Committee votes not to renew Teen and Police Service innovative course
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Summary
The committee voted to deny renewal of the Teen and Police Service innovative course, citing concerns about course content and low enrollment; the motion passed with one recorded abstention.
The State Board of Education Committee on Instruction voted on June 19 to deny renewal of the Teen and Police Service innovative course following committee discussion about course text content and low participation.
TEA staff told the committee the Teen and Police Service course had 88 students enrolled in 2024–25 and was offered by two districts. The application included teacher slide modules and a student workbook hosted on TEA SharePoint; TEA staff said some modules linked to external websites, including a Houston Police Department page and a TAPS Academy site connected to the training program.
Member Brooks said she found the course text “heavy” and controversial and moved that the committee not approve renewal; a second was recorded from Member Little. After discussion, the committee’s motion for nonrenewal passed; the transcript shows one member abstained from the vote and the motion carried.
Why it matters: committee members cited both the low enrollment and concerns about course tone and materials as reasons for nonrenewal. TEA staff had flagged distinctions between course content intended for school classrooms and materials tied to external academy programs.
Supporting details: staff packages included slide decks, the student workbook, and cited pages from external websites. TEA staff said the modules were not bound textbooks and that the Houston Police Department and the TAPS Academy materials were difficult to parse between course‑specific content and external academy content. The committee’s decision will remove state elective credit for this course; districts may still offer local credit if they choose.