A committee of the Texas State Board of Education on Thursday presented options for a new social studies framework and urged the board to act quickly after the Legislature set a July 2026 deadline for revising the state standards.

The ad hoc group, convened by Chair Kevin Kinsey, said staff and outside reviewers recommended three approaches — keep the current strand structure, adopt a six-strand model with combined topics, or move to a longer chronological sequence (a 3-by-5-by-1 model) that spreads ancient-to-modern content across grades 3–7 and reserves grade 8 as a capstone. The committee also flagged the need to strengthen K–2 history instruction, reinforce vertical alignment and protect elementary social studies time.

The committee’s memo said the Legislature’s direction — that the State Board must “review and revise the social studies standards no later than July 2026” — creates a compressed timetable for completing work usually done on a multi‑year cycle. Chair Kinsey told members, “We have a lot of work to do to get that done and meet that, meet that timeline.”

Why it matters

The committee stressed that choices the board makes now will shape curricula, teacher training and assessment for years. Staff and committee members warned that without clearer sequencing and fewer overlapping “laundry‑list” TEKS, instruction can be repetitive or thin at critical grades. They said improving early grades (K–2) and a coherent spiral of content across grades 3–8 are key to long‑term student retention of historical knowledge.

What the committee presented

- Guiding principles: focus on content and rigor, skills development, vertical alignment and accessibility.
- Three strand options: retain the current eight strands; consolidate strands into six (for example combining “Government & Civics” and grouping Texas/US/world history under a unified title); or redesign strands from scratch.
- Three course‑sequence options: (1) status quo; (2) a 3×3×3 model that emphasizes K–2 foundations, chronological bands for 3–5 and 6–8, and layered themes; (3) a 3×5×1 model that expands the chronological band to grades 3–7 and uses grade 8 as a synthesis year focused on Texas.
- Examples for strands: the committee illustrated how a government/civics strand or an economics strand might be taught in age‑appropriate, chronological bands so students build knowledge over time.

Staff research and national comparisons

Shannon Trejo of the Texas Education Agency presented research that guided the committee’s work, including three evidence‑based practices: (1) purposeful K–2 history through storytelling and timelines; (2) spiraled or layered curriculum that revisits topics to build long‑term memory; and (3) clear chronological sequencing so students can relate people, events and ideas over time. Trejo said states vary widely and no single model is perfect: “Some do some things well. Others do other things well.”

Committee questions and public input

Board members pressed staff and testifiers on cognitive development in early grades, how to preserve Texas history in any new sequencing, and whether skills (timelines, map reading, document analysis) should remain as a separate strand or be embedded within content strands. Several members said optics matter — if the public sees a proposal that appears to “de‑emphasize” Texas history, the board will face heavy pushback. The committee also noted statutory changes (for example, HB 27 and SB 3) and the new civics academies the agency is developing as opportunities to align teacher training with revised standards.

Next steps and timeline

The committee recommended the board select a starting framework at the September meeting so work groups and content advisors can begin TEKS drafting and material development. Kinsey told members he planned to return in September with a proposal and warned the board that, unless it selects a framework soon, the compressed legislative deadline will force “a lot of work” into a shortened development schedule. Agency staff estimated that TEKS adoption and instructional materials development, if started now, would likely mean classroom implementation after the usual publishing and adoption cycle (staff cited an implementation horizon extending into 2029 for fully developed materials).

What the board did not decide

The ad hoc committee did not adopt a single framework or strand structure during the June meeting. Instead it asked the full board and the public to comment on the three options and signaled a desire to take action in September. Staff also announced it will publish the research materials, meeting minutes and a public comment portal on the SBOE ad hoc committee website and that the board will recruit content advisors for TEKS drafting.

Ending

Board members and staff said they would circulate the committee’s slide packet and research links and seek public comment before the September meeting. Committee members urged a balance between preserving Texas content and improving coherence and depth in social studies instruction across K–12.