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September 2024

Social Studies

Curriculum Standards and Student Support

Social Studies Newsletter

Thank you for subscribing to the TEA social studies newsletter.  

This issue of the TEA social studies newsletter provides information on the following topics:

• Celebrate Freedom Week (week of September 17)
• Timely Topic: September 11, 2001 Commemoration
• Hispanic Heritage Month 
• October Stakeholder Engagement Session
  • Topic: Social Studies Office Hours
  • Dates: October 14 and 15
• Texas State Board of Education Meeting, September 10–13
• Revised Social Studies TEKS are Now Implemented for the 2024–2025 School Year
• Social Studies Assessed Curriculum Documents Update
• TEA Resources for the Revised Social Studies TEKS

As a courtesy to our newsletter subscribers, the following additional announcement is also included.

• Texas Historical Commission: The Smithsonian Comes to Texas

How helpful is the information included in this newsletter? 

Celebrate Freedom Week 

Celebrate Freedom Week (TEC § 29.907) coincides with Constitution Week, established by the U.S. Congress (36 USC §106) to encourage all Americans to learn about the Constitution. Both Celebrate Freedom Week and Constitution Week focus on September 17, the date in 1787 when delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution.

During the Celebrate Freedom Week, Texas schools highlight the values and ideals on which the United States was founded as well as the sacrifices that were made for freedom in the founding of the country. Students learn about the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.  Students also examine the relationship between the ideas in these documents and subsequent American history.

The TEA Celebrate Freedom Week web page provides resources that include a variety of lessons, activities, and instructional materials for Celebrate Freedom Week and Constitution Day.  

Timely Topic: September 11, 2001 Commemoration

The 9/11 terrorist attacks killed 2,977 people and injured thousands at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Commemorative events are held at all three sites on the anniversary of the attacks.  The 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the George W. Bush Presidential Library are committed to providing students and teachers the tools to understand what happened on 9/11 and how the attacks continue to impact our lives. To access student and teacher resources, visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Hispanic Heritage Month  

Each year, from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate the history and cultural contributions of Hispanic Americans in the United States. Students learn about the contributions in science, arts, literature, and culture of Hispanics throughout American history. 

The TEA has created a web page focused on providing resources for Hispanic Heritage Month that include instructional materials, activities, and lessons that can be used to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and to support instruction in Mexican American Studies. 

October Stakeholder Engagement Sessions

Topic: Social Studies Office Hours

Target Audience: Social Studies Stakeholders—Teachers, District Administrators, Campus Administrators, Education Service Center Specialists, Parents, Professional Organizations 

Session Description: The TEA social studies team in the Curriculum Standards Division will be available for questions and discussion focused on social studies. This session will not have a formal TEA presentation and participants will be able to come and go as their schedule permits.

Date & Times 

Monday, October 14 @ 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Registration Link 

Tuesday, October 15 @ 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Registration Link 

Texas State Board of Education Meeting, September 10–13

The next meeting of the State Board of Education (SBOE) will occur September 10–13, 2024. An agenda is published prior to each meeting. The TEA provides meeting webcasts for people interested in watching from a computer or device. Archived webcasts are also available. To access these SBOE meeting resources, please visit the SBOE web page.

Revised Social Studies TEKS are Now Implemented for the 2024–2025 School Year

REMINDER: Revised social studies TEKS adopted in 2022 are now implemented for the 2024–2025 school year. 

The web-based version of the current social studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do, are available in Chapter 113 of the Texas Administrative Code. You can also access a PDF version of the TEKS.

Social Studies Assessed Curriculum Documents Update

The social studies assessed curriculum documents were updated to incorporate the revisions made by the State Board of Education in 2022. These documents are now available on the Social Studies STAAR Resources page of the TEA website. These documents are now in effect to align with the implementation into the classroom for the 2024-2025 school year. The revisions are as follows:

• Inclusion of 8.5B
• Inclusion of 8.7C
• Adjusted number/letters of SEs under knowledge and skills statements 5 and 7 for grade 8
• Adjusted language in 8.17A and 8.24A
• Adjusted language in USH 8F and 9F
• Removed social studies skills strand (As previously announced, assessment questions will not be written to this strand.)

Questions written to the new content are scheduled to be field-tested in Spring 2026 and be operational in Spring 2027.

If you have any questions regarding the announcement from assessment, please submit them to the Assessment Help Desk.

TEA Resources for the Revised Social Studies TEKS 

TEA has developed resources to support the implementation of the revised social studies standards.  The skills matrices provide a detailed look at the social studies skills strand by grade band (Kindergarten- Grade 5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12). Each grade level/course TEKS crosswalk provides a summary of the TEKS revisions and shows the differences between the 2018 TEKS and the 2022 TEKS being implemented in the 2024-2025 school year.

You can access these resources in the table below or under the “Social Studies TEKS Resources” section of the TEA social studies web page.

For additional information about the social studies TEKS that are now implemented in the 2024-2025 year, please visit the FAQ document via the link below.

Frequently Asked Questions: Social Studies TEKS Revision and Instructional Materials

As a courtesy to our newsletter subscribers, the following additional announcement is also included.

Texas Historical Commission: The Smithsonian Comes to Texas

The Texas Historical Commission has selected seven rural Texas communities to host a travelling Smithsonian exhibit that takes a close look at the evolution of rural America in the last century. The tour began in August and runs through the summer of 2025 with a six-week stop at each location. To see a list of the seven Texas communities and tour schedule, visit the Texas Historical Commission website. 

Thank you for your commitment to serving Texas students.

Social Studies Team
Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division
curriculum@tea.texas.gov
(512) 463-9581

For questions or additional information, please visit the social studies web page or submit a Curriculum Request Form through the TEA Help Desk.

The Texas Education Agency will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.