held a second public hearing on the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Subchapters A - C, on May 21, 2008. At the May 23, 2008, meeting, the SBOE amended and approved the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Subchapters A - C, for second reading and final adoption. Changes to the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110 made by the SBOE at adoption include the following.

The introduction for each grade level was amended by adding new paragraphs that address instruction for English language learners.

The Kindergarten Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre and Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text standards were modified.

The Kindergarten-Grade 3 Reading/Beginning Reading Skills standard titles were modified.

The Grade 1 Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Phonics standard was amended by adding 70 specific letter-sound correspondences.

The Listening and Speaking strand at all grade levels was amended by replacing language with standards written by the teacher work group.

The Oral and Written Conventions strand at all grade levels was amended by replacing language with standards written by the teacher work group. The Oral and Written Conventions strand was moved within the document to follow the Writing strand.

The Grade 3 Reading/Media Literacy standard was amended by replacing language with the Reading/Media Literacy standard.

The Grade 8 Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation standard was amended by replacing language with the Writing/Conventions of Language/Handwriting standard written by the teacher work group.

Separate figures identifying grade level reading comprehension strategies were added at each appropriate subchapter level.

The TEA determined that the adopted amendments will have no direct adverse economic impact for small businesses and microbusinesses; therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis, specified in Texas Government Code, §2006.002, is required.

Following is a summary of public comments and corresponding responses regarding the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Subchapters A - C.

Comment. A community member commented that the current curriculum needs to be clarified.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to approve TEKS that were grade-level specific, less repetitive, and measurable at the state or local level.

Comment. Two community members commented that proposed revisions do not include effective teaching practices.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A parent commented that the TEKS must emphasize quality literature and written response.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A community member commented that the proposed revisions are too specific.

Agency Response. The SBOE disagreed. The charge from the SBOE to its appointed TEKS review committee required TEKS to be written that were grade-level specific.

Comment. A teacher commented that the proposed revisions look good.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. A teacher commented that to teach anything in isolation is a travesty and brain research shows it does not work.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A community member commented that the proposed TEKS are very limiting for children and learning.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. The charge from the SBOE to its appointed TEKS review committee required TEKS to be written that were grade-level specific.

Comment. A community member asked the SBOE to adopt the proposed revisions currently posted on the Texas Register.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. An educator and a teacher commented that the document is well organized and complete.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. A teacher commented that the changes explain what is expected in more detail.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. A teacher commented that the proposed revisions are much more in line with what needs to go on in classrooms and asked the SBOE to please consider them carefully.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. A parent commented that the proposed changes are good changes and that it is necessary to make certain that all students can read and write well with good grammar skills.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt TEKS that address the skills needed to gain a thorough knowledge of the English language.

Comment. An educator commented that the TEKS for second grade look appropriate.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. An educator commented that the draft posted in the Texas Register is much better aligned than the first couple of proposed revisions.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. A teacher expressed support for the Texas Register proposed revised TEKS.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. Two administrators, 68 educators, 12 teachers, seven parents, and 34 community members expressed opposition to the proposed revised TEKS.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that the proposed revised TEKS were more grade level specific, less repetitive, and more measurable. The SBOE took action to approve the proposal with additional changes in response to other comments.

Comment. Based on a departmental meeting at a Houston high school, comments were received indicating that teachers prefer the "yellow document" because it includes more grammar presented at the application level and comprehension strategies for struggling readers (especially at the high school level).

Response. The SBOE disagreed. The knowledge and skills statements for the Oral and Written Convention strands state that the students will "understand the function of and use" conventions while speaking and reading. The SBOE took action at adoption to add reading comprehension strategies as separate figures at each appropriate subchapter level.

Comment. Three educators, two parents, and a community member commented that adoption of the document posted on the Texas Register will adversely affect instruction, testing, and textbook development for the next ten years.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to approve TEKS that were grade-level specific, less repetitive, and measurable at the state or local level. Textbooks for the classrooms and mandated statewide assessments must, by rule, be based upon the TEKS.

Comment. A teacher expressed preference for the existing English language arts and reading TEKS and indicated that only minor changes to the original TEKS were necessary.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to approve TEKS that were grade-level specific, less repetitive, and measurable at the state or local level.

Comment. Eleven community members expressed opposition to suggestions from some SBOE members.

Comment. An educator commented that the proposed changes in the TEKS move backwards rather than forward and that the 8th Grade TEKS are watered down.

Comment. An educator commented that the proposed revisions border, if not completely cross over, to insanity.

Comment. Ten community members expressed support for suggestions from some SBOE members.

Comment. An educator commented that there is no multi-cultural connection.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and took action to approve TEKS that include a new knowledge and skills statement identified as "Comprehension of Information Text/Culture and History." The new TEKS provide opportunities to read classical and contemporary literature from diverse cultures. The TEKS include a world literature focus at English I and II, an American literature focus at English III, and a British literature focus at English IV.

Comment. A parent commented that there are limited multi-cultural perspectives or sensitivity in the process.

Comment. Two teachers expressed the belief that culturally diverse materials and topics have been left out of reading and writing strands.

Comment. An educator commented that mention of English Language Learners (ELLs) is minimal.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to add new language to the introductions of each grade and course of the new TEKS to specifically address the learning needs of ELLs.

Comment. An educator asked if the Spanish Language Arts TEKS are up for revision.

Response. The Spanish Language Arts TEKS are also being revised to align with the English language arts and reading TEKS and have been approved by the SBOE for first reading and filing authorization in July 2008.

Comment. A teacher commented that mention of technology is minimal.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. The new TEKS provide opportunities for students to use technology in multiple contexts (i.e., to develop vocabulary, to create multimedia presentations, to conduct research, etc.).

Comment. Nine educators, two parents, and seven community members expressed the belief that there is a lack of vertical alignment across grade levels.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. The new TEKS are framed with the same knowledge and skills statements for Kindergarten-Grade 12. The student expectations were added with grade-level specificity to scaffold learning.

Comment. Six teachers and a community member requested that the document be aligned across grade levels, eliminating gaps and adjusting for appropriate levels of difficulty.

Comment. Five teachers and a community member requested that the document be aligned with college readiness standards and Prekindergarten guidelines.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The Prekindergarten guidelines and college readiness standards were provided as resources to the work group members as they worked on the document. The facilitator noted that the document was aligned. A committee will examine the TEKS for gaps in alignment with the college readiness standards.

Comment. Two educators and six community members indicated that grade-level vertical alignment is necessary.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The new TEKS are framed with the same knowledge and skills statements for Kindergarten-Grade 12. The student expectations were added with grade-level specificity to scaffold learning.

Comment. A teacher and a community member asked the SBOE to align skills, eliminate gaps, and adjust appropriate levels of difficulty.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. The new TEKS are framed with the same knowledge and skills statements for Kindergarten-Grade 12.

Comment. A teacher and a parent asked that alignment gaps be addressed.

Comment. An educator commented that the standards need to be more grade specific and less repetitive.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to approve TEKS that were grade-level specific, less repetitive, and measurable at the state or local level.

Comment. A community member asked that spoken language be improved.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The new TEKS, through the Listening and Speaking and Oral and Written Conventions strands, address the skills needed to gain a thorough knowledge of the English language.

Comment. A community member requested that the SBOE press for correct English to be taught and used.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The new TEKS address the skills needed to gain a thorough knowledge of the English language.

Comment. A community member expressed the belief that thorough knowledge of the English language is necessary for success.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The new TEKS address the skills needed to gain a thorough knowledge of the English language.

Comment. A parent asked the SBOE to avoid antiquated teaching methods, including required reading lists, formulaic writing, and boring grammar drills.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A teacher commented that the proposed TEKS do not align with the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

Response. The SBOE disagreed. The TAKS will be adjusted to align with newly revised TEKS.

Comment. An educator commented that language arts teachers should not be held responsible for social studies curriculum.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to remove language regarding connections to social studies curriculum from the final version of the TEKS.

Comment. A teacher commented that the "Viewing and Representing" TEKS appear to be missing or to have been moved to another strand.

Response. The SBOE disagreed that the "Viewing and Representing" TEKS are missing and agreed that they have been moved. The Media Literacy standards, an iteration of the previous Viewing and Representing standards, appear in the reading strand of the new TEKS.

Comment. A teacher commented that students need to reflect on their own experiences, thoughts, and ideas.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The writing strand contains a student expectation stating that students will write to reflect upon personal experiences.

Comment. A teacher would like to teach or tutor in the proposed program.

Response. This comment is not responsive to the proposed rulemaking.

Comment. A community member commented that current education problems stem from social, cultural, and economic issues and veteran teachers leaving the profession.

Response. This comment is not responsive to the proposed rulemaking.

Comment. An educator commented that while the new specificity is a positive improvement, the instructional targets do not build upon each other as they have in the past.

Comment. An educator commented that it would be beneficial if the Greek and Latin roots and prefixes were covered in each grade.

Response. The SBOE agreed. Greek and Latin roots and prefixes are addressed in the Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Phonics strand in Grades 2 and 3 and in the Reading/Vocabulary Development strand in Grades 4 through 12.

Comment. An educator requested that the statement "Students utilize comprehension strategies within and between texts" be added.

Response. The SBOE disagreed with the placement of the reading comprehension strategies for elementary, middle, and high school within the non-figural text of the rules. Instead, the SBOE took action to address reading comprehension strategies as separate figures adopted at each appropriate subchapter level, including reference to "between and across texts" in Grades 5-8.

Comment. An educator asked that specifying a particular genre such as "adventure" be removed from comprehension/fiction in English I.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to remove the reference to "adventure" in the TEKS.

Comment. An administrator, a teacher, and a parent commented that the current document omits the teaching of generally accepted and recognized comprehension processes including prediction, clarifying, summarizing, inferring, questioning, visualizing, making connections, determining important ideas, and understanding text structure across all grades.

Comment. A teacher and nine community members commented that comprehension must be part of the reading strand.

Comment. An administrator commented that the proposal calls for students to learn how to infer the importance of a setting in a story in one grade level, visualize the setting in the next grade, and then summarize the setting two grade levels later. The administrator expressed belief that this type of thinking isolates processes and strategies and directly contradicts how one actually comprehends texts.

Response. The SBOE agreed and determined that appropriate scaffolding of skills is present in the ELA/Reading TEKS.

Comment. A teacher and a parent asked that comprehension skills be continued beyond Grade 6.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to address reading comprehension strategies as separate figures adopted at each appropriate subchapter level.

Comment. Five educators, a parent, and a community member requested that comprehension be added as a sub-strand of reading.

Comment. A teacher commented that the comprehension strands are repetitive, misaligned, confusing, and cumbersome. The teacher asked that they be incorporated into fewer strands.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to address reading comprehension strategies as separate figures adopted at each appropriate subchapter level.

Comment. An educator and a parent commented that eliminating comprehension is a poor decision especially for students whose primary language is not English. They indicated that comprehension must be explicitly taught.

Comment. An educator asked why a particular genre-epic tale was specified.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to remove references to specific stories from the TEKS.

Comment. An educator asked that recitation be removed as a student expectation and that structural elements of poetry be added.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to remove recitation of poetry from the TEKS. The TEKS include structural elements of poetry.

Comment. An educator requested that film be removed from the Reading/Comprehension/Drama strand.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Film is only mentioned in Grade 6.

Comment. An educator requested that mysteries, science fiction, and historical fiction not be limited.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to remove references to specific genres of fiction from the TEKS.

Comment. Nine educators and two parents commented that reading comprehension should be a clearly defined strand.

Comment. Forty-two educators, a parent, and five community members commented that explicit teaching of reading comprehension should be returned to all grades, Kindergarten-Grade 12.

Comment. Regarding the TEKS for Grade 3, a teacher commented that students need to focus on foundations of reading comprehension before text analysis can begin.

Comment. Eighteen educators, a parent, and eight community members commented that the TEKS should include a reading comprehension strand.

Comment. A teacher commented that in Grade 2 the reading comprehension statement should not be limited to plays and dramas. Students should read a variety of texts, including plays.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt TEKS that include reading fables, legends, myths, stories, folktales, poetry, drama, literary nonfiction, expository texts, and procedural texts.

Comment. A teacher commented that the last statement of the sub-strand for Reading/Comprehension/Literary Nonfiction should be in Kindergarten and Grade 1, but not in Grade 2.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that it is developmentally appropriate to begin these skills in Grade 2. The SBOE determined that appropriate scaffolding of skills was present in the ELA/Reading TEKS.

Comment. A teacher requested that examples listed in the Reading/Comprehension/Fiction statement for Grade 2 be omitted.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to delete all examples from the TEKS.

Comment. A teacher commented that students in Grade 2 should not be limited to fables and well-known stories when analyzing theme and genre.

Response. The SBOE agreed. Fables, legends, myths, stories, and folktales are the genres targeted when analyzing theme and genre at Grade 2.

Comment. Two teachers commented that reading comprehension should be addressed as a process.

Comment. A community member commented that reading comprehension and critical thinking skills should continue past Grade 6.

Response. The SBOE agreed. Comprehension is part of the knowledge and skills statements in reading for Kindergarten-Grade 12. The knowledge and skills statements typically begin with students understanding or analyzing followed by making inferences and drawing conclusions.

Comment. A teacher commented that in Grade 2 reading comprehension needs to be further developed to include student expectations that address strategies used to comprehend text that is heard, read, and viewed.

Comment. A teacher commented that Grade 3 reading comprehension needs to be further developed to include student expectations that address strategies used to comprehend text that is heard, read, and viewed.

Comment. Four community members commented that reading comprehension is not adequately addressed.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to address reading comprehension strategies as separate figures adopted at each appropriate subchapter level.

Comment. One community member commented that proposed revisions do not include comprehension strategies.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to address reading comprehension strategies as separate figures adopted at each appropriate subchapter level.

Comment. A community member commented that reading comprehension skills are essential in developing writing and thinking skills.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to address reading comprehension strategies as separate figures adopted at each appropriate subchapter level.

Comment. A teacher commented that in Grade 2 students should read to identify author's purpose. The teacher further commented that it does not seem appropriate for a student to also identify the topic.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that appropriate scaffolding of skills was present in the ELA/Reading TEKS.

Comment. A teacher requested that the SBOE further develop Grade 3 reading to include a statement that students will use a variety of processes to respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that appropriate scaffolding of skills was present in the ELA/Reading TEKS.

Comment. A teacher asked if a standard would be established for "grade level appropriate" text.

Response. The Reading/Fluency strand addresses grade level appropriate text beginning in Grade 1 and continuing through Grade 8.

Comment. Regarding the student expectation that students hold a book right side up, turn its pages correctly, and know that reading moves from top to bottom and left to right, a teacher commented that there are dyslexic students who read with greater comprehension when a book is held upside down and read right to left. The teacher stated that teachers should not automatically assume that students do not know the socially appropriate way to read.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Accommodations and modifications to general education curriculum are not addressed in the ELA/Reading TEKS. The SBOE took action to approve the proposal with additional changes in response to other comments.

Comment. An educator commented that it is necessary to concentrate on phonics and comprehension throughout the grade levels.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE determined that appropriate developmental skills were present in the ELA/Reading TEKS.

Comment. A community member asked the SBOE to include reading aloud to students at every grade level.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that appropriate developmental skills were present in the ELA/Reading TEKS.

Comment. A parent expressed concern that proposed TEKS water down the teaching of the reading strategies that are on the TAKS test.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Since the TAKS test is built upon the TEKS, a new test will be developed based on the new TEKS.

Comment. A teacher expressed pleasure in seeing that the new TEKS include syllable types.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. An educator requested that the SBOE change fluency to "Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension."

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. A parent commented that the TEKS need to include a measurable standard of reading fluency at every grade level.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. The SBOE took recommendations from educators and content reviewers to remove a measurable standard of reading fluency before approving the TEKS.

Comment. A teacher commented that reading fluency should be defined by reader's expression, attention to punctuation, or number of words read per minute.

Response. The SBOE agreed with all suggestions except "words read correctly per minute." The SBOE took recommendations from educators and content reviewers to remove a measurable standard of reading fluency before approving the TEKS.

Comment. A teacher commented that fluency should continue to be emphasized after Grade 3.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to ensure fluency continues through Grade 8.

Comment. Eight educators and a parent commented that fluency should be addressed through middle school.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to ensure fluency continues through Grade 8.

Comment. Two educators commented that reading fluency is necessary for older students.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to ensure fluency continues through Grade 8.

Comment. An educator asked if the fluency rate is to be determined by the districts.

Response. The SBOE agreed and approved the TEKS without a specific "words read correctly per minute."

Comment. A parent commented that reading and writing are not just skill sets but complex processes to be developed.

Response. The SBOE determined that appropriate scaffolding of skills and processes was present in the ELA/Reading TEKS.

Comment. An educator expressed pleasure in seeing reading lists gone.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE directed the commissioner of education to provide reading resources websites.

Comment. A parent expressed the belief that a list of suggested titles for every grade level is needed.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that this decision was best left to local district control. The SBOE directed the commissioner of education to provide reading resources websites.

Comment. Three teachers and an administrator asked the SBOE to keep all reading and author lists out of the document.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE directed the commissioner of education to provide reading resources websites.

Comment. A community member expressed the belief that there should be a book list of "required" and "tolerated" books.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that this decision was best left to local district control. The SBOE directed the commissioner of education to provide reading resources websites.

Comment. A teacher requested that commas be introduced after introductory phrases and dependent adverbial clauses in Grade 6 and reviewed in Grade 7.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that the skill should be continued in Grades 7 and 8 and maintained the introduction of commas after introductory phrases and dependent adverbial clauses in the TEKS for Grades 7 and 8.

Comment. A teacher commented that Texas students are not able to organize thoughts and do not know the rules of mechanics, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE adopted English language arts and reading TEKS with an Oral and Written Conventions strand and with many references to analyzing and making inferences.

Comment. Forty-three educators, one parent, and nine community members commented that composition and conventions should be included in one writing strand.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that Oral and Written Conventions should be a separate and distinct strand. The SBOE took action to include a separate strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A parent commented that oral and written conventions should be taught separately.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include a separate strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. An educator, an administrator, and a community member commented that oral and written conventions should be integrated.

Comment. Six teachers and a community member requested that the SBOE make conventions of oral and written language a sub-strand of composition.

Comment. A teacher commented that in Grade 2 written conventions need to include a statement clarifying that the student is working with "one's own writing."

Response. The SBOE agreed and included language such as "students . . . in their own compositions" in the knowledge and skills statements for conventions.

Comment. A teacher commented that statements regarding written conventions should include ". . . within context of one's own writing."

Response. The SBOE agreed and included language such as "students . . . in their own compositions" in the knowledge and skills statements for conventions.

Comment. Two teachers commented that conventions need to be learned and practiced within the context for one's own writing.

Response. The SBOE agreed and included language such as "students . . . in their own compositions" in the knowledge and skills statements for conventions.

Comment. An educator commented that grammar is important but comprehension is more important.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that both were important and approved the TEKS with an Oral and Written Conventions strand. The SBOE took action to address reading comprehension strategies as separate figures adopted at each appropriate subchapter level.

Comment. Two educators commented that grammar cannot be taught in isolation. The educator suggested moving oral and written conventions into the writing strand because grammar in isolation (drills) does not transfer into writing skills.

Comment. An educator suggested adding parts of speech at Grade 6: prepositions, adverbs, and coordinating connectives.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and noted that coordinating connectives were introduced in Grade 3, and that prepositions and adverbs were taught in Grade 6.

Comment. An educator suggested adding sentence types at Grade 6: imperative, declarative, etc.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and noted that declarative and interrogative sentences were introduced in Grade 2.

Comment. Twenty-three educators, seven parents, and 15 community members commented that grammar should be included in writing.

Comment. One educator and ten community members commented that grammar and writing should be in the same strand.

Comment. A teacher and four community members asked the SBOE to keep grammar separate.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include a separate strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. An administrator commented that the proposed standards ignore at least 50 years of research on grammar instruction.

Comment. An administrator commented that drilling the basics does not achieve desired results and does not transfer to writing.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. An administrator commented that grammar should be taught in context.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A community member commented that curriculum should teach basic principles of English language, including grammar and punctuation.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include a separate strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A parent commented that grammar instruction should be included so that students can learn to respect other students.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A teacher and an administrator commented that grammar should not be taught as an isolated process.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A teacher commented that "non-count nouns" need to be defined.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Definition of the standards should occur during curriculum development and professional development. The SBOE took action to approve the proposal with additional changes in response to other comments.

Comment. A parent asked the SBOE to bring back grammar instruction.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include a strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A community member asked the SBOE to concentrate on the basics and teach proper grammar.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include a strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A community member commented that teaching grammar in isolation is ineffective and detrimental to students.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that Oral and Written Conventions should be a separate and distinct strand. The SBOE took action to include a strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A community member commented that students should learn the basics, especially proper grammar.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include a strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A community member commented that expecting first graders to identify adverbs and prepositions is inappropriate.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that the ELAR/Reading TEKS were developmentally appropriate.

Comment. A teacher commented that progressive and emphatic verbs should not be taught in Grade 8.

Response. The SBOE agreed and included only progressive verbs in the Grade 8 TEKS.

Comment. An educator supported a renewed emphasis on the importance of proper English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include a strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A teacher commented that students should not need to identify specific parts of speech just to identify the parts.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that identification of parts of speech is an important skill for students to learn. The SBOE took action to include a strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A parent commented that grammar and spelling are the basis for good writing skills.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include a strand for Oral and Written Conventions.

Comment. A parent commented that media literacy should be in the reading strand.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to approve the placement of media literacy in the reading strand.

Comment. A teacher commented that media literacy should be a separate strand.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that media literacy is more appropriately placed in the reading strand. The SBOE took action to approve the placement of media literacy in the reading strand.

Comment. A teacher commented that teaching Roman, Greek, and Norse mythology to Grade 3 students is developmentally inappropriate.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The standards for Grade 3 only mention "myths."

Comment. An educator liked that non-fiction was mentioned.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. A parent commented that teaching skills in isolation is a giant step backwards.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A teacher commented that for Grade 2 spelling verbiage should be included to explain why correct spelling and grammar are necessary.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. The ELA/Reading TEKS specify what to teach not why content is taught.

Comment. A teacher commented that there are developmentally inappropriate spelling and vocabulary tasks particularly at Kindergarten-Grade 2.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that the ELA/Reading TEKS include appropriate scaffolding of skills.

Comment. An educator asked the SBOE to change vocabulary development to read: "Students learn new vocabulary from a variety of sources, using it effectively when reading and writing."

Response. The SBOE agreed and adopted the knowledge and skills statement to read: "Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing."

Comment. A teacher commented that Grade 2 vocabulary instruction does not need emphasis on Greek, Latin, or other linguistic roots and affixes.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Student expectations simply make reference to prefixes and suffixes as they determine meaning.

Comment. A teacher commented that for Grade 2 vocabulary students should read daily from self-selected materials to increase fluency, build background knowledge, and extend vocabulary.

Response. The SBOE agreed on wording for the knowledge and skills statement on independent reading that indicated sustained periods of time.

Comment. A teacher commented that Grade 2 vocabulary development needs to state that students will increase sight, reading, and writing vocabulary through reading, word study, listening, discussion, book talks, book clubs, viewing, role play, and study of author's craft.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that skills present in the ELA/Reading TEKS were developmentally appropriate.

Comment. An educator was pleased to see a wider array of types of writing at English III.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE also took action to approve additional changes to respond to other comments.

Comment. An educator commented that for Writing/Literary Texts, "creative writing" should be eliminated and "writing a poem every year" should be removed.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that in order to be college ready students should be exposed to all modalities of writing. The SBOE took action to approve the proposal with additional changes in response to other comments.

Comment. A parent commented that modes of writing should be reinstated, including persuasive and expository/procedural writing.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to include persuasive and procedural writing where developmentally appropriate.

Comment. A teacher commented that formulaic writing in upper elementary grades should be eliminated.

Response. The SBOE agreed and approved the knowledge and skills statement for the writing process in Kindergarten-Grade 12.

Comment. A teacher commented that having students compose poems and fiction each year is counterproductive.

Comment. A teacher commented that Kindergarten students will not be able to write short poems.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. It will be up to each teacher to determine the level of support when implementing the standards. The SBOE took action to approve the proposal with additional changes in response to other comments.

Comment. A teacher commented that students should work with their own written compositions to improve vocabulary development and word choice.

Response. The SBOE agreed and determined that the standards clearly articulated that the compositions were the student's personal writing.

Comment. A teacher asked the SBOE to continue personal narrative beyond Grade 6.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The knowledge and skills statement regarding writing about personal experiences continues through Grade 8.

Comment. A teacher commented that students need graphic organizers to organize thoughts and ideas.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Under statute, TEC, §28.002(i), the SBOE may not adopt rules that designate the methodology used by a teacher.

Comment. A teacher commented that Grade 2 students should be exposed to a variety of writing modes.

Response. The SBOE agreed. According to the approved standards for ELA/Reading TEKS, Grade 2 students will write stories, poems, compositions, short letters, brief comments on texts, and persuasive pieces of writing.

Comment. An educator commented that there are too many writing projects on top of the proposed reading TEKS.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that the student expectations were developmentally appropriate.

Comment. A teacher commented that students should not always be required to write specific types of text just for the sake of writing them.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that specific types of text were important to the developmental learning experience of the student since the skills are scaffolded from one grade to the next.

Comment. A teacher commented that Grade 3 students should be exposed to a variety of writing modes.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The ELA/Reading TEKS provide multiple writing experiences at every grade level for every student.

Comment. A teacher asked the SBOE to eliminate use of encyclopedia entries as sources for nonfiction.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to remove references to specific content when referencing genres.

Comment. An educator commented that it is pointless to write drama.

Comment. A teacher commented that recitation does not need to occur in every grade.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to remove recitation of poetry from the TEKS.

Comment. Two educators asked the SBOE to remove analogies (part to whole), but keep analogies used within a narrative or expository structure.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and determined that a variety of approaches to vocabulary development is important in supporting college readiness. The SBOE took action to approve the proposal with additional changes in response to other comments.

Comment. An educator commented that there is too much emphasis on speech because there is a speech class.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to reduce the knowledge and skills statements regarding speaking.

Comment. A teacher commented that speech requirements should be taught in the required speech class and not duplicated in English.

Response. The SBOE disagreed and recognized the importance of speaking and listening to the overall education of a student; however, the SBOE agreed to reduce the knowledge and skills statements regarding speaking.

Comment. A teacher commented that TAKS should be abolished.

Agency Response. This comment is not responsive to the proposed rulemaking.

Comment. A community member commented that educators are pressured to teach to the test.

Response. This comment is not responsive to the proposed rulemaking.

Comment. An educator commented that educators should be making decisions about what is to be taught.

Response. The SBOE disagreed. Pursuant to the TEC, §7.102(c)(4), and §28.002, the SBOE is required to identify the TEKS for each subject of the required curriculum.

Comment. Five educators and two community members expressed belief that experienced educators should be allowed to provide input.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE nominated a committee of educators to work on the standards, conducted two public hearings, afforded opportunities at each SBOE meeting for testimony, and published the proposed revisions in the Texas Register for public comment.

Comment. Two teachers and a parent asked the SBOE to follow the advice of the work groups and coalition.

Comment. A community member commented that SBOE members should recognize education research and receive input from educators.

Comment. One hundred and twenty-two educators, an administrator, 17 parents, and 74 community members commented in support proposed revisions recommended by work groups.

Response. The SBOE agreed. The SBOE nominated a committee of educators to work on the standards, and the SBOE reviewed and considered the work throughout the process.

Comment. A parent asked the SBOE not to disregard the work of teachers in this process.

Response. The SBOE agreed and took action to adopt TEKS based on recommendations made by teachers appointed to committees to review and recommend revisions to the TEKS.

Comment. An educator asked the SBOE to allow Grade 8 teachers to write the curriculum for Grade 8 students.

Response. The SBOE agreed and nominated committees of educators based on grade levels of expertise to work on recommendations to the standards for each grade level.

Comment. A teacher commented that an expert review panel should be culturally diverse.

Response. The SBOE agreed. Expert review panels throughout the process included Hispanic and African-American experts.

SUBCHAPTER A. ELEMENTARY

19 TAC §§110.1, 110.10 - 110.16

The amendment and new sections are adopted under the Texas Education Code, §7.102(c)(4), which authorizes the SBOE to establish curriculum and graduation requirements, and §28.002, which authorizes the SBOE to 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 and addressed on the assessment instruments.

The amendment and new sections implement the Texas Education Code, §7.102(c)(4) and §28.002.

§110.10.Implementation of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Elementary, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) The provisions of §§110.11 - 110.16 of this subchapter shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2009-2010 school year and at that time shall supersede §§110.2 - 110.7 of this subchapter.

(b) Students must develop the ability to comprehend and process material from a wide range of texts. Student expectations for Reading/Comprehension Skills as provided in this subsection are described for the appropriate grade level.

Figure: 19 TAC §110.10(b) (.pdf)

§110.11.English Language Arts and Reading, Kindergarten, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The Reading strand is structured to reflect the major topic areas of the National Reading Panel Report. In Kindergarten, students engage in activities that build on their natural curiosity and prior knowledge to develop their reading, writing, and oral language skills.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(A) English language learners (ELLs) are acquiring English, learning content in English, and learning to read simultaneously. For this reason, it is imperative that reading instruction should be comprehensive and that students receive instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, and word attack skills while simultaneously being taught academic vocabulary and comprehension skills and strategies. Reading instruction that enhances ELL's ability to decode unfamiliar words and to make sense of those words in context will expedite their ability to make sense of what they read and learn from reading. Additionally, developing fluency, spelling, and grammatical conventions of academic language must be done in meaningful contexts and not in isolation.

(B) For ELLs, comprehension of texts requires additional scaffolds to support comprehensible input. ELL students should use the knowledge of their first language (e.g., cognates) to further vocabulary development. Vocabulary needs to be taught in the context of connected discourse so that language is meaningful. ELLs must learn how rhetorical devices in English differ from those in their native language. At the same time English learners are learning in English, the focus is on academic English, concepts, and the language structures specific to the content.

(C) During initial stages of English development, ELLs are expected to meet standards in a second language that many monolingual English speakers find difficult to meet in their native language. However, English language learners' abilities to meet these standards will be influenced by their proficiency in English. While English language learners can analyze, synthesize, and evaluate, their level of English proficiency may impede their ability to demonstrate this knowledge during the initial stages of English language acquisition. It is also critical to understand that ELLs with no previous or with interrupted schooling will require explicit and strategic support as they acquire English and learn to learn in English simultaneously.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations at Kindergarten as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(4) To meet Texas Education Code, §28.002(h), which states, "... 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," students will be provided oral and written narratives as well as other informational texts that can help them to become thoughtful, active citizens who appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Print Awareness. Students understand how English is written and printed. Students are expected to:

(A) recognize that spoken words can be represented by print for communication;

(B) identify upper- and lower-case letters;

(D) recognize the difference between a letter and a printed word;

(E) recognize that sentences are comprised of words separated by spaces and demonstrate the awareness of word boundaries (e.g., through kinesthetic or tactile actions such as clapping and jumping);

(F) hold a book right side up, turn its pages correctly, and know that reading moves from top to bottom and left to right; and

(G) identify different parts of a book (e.g., front and back covers, title page).

(2) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Phonological Awareness. Students display phonological awareness. Students are expected to:

(A) identify a sentence made up of a group of words;

(B) identify syllables in spoken words;

(D) distinguish orally presented rhyming pairs of words from non-rhyming pairs;

(E) recognize spoken alliteration or groups of words that begin with the same spoken onset or initial sound (e.g., "baby boy bounces the ball");

(F) blend spoken onsets and rimes to form simple words (e.g., onset/c/ and rime/at/ make cat);

(G) blend spoken phonemes to form one-syllable words (e.g.,/m/.../a/.../n/ says man);

(H) isolate the initial sound in one-syllable spoken words; and

(I) segment spoken one-syllable words into two to three phonemes (e.g., dog:/d/.../o/.../g/).

(A) identify the common sounds that letters represent;

(B) use knowledge of letter-sound relationships to decode regular words in text and independent of content (e.g., VC, CVC, CCVC, and CVCC words);

(D) identify and read at least 25 high-frequency words from a commonly used list.

(4) Reading/Beginning Reading/Strategies. Students comprehend a variety of texts drawing on useful strategies as needed. Students are expected to:

(A) predict what might happen next in text based on the cover, title, and illustrations; and

(B) ask and respond to questions about texts read aloud.

(5) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it correctly when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) identify and use words that name actions, directions, positions, sequences, and locations;

(B) recognize that compound words are made up of shorter words;

(D) use a picture dictionary to find words.

(6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) identify elements of a story including setting, character, and key events;

(B) discuss the big idea (theme) of a well-known folktale or fable and connect it to personal experience;

(D) recognize recurring phrases and characters in traditional fairy tales, lullabies, and folktales from various cultures.

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to respond to rhythm and rhyme in poetry through identifying a regular beat and similarities in word sounds.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) retell a main event from a story read aloud; and

(B) describe characters in a story and the reasons for their actions.

(9) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the topic of an informational text heard.

(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text, and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) identify the topic and details in expository text heard or read, referring to the words and/or illustrations;

(B) retell important facts in a text, heard or read;

(D) use titles and illustrations to make predictions about text.

(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) follow pictorial directions (e.g., recipes, science experiments); and

(B) identify the meaning of specific signs (e.g., traffic signs, warning signs).

(12) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to:

(A) identify different forms of media (e.g., advertisements, newspapers, radio programs); and

(B) identify techniques used in media (e.g., sound, movement).

(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to:

(A) plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing through class discussion;

(B) develop drafts by sequencing the action or details in the story;

(D) edit drafts by leaving spaces between letters and words; and

(E) share writing with others.

(14) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) dictate or write sentences to tell a story and put the sentences in chronological sequence; and

(B) write short poems.

(15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to dictate or write information for lists, captions, or invitations.

(16) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) understand and use the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking (with adult assistance):

(i) past and future tenses when speaking;

(ii) nouns (singular/plural);

(iii) descriptive words;

(iv) prepositions and simple prepositional phrases appropriately when speaking or writing (e.g., in, on, under, over); and

(v) pronouns (e.g., I, me);

(B) speak in complete sentences to communicate; and

(17) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to:

(A) form upper- and lower-case letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression);

(B) capitalize the first letter in a sentence; and

(18) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to:

(A) use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters;

(B) use letter-sound correspondences to spell consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words (e.g., "cut"); and

(19) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to:

(A) ask questions about topics of class-wide interest; and

(B) decide what sources or people in the classroom, school, library, or home can answer these questions.

(20) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to:

(A) gather evidence from provided text sources; and

(B) use pictures in conjunction with writing when documenting research.

(21) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) listen attentively by facing speakers and asking questions to clarify information; and

(B) follow oral directions that involve a short related sequence of actions.

(22) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to share information and ideas by speaking audibly and clearly using the conventions of language.

(23) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to follow agreed-upon rules for discussion, including taking turns and speaking one at a time.

§110.12.English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The Reading strand is structured to reflect the major topic areas of the National Reading Panel Report. In first grade, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should write and read (or be read to) on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations in Grade 1 as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Print Awareness. Students understand how English is written and printed. Students are expected to:

(A) recognize that spoken words are represented in written English by specific sequences of letters;

(B) identify upper- and lower-case letters;

(D) recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., capitalization of first word, ending punctuation);

(E) read texts by moving from top to bottom of the page and tracking words from left to right with return sweep; and

(F) identify the information that different parts of a book provide (e.g., title, author, illustrator, table of contents).

(2) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Phonological Awareness. Students display phonological awareness. Students are expected to:

(A) orally generate a series of original rhyming words using a variety of phonograms (e.g., -ake, -ant, -ain) and consonant blends (e.g., bl, st, tr);

(B) distinguish between long- and short-vowel sounds in spoken one-syllable words (e.g., bit/bite);

(C) recognize the change in a spoken word when a specified phoneme is added, changed, or removed (e.g.,/b/l/o/w/ to/g/l/o/w/);

(D) blend spoken phonemes to form one- and two-syllable words, including consonant blends (e.g., spr);

(E) isolate initial, medial, and final sounds in one-syllable spoken words; and

(F) segment spoken one-syllable words of three to five phonemes into individual phonemes (e.g., splat =/s/p/l/a/t/).

(3) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Phonics. Students use the relationships between letters and sounds, spelling patterns, and morphological analysis to decode written English. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:

(A) decode words in context and in isolation by applying common letter-sound correspondences, including:

(i) single letters (consonants) including b, c=/k/, c=/s/, d, f, g=/g/ (hard), g=/j/ (soft), h, j, k, l, m, n, p, qu=/kw/, r, s=/s/, s=/z/, t, v, w, x=/ks/, y, and z;

(ii) single letters (vowels) including short a, short e, short i, short o, short u, long a (a-e), long e (e), long i (i-e), long o (o-e), long u (u-e), y=long e, and y=long i;

(iii) consonant blends (e.g., bl, st);

(iv) consonant digraphs including ch, tch, sh, th=as in thing, wh, ng, ck, kn, -dge, and ph;

(v) vowel digraphs including oo as in foot, oo as in moon, ea as in eat, ea as in bread, ee, ow as in how, ow as in snow, ou as in out, ay,ai, aw, au, ew, oa, ie as in chief, ie as in pie, and -igh; and

(vi) vowel diphthongs including oy, oi, ou, and ow;

(B) combine sounds from letters and common spelling patterns (e.g., consonant blends, long- and short-vowel patterns) to create recognizable words;

(i) closed syllable (CVC) (e.g., mat, rab-bit);

(ii) open syllable (CV) (e.g., he, ba-by);

(iii) final stable syllable (e.g., ap-ple, a-ble);

(iv) vowel-consonant-silent "e" words (VCe) (e.g., kite, hide);

(v) vowel digraphs and diphthongs (e.g., boy-hood, oat-meal); and

(vi) r-controlled vowel sounds (e.g., tar); including er, ir, ur, ar, and or);

(D) decode words with common spelling patterns (e.g., -ink, -onk, -ick);

(E) read base words with inflectional endings (e.g., plurals, past tenses);

(F) use knowledge of the meaning of base words to identify and read common compound words (e.g., football, popcorn, daydream);

(G) identify and read contractions (e.g., isn't, can't);

(H) identify and read at least 100 high-frequency words from a commonly used list; and

(I) monitor accuracy of decoding.

(4) Reading/Beginning Reading/Strategies. Students comprehend a variety of texts drawing on useful strategies as needed. Students are expected to:

(A) confirm predictions about what will happen next in text by "reading the part that tells";

(B) ask relevant questions, seek clarification, and locate facts and details about stories and other texts; and

(C) establish purpose for reading selected texts and monitor comprehension, making corrections and adjustments when that understanding breaks down (e.g., identifying clues, using background knowledge, generating questions, re-reading a portion aloud).

(5) Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. Students are expected to read aloud grade-level appropriate text with fluency (rate, accuracy, expression, appropriate phrasing) and comprehension.

(6) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) identify words that name actions (verbs) and words that name persons, places, or things (nouns);

(B) determine the meaning of compound words using knowledge of the meaning of their individual component words (e.g., lunchtime);

(D) identify and sort words into conceptual categories (e.g., opposites, living things); and

(E) alphabetize a series of words to the first or second letter and use a dictionary to find words.

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) connect the meaning of a well-known story or fable to personal experiences; and

(B) explain the function of recurring phrases (e.g., "Once upon a time" or "They lived happily ever after") in traditional folk- and fairy tales.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to respond to and use rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration in poetry.

(9) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) describe the plot (problem and solution) and retell a story's beginning, middle, and end with attention to the sequence of events; and

(B) describe characters in a story and the reasons for their actions and feelings.

(10) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and respond by providing evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to determine whether a story is true or a fantasy and explain why.

(11) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to recognize sensory details in literary text.

(12) Reading/Comprehension of Text/Independent Reading. Students read independently for sustained periods of time and produce evidence of their reading. Students are expected to read independently for a sustained period of time.

(13) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the topic and explain the author's purpose in writing about the text.

(14) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) restate the main idea, heard or read;

(B) identify important facts or details in text, heard or read;

(D) use text features (e.g., title, tables of contents, illustrations) to locate specific information in text.

(15) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) follow written multi-step directions with picture cues to assist with understanding; and

(B) explain the meaning of specific signs and symbols (e.g., map features).

(16) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:

(A) recognize different purposes of media (e.g., informational, entertainment) (with adult assistance); and

(B) identify techniques used in media (e.g., sound, movement).

(17) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(A) plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing (e.g., drawing, sharing ideas, listing key ideas);

(B) develop drafts by sequencing ideas through writing sentences;

(D) edit drafts for grammar, punctuation, and spelling using a teacher-developed rubric; and

(E) publish and share writing with others.

(18) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) write brief stories that include a beginning, middle, and end; and

(B) write short poems that convey sensory details.

(19) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:

(A) write brief compositions about topics of interest to the student;

(B) write short letters that put ideas in a chronological or logical sequence and use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing); and

(20) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) understand and use the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) verbs (past, present, and future);

(ii) nouns (singular/plural, common/proper);

(iii) adjectives (e.g., descriptive: green, tall);

(iv) adverbs (e.g., time: before, next);

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases;

(vi) pronouns (e.g., I, me); and

(vii) time-order transition words;

(B) speak in complete sentences with correct subject-verb agreement; and

(21) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to:

(A) form upper- and lower-case letters legibly in text, using the basic conventions of print (left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression), including spacing between words and sentences;

(B) recognize and use basic capitalization for:

(i) the beginning of sentences;

(ii) the pronoun "I"; and

(iii) names of people; and

(22) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to:

(A) use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters to construct known words;

(B) use letter-sound patterns to spell:

(i) consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words;

(ii) consonant-vowel-consonant-silent e (CVCe) words (e.g., "hope"); and

(iii) one-syllable words with consonant blends (e.g., "drop");

(D) spell base words with inflectional endings (e.g., adding "s" to make words plurals); and

(E) use resources to find correct spellings.

(23) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to:

(A) generate a list of topics of class-wide interest and formulate open-ended questions about one or two of the topics; and

(B) decide what sources of information might be relevant to answer these questions.

(24) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to:

(A) gather evidence from available sources (natural and personal) as well as from interviews with local experts;

(B) use text features (e.g., table of contents, alphabetized index) in age-appropriate reference works (e.g., picture dictionaries) to locate information; and

(25) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to revise the topic as a result of answers to initial research questions.

(26) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to create a visual display or dramatization to convey the results of the research.

(27) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) listen attentively to speakers and ask relevant questions to clarify information; and

(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a short related sequence of actions.

(28) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to share information and ideas about the topic under discussion, speaking clearly at an appropriate pace, using the conventions of language.

(29) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to follow agreed-upon rules for discussion, including listening to others, speaking when recognized, and making appropriate contributions.

§110.13.English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The Reading strand is structured to reflect the major topic areas of the National Reading Panel Report. In second grade, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should write and read (or be read to) on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations at Grade 2 as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Print Awareness. Students understand how English is written and printed. Students are expected to distinguish features of a sentence (e.g., capitalization of first word, ending punctuation, commas, quotation marks).

(2) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Phonics. Students use the relationships between letters and sounds, spelling patterns, and morphological analysis to decode written English. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:

(A) decode multisyllabic words in context and independent of context by applying common letter-sound correspondences including:

(i) single letters (consonants and vowels);

(ii) consonant blends (e.g., thr, spl);

(iii) consonant digraphs (e.g., ng, ck, ph); and

(iv) vowel digraphs (e.g., ie, ue, ew) and diphthongs (e.g., oi, ou);

(B) use common syllabication patterns to decode words including:

(i) closed syllable (CVC) (e.g., pic-nic, mon-ster);

(ii) open syllable (CV) (e.g., ti-ger);

(iii) final stable syllable (e.g., sta-tion, tum-ble);

(iv) vowel-consonant-silent "e" words (VCe) (e.g., in-vite, cape);

(v) r-controlled vowels (e.g., per-fect, cor-ner); and

(vi) vowel digraphs and diphthongs (e.g., boy-hood, oat-meal);

(D) read words with common prefixes (e.g., un-, dis-) and suffixes (e.g., -ly, -less, -ful);

(E) identify and read abbreviations (e.g., Mr., Ave.);

(F) identify and read contractions (e.g., haven't, it's);

(G) identify and read at least 300 high-frequency words from a commonly used list; and

(H) monitor accuracy of decoding.

(3) Reading/Beginning Reading/Strategies. Students comprehend a variety of texts drawing on useful strategies as needed. Students are expected to:

(A) use ideas (e.g., illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words, and foreshadowing) to make and confirm predictions;

(B) ask relevant questions, seek clarification, and locate facts and details about stories and other texts and support answers with evidence from text; and

(4) Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. Students are expected to read aloud grade-level appropriate text with fluency (rate, accuracy, expression, appropriate phrasing) and comprehension.

(5) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) use prefixes and suffixes to determine the meaning of words (e.g., allow/disallow);

(B) use context to determine the relevant meaning of unfamiliar words or multiple-meaning words;

(D) alphabetize a series of words and use a dictionary or a glossary to find words.

(A) identify moral lessons as themes in well-known fables, legends, myths, or stories; and

(B) compare different versions of the same story in traditional and contemporary folktales with respect to their characters, settings, and plot.

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to describe how rhyme, rhythm, and repetition interact to create images in poetry.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the elements of dialogue and use them in informal plays.

(A) describe similarities and differences in the plots and settings of several works by the same author; and

(B) describe main characters in works of fiction, including their traits, motivations, and feelings.

(14) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about and understand expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) identify the main idea in a text and distinguish it from the topic;

(B) locate the facts that are clearly stated in a text;

(D) use text features (e.g., table of contents, index, headings) to locate specific information in text.

(15) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Text. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) follow written multi-step directions; and

(B) use common graphic features to assist in the interpretation of text (e.g., captions, illustrations).

(A) recognize different purposes of media (e.g., informational, entertainment);

(B) describe techniques used to create media messages (e.g., sound, graphics); and

(17) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(A) plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing (e.g., drawing, sharing ideas, listing key ideas);

(B) develop drafts by sequencing ideas through writing sentences;

(D) edit drafts for grammar, punctuation, and spelling using a teacher-developed rubric; and

(E) publish and share writing with others.

(18) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) write brief stories that include a beginning, middle, and end; and

(B) write short poems that convey sensory details.

(A) write brief compositions about topics of interest to the student;

(B) write short letters that put ideas in a chronological or logical sequence and use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing); and

(20) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write persuasive statements about issues that are important to the student for the appropriate audience in the school, home, or local community.

(21) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) understand and use the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) verbs (past, present, and future);

(ii) nouns (singular/plural, common/proper);

(iii) adjectives (e.g., descriptive: old, wonderful; articles: a, an, the);

(iv) adverbs (e.g., time: before, next; manner: carefully, beautifully);

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases;

(vi) pronouns (e.g., he, him); and

(vii) time-order transition words;

(B) use complete sentences with correct subject-verb agreement; and

(22) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to:

(A) write legibly leaving appropriate margins for readability;

(B) use capitalization for:

(i) proper nouns;

(ii) months and days of the week; and

(iii) the salutation and closing of a letter; and

(i) ending punctuation in sentences;

(ii) apostrophes and contractions; and

(iii) apostrophes and possessives.

(23) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to:

(A) use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters to construct unknown words;

(B) spell words with common orthographic patterns and rules:

(i) complex consonants (e.g., hard and soft c and g, ck);

(ii) r-controlled vowels;

(iii) long vowels (e.g., VCe-hope); and

(iv) vowel digraphs (e.g., oo-book, fool, ee-feet), diphthongs (e.g., ou-out, ow-cow, oi-coil, oy-toy);

(D) spell base words with inflectional endings (e.g., -ing and -ed);

(E) spell simple contractions (e.g., isn't, aren't, can't); and

(F) use resources to find correct spellings.

(24) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A) generate a list of topics of class-wide interest and formulate open-ended questions about one or two of the topics; and

(B) decide what sources of information might be relevant to answer these questions.

(25) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students are expected to:

(A) gather evidence from available sources (natural and personal) as well as from interviews with local experts;

(B) use text features (e.g., table of contents, alphabetized index, headings) in age-appropriate reference works (e.g., picture dictionaries) to locate information; and

(26) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to revise the topic as a result of answers to initial research questions.

(27) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students (with adult assistance) are expected to create a visual display or dramatization to convey the results of the research.

(28) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) listen attentively to speakers and ask relevant questions to clarify information; and

(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a short related sequence of actions.

(29) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to share information and ideas that focus on the topic under discussion, speaking clearly at an appropriate pace, using the conventions of language.

(30) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to follow agreed-upon rules for discussion, including listening to others, speaking when recognized, and making appropriate contributions.

§110.14.English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 3, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In third grade, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations at Grade 3 as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Phonics. Students use the relationships between letters and sounds, spelling patterns, and morphological analysis to decode written English. Students are expected to:

(A) decode multisyllabic words in context and independent of context by applying common spelling patterns including:

(i) dropping the final "e" and add endings such as -ing, -ed, or -able (e.g., use, using, used, usable);

(ii) doubling final consonants when adding an ending (e.g., hop to hopping);

(iii) changing the final "y" to "i" (e.g., baby to babies);

(iv) using knowledge of common prefixes and suffixes (e.g., dis-, -ly); and

(v) using knowledge of derivational affixes (e.g., -de, -ful, -able);

(B) use common syllabication patterns to decode words including:

(i) closed syllable (CVC) (e.g., mag-net, splen-did);

(ii) open syllable (CV) (e.g., ve-to);

(iii) final stable syllable (e.g., puz-zle, con-trac-tion);

(iv) r-controlled vowels (e.g., fer-ment, car-pool); and

(v) vowel digraphs and diphthongs (e.g., ei-ther);

(D) identify and read contractions (e.g., I'd, won't); and

(E) monitor accuracy in decoding.

(2) Reading/Beginning Reading/Strategies. Students comprehend a variety of texts drawing on useful strategies as needed. Students are expected to:

(A) use ideas (e.g., illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words, and foreshadowing clues) to make and confirm predictions;

(B) ask relevant questions, seek clarification, and locate facts and details about stories and other texts and support answers with evidence from text; and

(3) Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. Students are expected to read aloud grade-level appropriate text with fluency (rate, accuracy, expression, appropriate phrasing) and comprehension.

(4) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) identify the meaning of common prefixes (e.g., in-, dis-) and suffixes (e.g., -full, -less), and know how they change the meaning of roots;

(B) use context to determine the relevant meaning of unfamiliar words or distinguish among multiple meaning words and homographs;

(D) identify and apply playful uses of language (e.g., tongue twisters, palindromes, riddles); and

(E) alphabetize a series of words to the third letter and use a dictionary or a glossary to determine the meanings, syllabication, and pronunciation of unknown words.

(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) paraphrase the themes and supporting details of fables, legends, myths, or stories; and

(B) compare and contrast the settings in myths and traditional folktales.

(6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to describe the characteristics of various forms of poetry and how they create imagery (e.g., narrative poetry, lyrical poetry, humorous poetry, free verse).

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the elements of plot and character as presented through dialogue in scripts that are read, viewed, written, or performed.

(A) sequence and summarize the plot's main events and explain their influence on future events;

(B) describe the interaction of characters including their relationships and the changes they undergo; and

(9) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and respond by providing evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the difference in point of view between a biography and autobiography.

(10) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify language that creates a graphic visual experience and appeals to the senses.

(11) Reading/Comprehension of Text/Independent Reading. Students read independently for sustained periods of time and produce evidence of their reading. Students are expected to read independently for a sustained period of time and paraphrase what the reading was about, maintaining meaning and logical order (e.g., generate a reading log or journal; participate in book talks).

(12) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the topic and locate the author's stated purposes in writing the text.

(13) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) identify the details or facts that support the main idea;

(B) draw conclusions from the facts presented in text and support those assertions with textual evidence;

(D) use text features (e.g., bold print, captions, key words, italics) to locate information and make and verify predictions about contents of text.

(14) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to identify what the author is trying to persuade the reader to think or do.

(15) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) follow and explain a set of written multi-step directions; and

(B) locate and use specific information in graphic features of text.

(16) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:

(A) understand how communication changes when moving from one genre of media to another;

(B) explain how various design techniques used in media influence the message (e.g., shape, color, sound); and

(C) compare various written conventions used for digital media (e.g., language in an informal e-mail vs. language in a web-based news article).

(17) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(A) plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for conveying the intended meaning to an audience and generating ideas through a range of strategies (e.g., brainstorming, graphic organizers, logs, journals);

(B) develop drafts by categorizing ideas and organizing them into paragraphs;

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling using a teacher-developed rubric; and

(E) publish written work for a specific audience.

(18) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) write imaginative stories that build the plot to a climax and contain details about the characters and setting; and

(B) write poems that convey sensory details using the conventions of poetry (e.g., rhyme, meter, patterns of verse).

(19) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write about important personal experiences.

(20) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:

(A) create brief compositions that:

(i) establish a central idea in a topic sentence;

(ii) include supporting sentences with simple facts, details, and explanations; and

(iii) contain a concluding statement;

(B) write letters whose language is tailored to the audience and purpose (e.g., a thank you note to a friend) and that use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing); and

(21) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write persuasive essays for appropriate audiences that establish a position and use supporting details.

(22) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) verbs (past, present, and future);

(ii) nouns (singular/plural, common/proper);

(iii) adjectives (e.g., descriptive: wooden, rectangular; limiting: this, that; articles: a, an, the);

(iv) adverbs (e.g., time: before, next; manner: carefully, beautifully);

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases;

(vi) possessive pronouns (e.g., his, hers, theirs);

(vii) coordinating conjunctions (e.g., and, or, but); and

(viii) time-order transition words and transitions that indicate a conclusion;

(B) use the complete subject and the complete predicate in a sentence; and

(23) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to:

(A) write legibly in cursive script with spacing between words in a sentence;

(B) use capitalization for:

(i) geographical names and places;

(ii) historical periods; and

(iii) official titles of people;

(i) apostrophes in contractions and possessives; and

(ii) commas in series and dates; and

(D) use correct mechanics including paragraph indentations.

(24) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to:

(A) use knowledge of letter sounds, word parts, word segmentation, and syllabication to spell;

(B) spell words with more advanced orthographic patterns and rules:

(i) consonant doubling when adding an ending;

(ii) dropping final "e" when endings are added (e.g., -ing, -ed);

(iii) changing y to i before adding an ending;

(iv) double consonants in middle of words;

(v) complex consonants (e.g., scr-, -dge, -tch); and

(vi) abstract vowels (e.g., ou as in could, touch, through, bought);

(D) spell words with common syllable constructions (e.g., closed, open, final stable syllable);

(E) spell single syllable homophones (e.g., bear/bare; week/weak; road/rode);

(F) spell complex contractions (e.g., should've, won't); and

(G) use print and electronic resources to find and check correct spellings.

(25) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A) generate research topics from personal interests or by brainstorming with others, narrow to one topic, and formulate open-ended questions about the major research topic; and

(B) generate a research plan for gathering relevant information (e.g., surveys, interviews, encyclopedias) about the major research question.

(26) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students are expected to:

(A) follow the research plan to collect information from multiple sources of information, both oral and written, including:

(i) student-initiated surveys, on-site inspections, and interviews;

(ii) data from experts, reference texts, and online searches; and

(iii) visual sources of information (e.g., maps, timelines, graphs) where appropriate;

(B) use skimming and scanning techniques to identify data by looking at text features (e.g., bold print, captions, key words, italics);

(D) identify the author, title, publisher, and publication year of sources; and

(E) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing valid and reliable sources.

(27) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to improve the focus of research as a result of consulting expert sources (e.g., reference librarians and local experts on the topic).

(28) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to draw conclusions through a brief written explanation and create a works-cited page from notes, including the author, title, publisher, and publication year for each source used.

(29) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) listen attentively to speakers, ask relevant questions, and make pertinent comments; and

(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a series of related sequences of action.

(30) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to speak coherently about the topic under discussion, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, and the conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

(31) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate in teacher- and student-led discussions by posing and answering questions with appropriate detail and by providing suggestions that build upon the ideas of others.

§110.15.English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In fourth grade, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations at Grade 4 as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. Students are expected to read aloud grade-level stories with fluency (rate, accuracy, expression, appropriate phrasing) and comprehension.

(2) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;

(B) use the context of the sentence (e.g., in-sentence example or definition) to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or multiple meaning words;

(C) complete analogies using knowledge of antonyms and synonyms (e.g., boy:girl as male:____ or girl:woman as boy:_____);

(D) identify the meaning of common idioms; and

(E) use a dictionary or glossary to determine the meanings, syllabication, and pronunciation of unknown words.

(3) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) summarize and explain the lesson or message of a work of fiction as its theme; and

(B) compare and contrast the adventures or exploits of characters (e.g., the trickster) in traditional and classical literature.

(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how the structural elements of poetry (e.g., rhyme, meter, stanzas, line breaks) relate to form (e.g., lyrical poetry, free verse).

(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to describe the structural elements particular to dramatic literature.

(6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) sequence and summarize the plot's main events and explain their influence on future events;

(B) describe the interaction of characters including their relationships and the changes they undergo; and

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify similarities and differences between the events and characters' experiences in a fictional work and the actual events and experiences described in an author's biography or autobiography.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the author's use of similes and metaphors to produce imagery.

(9) Reading/Comprehension of Text/Independent Reading. Students read independently for sustained periods of time and produce evidence of their reading. Students are expected to read independently for a sustained period of time and paraphrase what the reading was about, maintaining meaning and logical order (e.g., generate a reading log or journal; participate in book talks).

(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the difference between a stated and an implied purpose for an expository text.

(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) summarize the main idea and supporting details in text in ways that maintain meaning;

(B) distinguish fact from opinion in a text and explain how to verify what is a fact;

(C) describe explicit and implicit relationships among ideas in texts organized by cause-and-effect, sequence, or comparison; and

(D) use multiple text features (e.g., guide words, topic and concluding sentences) to gain an overview of the contents of text and to locate information.

(12) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to explain how an author uses language to present information to influence what the reader thinks or does.

(13) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) determine the sequence of activities needed to carry out a procedure (e.g., following a recipe); and

(B) explain factual information presented graphically (e.g., charts, diagrams, graphs, illustrations).

(14) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:

(A) explain the positive and negative impacts of advertisement techniques used in various genres of media to impact consumer behavior;

(B) explain how various design techniques used in media influence the message (e.g., pacing, close-ups, sound effects); and

(C) compare various written conventions used for digital media (e.g. language in an informal e-mail vs. language in a web-based news article).

(15) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(B) develop drafts by categorizing ideas and organizing them into paragraphs;

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling using a teacher-developed rubric; and

(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for a specific audience.

(16) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) write imaginative stories that build the plot to a climax and contain details about the characters and setting; and

(B) write poems that convey sensory details using the conventions of poetry (e.g., rhyme, meter, patterns of verse).

(17) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write about important personal experiences.

(18) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:

(A) create brief compositions that:

(i) establish a central idea in a topic sentence;

(ii) include supporting sentences with simple facts, details, and explanations; and

(iii) contain a concluding statement;

(B) write letters whose language is tailored to the audience and purpose (e.g., a thank you note to a friend) and that use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing); and

(19) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write persuasive essays for appropriate audiences that establish a position and use supporting details.

(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) verbs (irregular verbs);

(ii) nouns (singular/plural, common/proper);

(iii) adjectives (e.g., descriptive, including purpose: sleeping bag, frying pan) and their comparative and superlative forms (e.g., fast, faster, fastest);

(iv) adverbs (e.g., frequency: usually, sometimes; intensity: almost, a lot);

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases to convey location, time, direction, or to provide details;

(vi) reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves);

(vii) correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor); and

(viii) use time-order transition words and transitions that indicate a conclusion;

(B) use the complete subject and the complete predicate in a sentence; and

(A) write legibly by selecting cursive script or manuscript printing as appropriate;

(B) use capitalization for:

(i) historical events and documents;

(ii) titles of books, stories, and essays; and

(iii) languages, races, and nationalities; and

(i) commas in compound sentences; and

(ii) quotation marks.

(22) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to:

(A) spell words with more advanced orthographic patterns and rules:

(i) plural rules (e.g., words ending in f as in leaf, leaves; adding -es);

(ii) irregular plurals (e.g., man/men, foot/feet, child/children);

(iii) double consonants in middle of words;

(iv) other ways to spell sh (e.g., -sion, -tion, -cian); and

(v) silent letters (e.g., knee, wring);

(B) spell base words and roots with affixes (e.g., -ion, -ment, -ly, dis-, pre-);

(D) use spelling patterns and rules and print and electronic resources to determine and check correct spellings.

(23) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A) generate research topics from personal interests or by brainstorming with others, narrow to one topic, and formulate open-ended questions about the major research topic; and

(B) generate a research plan for gathering relevant information (e.g., surveys, interviews, encyclopedias) about the major research question.

(A) follow the research plan to collect information from multiple sources of information both oral and written, including:

(i) student-initiated surveys, on-site inspections, and interviews;

(ii) data from experts, reference texts, and online searches; and

(iii) visual sources of information (e.g., maps, timelines, graphs) where appropriate;

(B) use skimming and scanning techniques to identify data by looking at text features (e.g., bold print, italics);

(D) identify the author, title, publisher, and publication year of sources; and

(E) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing valid and reliable sources.

(25) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to improve the focus of research as a result of consulting expert sources (e.g., reference librarians and local experts on the topic).

(26) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to draw conclusions through a brief written explanation and create a works-cited page from notes, including the author, title, publisher, and publication year for each source used.

(A) listen attentively to speakers, ask relevant questions, and make pertinent comments; and

(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a series of related sequences of action.

(28) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to express an opinion supported by accurate information, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, and enunciation, and the conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

(29) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate in teacher- and student-led discussions by posing and answering questions with appropriate detail and by providing suggestions that build upon the ideas of others.

§110.16.English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 5, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In fifth grade, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations at Grade 5 as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(2) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;

(B) use context (e.g., in-sentence restatement) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words;

(D) identify and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and other sayings; and

(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words.

(A) compare and contrast the themes or moral lessons of several works of fiction from various cultures;

(B) describe the phenomena explained in origin myths from various cultures; and

(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze how poets use sound effects (e.g., alliteration, internal rhyme, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme) to reinforce meaning in poems.

(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze the similarities and differences between an original text and its dramatic adaptation.

(A) describe incidents that advance the story or novel, explaining how each incident gives rise to or foreshadows future events;

(B) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and conflicts; and

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the literary language and devices used in biographies and autobiographies, including how authors present major events in a person's life.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to evaluate the impact of sensory details, imagery, and figurative language in literary text.

(9) Reading/Comprehension of Text/Independent Reading. Students read independently for sustained periods of time and produce evidence of their reading. Students are expected to read independently for a sustained period of time and summarize or paraphrase what the reading was about, maintaining meaning and logical order (e.g., generate a reading log or journal; participate in book talks).

(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to draw conclusions from the information presented by an author and evaluate how well the author's purpose was achieved.

(A) summarize the main ideas and supporting details in a text in ways that maintain meaning and logical order;

(B) determine the facts in text and verify them through established methods;

(C) analyze how the organizational pattern of a text (e.g., cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, sequential order, logical order, classification schemes) influences the relationships among the ideas;

(D) use multiple text features and graphics to gain an overview of the contents of text and to locate information; and

(E) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres.

(A) identify the author's viewpoint or position and explain the basic relationships among ideas (e.g., parallelism, comparison, causality) in the argument; and

(B) recognize exaggerated, contradictory, or misleading statements in text.

(13) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) interpret details from procedural text to complete a task, solve a problem, or perform procedures; and

(B) interpret factual or quantitative information presented in maps, charts, illustrations, graphs, timelines, tables, and diagrams.

(A) explain how messages conveyed in various forms of media are presented differently (e.g., documentaries, online information, televised news);

(B) consider the difference in techniques used in media (e.g., commercials, documentaries, news);

(D) analyze various digital media venues for levels of formality and informality.

(15) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(A) plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for conveying the intended meaning to an audience, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background reading, personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;

(B) develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of events, cause-effect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing;

(C) revise drafts to clarify meaning, enhance style, include simple and compound sentences, and improve transitions by adding, deleting, combining, and rearranging sentences or larger units of text after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and

(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for appropriate audiences.

(16) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) write imaginative stories that include:

(i) a clearly defined focus, plot, and point of view;

(ii) a specific, believable setting created through the use of sensory details; and

(iii) dialogue that develops the story; and

(B) write poems using:

(i) poetic techniques (e.g., alliteration, onomatopoeia);

(ii) figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors); and

(iii) graphic elements (e.g., capital letters, line length).

(17) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a personal narrative that conveys thoughts and feelings about an experience.

(A) create multi-paragraph essays to convey information about the topic that:

(i) present effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;

(ii) guide and inform the reader's understanding of key ideas and evidence;

(iii) include specific facts, details, and examples in an appropriately organized structure; and

(iv) use a variety of sentence structures and transitions to link paragraphs;

(B) write formal and informal letters that convey ideas, include important information, demonstrate a sense of closure, and use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing); and

(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) verbs (irregular verbs and active voice);

(ii) collective nouns (e.g., class, public);

(iii) adjectives (e.g., descriptive, including origins: French windows, American cars) and their comparative and superlative forms (e.g., good, better, best);

(iv) adverbs (e.g., frequency: usually, sometimes; intensity: almost, a lot);

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases to convey location, time, direction, or to provide details;

(vi) indefinite pronouns (e.g., all, both, nothing, anything);

(vii) subordinating conjunctions (e.g., while, because, although, if); and

(viii) transitional words (e.g., also, therefore);

(B) use the complete subject and the complete predicate in a sentence; and

(A) use capitalization for:

(i) abbreviations;

(ii) initials and acronyms; and

(iii) organizations;

(B) recognize and use punctuation marks including:

(i) commas in compound sentences; and

(ii) proper punctuation and spacing for quotations; and

(22) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to:

(A) spell words with more advanced orthographic patterns and rules:

(i) consonant changes (e.g.,/t/ to/sh/ in select, selection;/k/ to/sh/ in music, musician);

(ii) vowel changes (e.g., long to short in crime, criminal; long to schwa in define, definition; short to schwa in legality, legal); and

(iii) silent and sounded consonants (e.g., haste, hasten; sign, signal; condemn, condemnation);

(B) spell words with:

(i) Greek Roots (e.g., tele, photo, graph, meter);

(ii) Latin Roots (e.g., spec, scrib, rupt, port, ject, dict);

(iii) Greek suffixes (e.g., -ology, -phobia, -ism, -ist); and

(iv) Latin derived suffixes (e.g., -able, -ible; -ance, -ence);

(D) use spelling patterns and rules and print and electronic resources to determine and check correct spellings; and

(E) know how to use the spell-check function in word processing while understanding its limitations.

(23) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A) brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate open-ended questions to address the major research topic; and

(B) generate a research plan for gathering relevant information about the major research question.

(A) follow the research plan to collect data from a range of print and electronic resources (e.g., reference texts, periodicals, web pages, online sources) and data from experts;

(B) differentiate between primary and secondary sources;

(C) record data, utilizing available technology (e.g., word processors) in order to see the relationships between ideas, and convert graphic/visual data (e.g., charts, diagrams, timelines) into written notes;

(D) identify the source of notes (e.g., author, title, page number) and record bibliographic information concerning those sources according to a standard format; and

(E) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing valid and reliable sources.

(25) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to:

(A) refine the major research question, if necessary, guided by the answers to a secondary set of questions; and

(B) evaluate the relevance, validity, and reliability of sources for the research.

(26) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to synthesize the research into a written or an oral presentation that:

(A) compiles important information from multiple sources;

(B) develops a topic sentence, summarizes findings, and uses evidence to support conclusions;

(D) uses quotations to support ideas and an appropriate form of documentation to acknowledge sources (e.g., bibliography, works cited).

(A) listen to and interpret a speaker's messages (both verbal and nonverbal) and ask questions to clarify the speaker's purpose or perspective;

(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that include multiple action steps; and

(28) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give organized presentations employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

(29) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members and by identifying points of agreement and disagreement.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on August 15, 2008.

TRD-200804406

Cristina De La Fuente-Valadez

Director, Policy Coordination

Texas Education Agency

Effective date: September 4, 2008

Proposal publication date: April 18, 2008

For further information, please call: (512) 475-1497

SUBCHAPTER B. MIDDLE SCHOOL

19 TAC §§110.17 - 110.21

The new sections and amendment are adopted under the Texas Education Code, §7.102(c)(4), which authorizes the SBOE to establish curriculum and graduation requirements, and §28.002, which authorizes the SBOE to 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 and addressed on the assessment instruments.

The new sections and amendment implement the Texas Education Code, §7.102(c)(4) and §28.002.

§110.17.Implementation of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Middle School, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) The provisions of §§110.18 - 110.20 of this subchapter shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2009-2010 school year and at that time shall supersede §§110.22 - 110.24 of this subchapter.

Figure: 19 TAC §110.17(b) (.pdf)

§110.18.English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In sixth grade, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations at Grade 6 as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. Students are expected to adjust fluency when reading aloud grade-level text based on the reading purpose and the nature of the text.

(2) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;

(B) use context (e.g., cause and effect or compare and contrast organizational text structures) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words;

(C) complete analogies that describe part to whole or whole to part (e.g., ink:pen as page: ____ or pen:ink as book: _____);

(D) explain the meaning of foreign words and phrases commonly used in written English (e.g., RSVP, que sera sera); and

(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words.

(A) infer the implicit theme of a work of fiction, distinguishing theme from the topic;

(B) analyze the function of stylistic elements (e.g., magic helper, rule of three) in traditional and classical literature from various cultures; and

(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how figurative language (e.g., personification, metaphors, similes, hyperbole) contributes to the meaning of a poem.

(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the similarities and differences in the setting, characters, and plot of a play and those in a film based upon the same story line.

(A) summarize the elements of plot development (e.g., rising action, turning point, climax, falling action, denouement) in various works of fiction;

(B) recognize dialect and conversational voice and explain how authors use dialect to convey character; and

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the literary language and devices used in memoirs and personal narratives and compare their characteristics with those of an autobiography.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how authors create meaning through stylistic elements and figurative language emphasizing the use of personification, hyperbole, and refrains.

(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) summarize the main ideas and supporting details in text, demonstrating an understanding that a summary does not include opinions;

(B) explain whether facts included in an argument are used for or against an issue;

(C) explain how different organizational patterns (e.g., proposition-and-support, problem-and-solution) develop the main idea and the author's viewpoint; and

(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres.

(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to:

(A) compare and contrast the structure and viewpoints of two different authors writing for the same purpose, noting the stated claim and supporting evidence; and

(B) identify simply faulty reasoning used in persuasive texts.

(12) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) follow multi-tasked instructions to complete a task, solve a problem, or perform procedures; and

(B) interpret factual, quantitative, or technical information presented in maps, charts, illustrations, graphs, timelines, tables, and diagrams.

(13) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:

(A) explain messages conveyed in various forms of media;

(B) recognize how various techniques influence viewers' emotions;

(D) analyze various digital media venues for levels of formality and informality.

(14) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and

(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for appropriate audiences.

(15) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) write imaginative stories that include:

(i) a clearly defined focus, plot, and point of view;

(ii) a specific, believable setting created through the use of sensory details; and

(iii) dialogue that develops the story; and

(B) write poems using:

(i) poetic techniques (e.g., alliteration, onomatopoeia);

(ii) figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors); and

(iii) graphic elements (e.g., capital letters, line length).

(16) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and communicates the importance of or reasons for actions and/or consequences.

(17) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:

(A) create multi-paragraph essays to convey information about a topic that:

(i) present effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;

(ii) guide and inform the reader's understanding of key ideas and evidence;

(iii) include specific facts, details, and examples in an appropriately organized structure; and

(iv) use a variety of sentence structures and transitions to link paragraphs;

(B) write informal letters that convey ideas, include important information, demonstrate a sense of closure, and use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing);

(D) produce a multimedia presentation involving text and graphics using available technology.

(18) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write persuasive essays for appropriate audiences that establish a position and include sound reasoning, detailed and relevant evidence, and consideration of alternatives.

(19) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) verbs (irregular verbs and active and passive voice);

(ii) non-count nouns (e.g., rice, paper);

(iii) predicate adjectives (She is intelligent .) and their comparative and superlative forms (e.g., many, more, most);

(iv) conjunctive adverbs (e.g., consequently, furthermore, indeed);

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases to convey location, time, direction, or to provide details;

(vi) indefinite pronouns (e.g., all, both, nothing, anything);

(vii) subordinating conjunctions (e.g., while, because, although, if); and

(viii) transitional words and phrases that demonstrate an understanding of the function of the transition related to the organization of the writing (e.g., on the contrary, in addition to);

(B) differentiate between the active and passive voice and know how to use them both; and

(20) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to:

(A) use capitalization for:

(i) abbreviations;

(ii) initials and acronyms; and

(iii) organizations;

(B) recognize and use punctuation marks including:

(i) commas in compound sentences;

(ii) proper punctuation and spacing for quotations; and

(iii) parentheses, brackets, and ellipses (to indicate omissions and interruptions or incomplete statements); and

(21) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to:

(A) differentiate between commonly confused terms (e.g., its, it's; affect, effect);

(B) use spelling patterns and rules and print and electronic resources to determine and check correct spellings; and

(22) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A) brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate open-ended questions to address the major research topic; and

(B) generate a research plan for gathering relevant information about the major research question.

(23) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students are expected to:

(A) follow the research plan to collect data from a range of print and electronic resources (e.g., reference texts, periodicals, web pages, online sources) and data from experts;

(B) differentiate between primary and secondary sources;

(D) identify the source of notes (e.g., author, title, page number) and record bibliographic information concerning those sources according to a standard format; and

(E) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing valid and reliable sources.

(24) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to:

(A) refine the major research question, if necessary, guided by the answers to a secondary set of questions; and

(B) evaluate the relevance and reliability of sources for the research.

(25) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to synthesize the research into a written or an oral presentation that:

(A) compiles important information from multiple sources;

(B) develops a topic sentence, summarizes findings, and uses evidence to support conclusions;

(D) uses quotations to support ideas and an appropriate form of documentation to acknowledge sources (e.g., bibliography, works cited).

(26) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) listen to and interpret a speaker's messages (both verbal and nonverbal) and ask questions to clarify the speaker's purpose and perspective;

(B) follow and give oral instructions that include multiple action steps; and

(27) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give an organized presentation with a specific point of view, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

(28) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members and by identifying points of agreement and disagreement.

§110.19.English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 7, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In seventh grade, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations at Grade 7 as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(2) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;

(B) use context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or ambiguous words;

(D) identify the meaning of foreign words commonly used in written English with emphasis on Latin and Greek words (e.g., habeus corpus, e pluribus unum, bona fide, nemesis); and

(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words.

(A) describe multiple themes in a work of fiction;

(B) describe conventions in myths and epic tales (e.g., extended simile, the quest, the hero's tasks, circle stories); and

(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze the importance of graphical elements (e.g., capital letters, line length, word position) on the meaning of a poem.

(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain a playwright's use of dialogue and stage directions.

(A) explain the influence of the setting on plot development;

(B) analyze the development of the plot through the internal and external responses of the characters, including their motivations and conflicts; and

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to describe the structural and substantive differences between an autobiography or a diary and a fictional adaptation of it.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to determine the figurative meaning of phrases and analyze how an author's use of language creates imagery, appeals to the senses, and suggests mood.

(A) evaluate a summary of the original text for accuracy of the main ideas, supporting details, and overall meaning;

(B) distinguish factual claims from commonplace assertions and opinions;

(C) use different organizational patterns as guides for summarizing and forming an overview of different kinds of expository text; and

(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres, and support those findings with textual evidence.

(A) analyze the structure of the central argument in contemporary policy speeches (e.g., argument by cause and effect, analogy, authority) and identify the different types of evidence used to support the argument; and

(B) identify such rhetorical fallacies as ad hominem, exaggeration, stereotyping, or categorical claims in persuasive texts.

(12) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) follow multi-dimensional instructions from text to complete a task, solve a problem, or perform procedures; and

(B) explain the function of the graphical components of a text.

(A) interpret both explicit and implicit messages in various forms of media;

(B) interpret how visual and sound techniques (e.g., special effects, camera angles, lighting, music) influence the message;

(D) assess the correct level of formality and tone for successful participation in various digital media.

(14) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(C) revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point of view; use of simple, compound, and complex sentences; internal and external coherence; and the use of effective transitions after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and

(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for appropriate audiences.

(15) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) write an imaginative story that:

(i) sustains reader interest;

(ii) includes well-paced action and an engaging story line;

(iii) creates a specific, believable setting through the use of sensory details;

(iv) develops interesting characters; and

(v) uses a range of literary strategies and devices to enhance the style and tone; and

(B) write a poem using:

(i) poetic techniques (e.g., rhyme scheme, meter);

(ii) figurative language (e.g., personification, idioms, hyperbole); and

(iii) graphic elements (e.g., word position).

(A) write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that:

(i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;

(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea;

(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no extraneous information or inconsistencies;

(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; and

(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs;

(B) write a letter that reflects an opinion, registers a complaint, or requests information in a business or friendly context;

(C) write responses to literary or expository texts that demonstrate the writing skills for multi-paragraph essays and provide sustained evidence from the text using quotations when appropriate; and

(D) produce a multimedia presentation involving text and graphics using available technology.

(A) establishes a clear thesis or position;

(B) considers and responds to the views of others and anticipates and answers reader concerns and counter-arguments; and

(C) includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author's viewpoint and that differentiates between fact and opinion.

(A) identify, use, and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) verbs (perfect and progressive tenses) and participles;

(ii) appositive phrases;

(iii) adverbial and adjectival phrases and clauses;

(iv) conjunctive adverbs (e.g., consequently, furthermore, indeed);

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb agreement;

(vi) relative pronouns (e.g., whose, that, which);

(vii) subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, since); and

(viii) transitions for sentence to sentence or paragraph to paragraph coherence;

(B) write complex sentences and differentiate between main versus subordinate clauses; and

(C) use a variety of complete sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex) that include properly placed modifiers, correctly identified antecedents, parallel structures, and consistent tenses.

(A) use conventions of capitalization; and

(B) recognize and use punctuation marks including:

(i) commas after introductory words, phrases, and clauses; and

(ii) semicolons, colons, and hyphens.

(21) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct spellings.

(22) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A) brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate a major research question to address the major research topic; and

(B) apply steps for obtaining and evaluating information from a wide variety of sources and create a written plan after preliminary research in reference works and additional text searches.

(A) follow the research plan to gather information from a range of relevant print and electronic sources using advanced search strategies;

(B) categorize information thematically in order to see the larger constructs inherent in the information;

(C) record bibliographic information (e.g., author, title, page number) for all notes and sources according to a standard format; and

(D) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing valid and reliable sources.

(24) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to:

(A) narrow or broaden the major research question, if necessary, based on further research and investigation; and

(B) utilize elements that demonstrate the reliability and validity of the sources used (e.g., publication date, coverage, language, point of view) and explain why one source is more useful than another.

(A) draws conclusions and summarizes or paraphrases the findings in a systematic way;

(B) marshals evidence to explain the topic and gives relevant reasons for conclusions;

(D) follows accepted formats for integrating quotations and citations into the written text to maintain a flow of ideas.

(A) listen to and interpret a speaker's purpose by explaining the content, evaluating the delivery of the presentation, and asking questions or making comments about the evidence that supports a speaker's claims;

(B) follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions, or solve problems; and

(C) draw conclusions about the speaker's message by considering verbal communication (e.g., word choice, tone) and nonverbal cues (e.g., posture, gestures, facial expressions).

(27) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to present a critique of a literary work, film, or dramatic production, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, a variety of natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

(28) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in discussions, plan agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues.

§110.20.English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In eighth grade, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations at Grade 8 as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(2) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;

(B) use context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or ambiguous words or words with novel meanings;

(C) complete analogies that describe a function or its description (e.g., pen:paper as chalk: ______ or soft:kitten as hard: ______);

(D) identify common words or word parts from other languages that are used in written English (e.g., phenomenon, charisma, chorus, passé, flora, fauna); and

(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words.

(3) Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) analyze literary works that share similar themes across cultures;

(B) compare and contrast the similarities and differences in mythologies from various cultures (e.g., ideas of afterlife, roles and characteristics of deities, purposes of myths); and

(C) explain how the values and beliefs of particular characters are affected by the historical and cultural setting of the literary work.

(4) Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to compare and contrast the relationship between the purpose and characteristics of different poetic forms (e.g., epic poetry, lyric poetry).

(5) Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze how different playwrights characterize their protagonists and antagonists through the dialogue and staging of their plays.

(6) Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) analyze linear plot developments (e.g., conflict, rising action, falling action, resolution, subplots) to determine whether and how conflicts are resolved;

(B) analyze how the central characters' qualities influence the theme of a fictional work and resolution of the central conflict; and

(7) Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze passages in well-known speeches for the author's use of literary devices and word and phrase choice (e.g., aphorisms, epigraphs) to appeal to the audience.

(8) Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the effect of similes and extended metaphors in literary text.

(9) Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze works written on the same topic and compare how the authors achieved similar or different purposes.

(10) Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) summarize the main ideas, supporting details, and relationships among ideas in text succinctly in ways that maintain meaning and logical order;

(B) distinguish factual claims from commonplace assertions and opinions and evaluate inferences from their logic in text;

(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres and support those findings with textual evidence.

(11) Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to:

(A) compare and contrast persuasive texts that reached different conclusions about the same issue and explain how the authors reached their conclusions through analyzing the evidence each presents; and

(B) analyze the use of such rhetorical and logical fallacies as loaded terms, caricatures, leading questions, false assumptions, and incorrect premises in persuasive texts.

(12) Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) analyze text for missing or extraneous information in multi-step directions or legends for diagrams; and

(B) evaluate graphics for their clarity in communicating meaning or achieving a specific purpose.

(A) evaluate the role of media in focusing attention on events and informing opinion on issues;

(B) interpret how visual and sound techniques (e.g., special effects, camera angles, lighting, music) influence the message;

(D) assess the correct level of formality and tone for successful participation in various digital media.

(14) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and

(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for appropriate audiences.

(15) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A) write an imaginative story that:

(i) sustains reader interest;

(ii) includes well-paced action and an engaging story line;

(iii) creates a specific, believable setting through the use of sensory details;

(iv) develops interesting characters; and

(v) uses a range of literary strategies and devices to enhance the style and tone; and

(B) write a poem using:

(i) poetic techniques (e.g., rhyme scheme, meter);

(ii) figurative language (e.g., personification, idioms, hyperbole); and

(iii) graphic elements (e.g., word position).

(16) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and includes reflections on decisions, actions, and/or consequences.

(A) write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that:

(i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;

(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea;

(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no extraneous information or inconsistencies;

(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; and

(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs;

(B) write a letter that reflects an opinion, registers a complaint, or requests information in a business or friendly context;

(C) write responses to literary or expository texts that demonstrate the use of writing skills for a multi-paragraph essay and provide sustained evidence from the text using quotations when appropriate; and

(D) produce a multimedia presentation involving text, graphics, images, and sound using available technology.

(A) establishes a clear thesis or position;

(B) considers and responds to the views of others and anticipates and answers reader concerns and counter-arguments; and

(C) includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author's viewpoint and that differentiates between fact and opinion.

(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) verbs (perfect and progressive tenses) and participles;

(ii) appositive phrases;

(iii) adverbial and adjectival phrases and clauses;

(iv) relative pronouns (e.g., whose, that, which); and

(v) subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, since);

(B) write complex sentences and differentiate between main versus subordinate clauses; and

(C) use a variety of complete sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex) that include properly placed modifiers, correctly identified antecedents, parallel structures, and consistent tenses.

(20) Writing/Conventions of Language/Handwriting. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) use conventions of capitalization; and

(B) use correct punctuation marks, including:

(i) commas after introductory structures and dependent adverbial clauses, and correct punctuation of complex sentences; and

(ii) semicolons, colons, hyphens, parentheses, brackets, and ellipses.

(21) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct spellings.

(22) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A) brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate a major research question to address the major research topic; and

(B) apply steps for obtaining and evaluating information from a wide variety of sources and create a written plan after preliminary research in reference works and additional text searches.

(A) follow the research plan to gather information from a range of relevant print and electronic sources using advanced search strategies;

(B) categorize information thematically in order to see the larger constructs inherent in the information;

(C) record bibliographic information (e.g., author, title, page number) for all notes and sources according to a standard format; and

(D) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of using valid and reliable sources.

(24) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to:

(A) narrow or broaden the major research question, if necessary, based on further research and investigation; and

(A) draws conclusions and summarizes or paraphrases the findings in a systematic way;

(B) marshals evidence to explain the topic and gives relevant reasons for conclusions;

(D) follows accepted formats for integrating quotations and citations into the written text to maintain a flow of ideas.

(B) follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions, or solve problems; and

(C) summarize formal and informal presentations, distinguish between facts and opinions, and determine the effectiveness of rhetorical devices.

(27) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to advocate a position using anecdotes, analogies, and/or illustrations, and use eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, a variety of natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

(28) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in discussions, plan agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on August 15, 2008.

TRD-200804407

Cristina De La Fuente-Valadez

Director, Policy Coordination

Texas Education Agency

Effective date: September 4, 2008

Proposal publication date: April 18, 2008

For further information, please call: (512) 475-1497

SUBCHAPTER C. HIGH SCHOOL

19 TAC §§110.30 - 110.34, 110.41

The new sections and amendment are adopted under the Texas Education Code, §7.102(c)(4), which authorizes the SBOE to establish curriculum and graduation requirements, §28.002, which authorizes the SBOE to 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 and addressed on the assessment instruments, and §28.025, which authorizes the SBOE to by rule determine curriculum requirements for the minimum, recommended, and advanced high school programs that are consistent with the required curriculum under §28.002.

The new sections and amendment implement the Texas Education Code, §§7.102(c)(4), 28.002, and 28.025.

§110.30.Implementation of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, High School, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) The provisions of §§110.31 - 110.34 of this subchapter shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2009-2010 school year and at that time shall supersede §§110.42 - 110.45 of this subchapter.

Figure: 19 TAC §110.30(b) (.pdf)

§110.31.English Language Arts and Reading, English I (One Credit), Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In English I, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations in English I as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A) determine the meaning of grade-level technical academic English words in multiple content areas (e.g., science, mathematics, social studies, the arts) derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;

(B) analyze textual context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words;

(D) describe the origins and meanings of foreign words or phrases used frequently in written English (e.g., caveat emptor, carte blanche, tete a tete, pas de deux, bon appetit, quid pro quo); and

(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine or confirm the meanings of words and phrases, including their connotations and denotations, and their etymology.

(2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) analyze how the genre of texts with similar themes shapes meaning;

(B) analyze the influence of mythic, classical and traditional literature on 20th and 21st century literature; and

(3) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze the effects of diction and imagery (e.g., controlling images, figurative language, understatement, overstatement, irony, paradox) in poetry.

(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how dramatic conventions (e.g., monologues, soliloquies, dramatic irony) enhance dramatic text.

(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) analyze non-linear plot development (e.g., flashbacks, foreshadowing, sub-plots, parallel plot structures) and compare it to linear plot development;

(B) analyze how authors develop complex yet believable characters in works of fiction through a range of literary devices, including character foils;

(D) demonstrate familiarity with works by authors from non-English-speaking literary traditions with emphasis on classical literature.

(6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze how literary essays interweave personal examples and ideas with factual information to explain, present a perspective, or describe a situation or event.

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the role of irony, sarcasm, and paradox in literary works.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the controlling idea and specific purpose of an expository text and distinguish the most important from the less important details that support the author's purpose.

(9) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A) summarize text and distinguish between a summary that captures the main ideas and elements of a text and a critique that takes a position and expresses an opinion;

(B) differentiate between opinions that are substantiated and unsubstantiated in the text;

(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas and details in several texts selected to reflect a range of viewpoints on the same topic and support those findings with textual evidence.

(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to:

(A) analyze the relevance, quality, and credibility of evidence given to support or oppose an argument for a specific audience; and

(B) analyze famous speeches for the rhetorical structures and devices used to convince the reader of the authors' propositions.

(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) analyze the clarity of the objective(s) of procedural text (e.g., consider reading instructions for software, warranties, consumer publications); and

(B) analyze factual, quantitative, or technical data presented in multiple graphical sources.

(12) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:

(A) compare and contrast how events are presented and information is communicated by visual images (e.g., graphic art, illustrations, news photographs) versus non-visual texts;

(B) analyze how messages in media are conveyed through visual and sound techniques (e.g., editing, reaction shots, sequencing, background music);

(C) compare and contrast coverage of the same event in various media (e.g., newspapers, television, documentaries, blogs, Internet); and

(D) evaluate changes in formality and tone within the same medium for specific audiences and purposes.

(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(A) plan a first draft by selecting the correct genre for conveying the intended meaning to multiple audiences, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background reading, personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;

(B) structure ideas in a sustained and persuasive way (e.g., using outlines, note taking, graphic organizers, lists) and develop drafts in timed and open-ended situations that include transitions and the rhetorical devices used to convey meaning;

(C) revise drafts to improve style, word choice, figurative language, sentence variety, and subtlety of meaning after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and

(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for appropriate audiences.

(14) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are responsible for at least two forms of literary writing. Students are expected to:

(A) write an engaging story with a well-developed conflict and resolution, interesting and believable characters, and a range of literary strategies (e.g., dialogue, suspense) and devices to enhance the plot;

(B) write a poem using a variety of poetic techniques (e.g., structural elements, figurative language) and a variety of poetic forms (e.g., sonnets, ballads); and

(A) write an analytical essay of sufficient length that includes:

(i) effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of sentence structures;

(ii) rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs;

(iii) a controlling idea or thesis;

(iv) an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context; and

(v) relevant information and valid inferences;

(B) write procedural or work-related documents (e.g., instructions, e-mails, correspondence, memos, project plans) that include:

(i) organized and accurately conveyed information; and

(ii) reader-friendly formatting techniques;

(i) extends beyond a summary and literal analysis;

(ii) addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay and provides evidence from the text using embedded quotations; and

(iii) analyzes the aesthetic effects of an author's use of stylistic or rhetorical devices; and

(D) produce a multimedia presentation (e.g., documentary, class newspaper, docudrama, infomercial, visual or textual parodies, theatrical production) with graphics, images, and sound that conveys a distinctive point of view and appeals to a specific audience.

(16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience that includes:

(A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons supported by precise and relevant evidence;

(B) consideration of the whole range of information and views on the topic and accurate and honest representation of these views;

(D) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context; and

(E) an analysis of the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas.

(17) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) more complex active and passive tenses and verbals (gerunds, infinitives, participles);

(ii) restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses; and

(iii) reciprocal pronouns (e.g., each other, one another);

(B) identify and use the subjunctive mood to express doubts, wishes, and possibilities; and

(18) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to:

(A) use conventions of capitalization; and

(B) use correct punctuation marks including:

(i) quotation marks to indicate sarcasm or irony;

(ii) comma placement in nonrestrictive phrases, clauses, and contrasting expressions; and

(iii) dashes to emphasize parenthetical information.

(19) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct spellings.

(20) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A) brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate a major research question to address the major research topic; and

(B) formulate a plan for engaging in research on a complex, multi-faceted topic.

(21) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students are expected to:

(A) follow the research plan to compile data from authoritative sources in a manner that identifies the major issues and debates within the field of inquiry;

(B) organize information gathered from multiple sources to create a variety of graphics and forms (e.g., notes, learning logs); and

(C) paraphrase, summarize, quote, and accurately cite all researched information according to a standard format (e.g., author, title, page number).

(22) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to:

(A) modify the major research question as necessary to refocus the research plan;

(B) evaluate the relevance of information to the topic and determine the reliability, validity, and accuracy of sources (including Internet sources) by examining their authority and objectivity; and

(23) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to synthesize the research into a written or an oral presentation that:

(A) marshals evidence in support of a clear thesis statement and related claims;

(B) provides an analysis for the audience that reflects a logical progression of ideas and a clearly stated point of view;

(D) uses a variety of evaluative tools (e.g., self-made rubrics, peer reviews, teacher and expert evaluations) to examine the quality of the research; and

(E) uses a style manual (e.g., Modern Language Association, Chicago Manual of Style ) to document sources and format written materials.

(24) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A) listen responsively to a speaker by taking notes that summarize, synthesize, or highlight the speaker's ideas for critical reflection and by asking questions related to the content for clarification and elaboration;

(B) follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions, solve problems, and complete processes; and

(25) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give presentations using informal, formal, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience, purpose, and occasion, employing eye contact, speaking rate (e.g., pauses for effect), volume, enunciation, purposeful gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

(26) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in teams, building on the ideas of others, contributing relevant information, developing a plan for consensus-building, and setting ground rules for decision-making.

§110.32.English Language Arts and Reading, English II (One Credit), Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.

(a) Introduction.

(1) The English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are organized into the following strands: Reading, where students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts; Writing, where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail; Research, where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information; Listening and Speaking, where students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups; and Oral and Written Conventions, where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as needed while they attend to standards for their grade. In English II, students will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills. Students should read and write on a daily basis.

(2) For students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition.

(3) To meet Public Education Goal 1 of the Texas Education Code, §4.002, which states, "The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing of the English language," students will accomplish the essential knowledge, skills, and student expectations in English II as described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(B) analyze textual context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words;

(D) show the relationship between the origins and meaning of foreign words or phrases used frequently in written English and historical events or developments (e.g., glasnost, avant-garde, coup d'état); and

(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine or confirm the meanings of words and phrases, including their connotations and denotations, and their etymology.

(A) compare and contrast differences in similar themes expressed in different time periods;

(B) analyze archetypes (e.g., journey of a hero, tragic flaw) in mythic, traditional and classical literature; and

(3) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze the structure or prosody (e.g., meter, rhyme scheme) and graphic elements (e.g., line length, punctuation, word position) in poetry.

(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze how archetypes and motifs in drama affect the plot of plays.

(A) analyze isolated scenes and their contribution to the success of the plot as a whole in a variety of works of fiction;

(B) analyze differences in the characters' moral dilemmas in works of fiction across different countries or cultures;

(D) demonstrate familiarity with works by authors from non-English-speaking literary traditions with emphasis on 20th century world literature.

(6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to evaluate the role of syntax and diction and the effect of voice, tone, and imagery on a speech, literary essay, or other forms of literary nonfiction.

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the function of symbolism, allegory, and allusions in literary works.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze the controlling idea and specific purpose of a passage and the textual elements that support and elaborate it, including both the most important details and the less important details.

(A) summarize text and distinguish between a summary and a critique and identify non-essential information in a summary and unsubstantiated opinions in a critique;

(B) distinguish among different kinds of evidence (e.g., logical, empirical, anecdotal) used to support conclusions and arguments in texts;

(C) make and defend subtle inferences and complex conclusions about the ideas in text and their organizational patterns; and

(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas and details in several texts selected to reflect a range of viewpoints on the same topic and support those findings with textual evidence.

(A) explain shifts in perspective in arguments about the same topic and evaluate the accuracy of the evidence used to support the different viewpoints within those arguments; and

(B) analyze contemporary political debates for such rhetorical and logical fallacies as appeals to commonly held opinions, false dilemmas, appeals to pity, and personal attacks.

(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A) evaluate text for the clarity of its graphics and its visual appeal; and

(B) synthesize information from multiple graphical sources to draw conclusions about the ideas presented (e.g., maps, charts, schematics).

(A) evaluate how messages presented in media reflect social and cultural views in ways different from traditional texts;

(B) analyze how messages in media are conveyed through visual and sound techniques (e.g., editing, reaction shots, sequencing, background music);

(D) evaluate changes in formality and tone within the same medium for specific audiences and purposes.

(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and

(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for appropriate audiences.

(A) write an engaging story with a well-developed conflict and resolution, interesting and believable characters, a range of literary strategies (e.g., dialogue, suspense) and devices to enhance the plot, and sensory details that define the mood or tone;

(B) write a poem using a variety of poetic techniques (e.g., structural elements, figurative language) and a variety of poetic forms (e.g., sonnets, ballads); and

(A) write an analytical essay of sufficient length that includes:

(i) effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of sentence structures;

(ii) rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs;

(iii) a thesis or controlling idea;

(iv) an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context;

(v) relevant evidence and well-chosen details; and

(vi) distinctions about the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas that support the thesis statement;

(B) write procedural or work-related documents (e.g., instructions, e-mails, correspondence, memos, project plans) that include:

(i) organized and accurately conveyed information;

(ii) reader-friendly formatting techniques; and

(iii) anticipation of readers' questions;

(i) extends beyond a summary and literal analysis;

(ii) addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay and provides evidence from the text using embedded quotations; and

(iii) analyzes the aesthetic effects of an author's use of stylistic and rhetorical devices; and

(A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons supported by precise and relevant evidence;

(B) consideration of the whole range of information and views on the topic and accurate and honest representation of these views (i.e., in the author's own words and not out of context);

(D) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context;

(E) an analysis of the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas; and

(F) a range of appropriate appeals (e.g., descriptions, anecdotes, case studies, analogies, illustrations).

(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:

(i) more complex active and passive tenses and verbals (gerunds, infinitives, participles);

(ii) restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses; and

(iii) reciprocal pronouns (e.g., each other, one another);

(B) identify and use the subjunctive mood to express doubts, wishes, and possibilities; and

(A) use conventions of capitalization; and

(B) use correct punctuation marks including:

(i) comma placement in nonrestrictive phrases, clauses, and contrasting expressions;

(ii) quotation marks to indicate sarcasm or irony; and