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Thank you for subscribing to the TEA science newsletter. Today's newsletter provides information related to:
- TEKS in Focus
- Updates Across the Agency:
- Texas Virtual School Network now enrolling
- Science Assessment Resources Posted
- Free Engineering Design Challenge Workshops Available
- Additional information included as a courtesy to educators:
- TalkSTEM: Science and Math Concepts in Real-World Settings
How helpful is the information in this newsletter?
TEKS in Focus highlights key concepts and student expectations to assist educators in implementing the science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). A clear understanding of the changes in science TEKS for the 2024 school year can directly impact student success. TEKS in Focus will highlight those changes along a vertical continuum from elementary school to high school for specific key concepts.
In most grade levels, the expected student understanding of key concepts related to energy transfer is more rigorous than in the previous TEKS. Shifts in middle school concepts include energy transfer through waves and thermal energy transfers in grades 6 and 7. Download the full TEKS in Focus, August edition, for a complete view of the vertical changes within the study of energy transfer.
Updates Across the Agency:
Texas Virtual School Network is now enrolling
The Texas Virtual School Network (TXVSN) can help meet students’ needs through TEA-approved online courses. The TXVSN statewide course catalog provides schools and students access to high school, Advanced Placement, career and technical education, and dual credit courses for initial credit or credit recovery. The TXVSN courses are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and taught by Texas-certified teachers trained in best practices in online instruction. Schools can use the TXVSN courses to create flexibility in a student’s schedule, allow a student to accelerate their learning, and address local teacher shortages. Students enrolled in a TXVSN course can generate funding regardless of whether the student is physically present at school while participating in the course. For more information about the courses offered through the TXVSN, please visit the TXVSN website or contact the TXVSN Help Desk.
Science Assessment Resources Posted
The assessed curriculum documents, middle school reference materials, and blueprints are now available on the Science STAAR Resources page of the TEA website. These documents will be in effect for the Spring 2026 STAAR administration. The documents contain a “DRAFT” watermark to signify that they are not yet in effect. Once the 2024-2025 school year has concluded, the watermark will be removed, and these documents will replace the transition year documents.
For assessment questions, please use the Student Assessment Help Desk.
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Free Engineering Design Challenge Workshops Available |
Learning Undefeated’s Texas Mobile STEM Lab team will offer free virtual professional development opportunities for kindergarten–grade 8 teachers. During the sessions, the Learning Undefeated team will walk educators through the free hands-on engineering design challenges available through the Texas Mobile STEM Laboratory. Sessions will also guide participants in developing and facilitating their own TEKS-aligned engineering design challenges. Texas Mobile STEM Laboratory lessons are cross-curricular, and all lessons are aligned with science and math TEKS and other subject areas as applicable.
Event Dates:
Kindergarten–5th grade: Tuesday, September 24 | 3:30 PM Central registration
6th grade–8th grade: Wednesday, September 25 | 4:00 PM Central registration
Additional information included as a courtesy to educators:
STEM walks with talkSTEM: Science and Math Concepts in Real-World Settings
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TalkSTEM, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to transforming STEM education by supporting teachers as they engage all students in STEM. TalkSTEM’s open-access video library showcases real-world-situated and inquiry-based math, science, and STEM in TEKS-aligned videos. The short videos show science and math concepts found in parks, playgrounds, zoos, museums, malls, and more. TalkSTEM guides students in observing and posing relevant questions that show the interdisciplinary nature of real-world settings. All talkSTEM’s resources are research-based and developed by educational experts. View research articles on the site if interested.
Joining the talkSTEM learning network provides all educators free access to all resources, including talkSTEM’s Educator Dashboard, which facilitates turnkey usage of the video library and creative guides to designing your own STEM and math walks in your location of choice. Educators can conveniently enhance their lessons using talkSTEM’s Math and STEM walk videos.
Sign up on talkSTEM.org to gain free access to all resources and to be notified of additional opportunities to participate in talkSTEM’s professional learning network.
These links are provided by our colleagues in other parts of the Agency:
Student Assessment
Special Populations
Curriculum Standards and Student Support
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