Shaping the Future of Social Studies in Texas
Summer 2025 Legislative and Policy Update
By Advocacy Committee co-chairs Meghan Dougherty and Terry Cherry
2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for education—particularly in social studies. Several recently passed laws from this legislative session will have significant and lasting impacts. In addition, the State Board of Education has officially begun the process of revising the K–12 Social Studies standards.
Below, you’ll find a summary of key legislative and SBOE actions, as well as an overview of the work the TXCSS Advocacy Committee is doing to provide leadership, build consensus, and ensure our community’s voice is at the forefront of these critical decisions.
The biggest news out of the session was the passage of HB2 and additional funding for schools. While a welcome relief, many education advocacy organizations, such as Raise Your Hand Texas, believe this is still not enough money. $19.6 billion additional funding was needed just to keep up with inflation since 2019; HB2 provided $8.5 billion. This spending increase was sorely needed: Texas has ranked in the bottom 10 of states nationwide in per pupil spending. Please check out Raise Your Hand Texas’ website for more information about school funding.
Additionally, the legislature came close to revising STAAR testing. The proposed bills from the Senate and House went to conference committee, but House members refused to adopt the Senate’s proposals. The House members are seeking a greater reduction in state testing, while the Senate bill leans towards increasing accountability measures. To that end, HB 4 proposed eliminating any assessments that were not federally required, i.e. 8th grade and HS EOC for U.S. history, while the Senate version kept these assessments. This item was added to the Governor’s agenda for the Special Session, although the way the Special Session is shaping up, with more urgent issues on redrawing districts and emergency management after the devastating flooding in July, it is likely the legislature will not move forward on assessment just now. This gives us more time to engage with lawmakers on ways to improve assessment in Texas, and TXCSS will share some plans with members soon about ways we are advocating for better social studies assessment.
In terms of social studies-specific legislation, three bills were passed that will have a direct impact on standards: SB 24, HB 27, and HB 824. The table below describes the impact of these laws.
Bill
Summary
When will it go into effect?
SB24
This bill requires the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) to update the social studies TEKS in each grade, 4–12, as appropriate to include: Instruction on communist regimes and ideologies (e.g., Cultural Revolution, Holodomor, Khmer Rouge, Cuban communism); Comparative analysis of communism and U.S. founding principles such as individual rights, free enterprise, and democracy, and inclusion of first-person testimonies from victims of communist regimes, where available.
Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year
HB27
Students will be required to complete a one‑half credit of personal financial literacy for graduation, replacing the prior bundled “economics & financial literacy” course. In addition, to meet graduation requirements, students will have an option to complete one full credit in world geography, or world history, OR economics.
This means in a district requiring 3 social studies credits to graduate, students will need to complete:
1 credit in world geography, or world history, OR economics.
1 credit in U.S. history since 1877
.5 credit in U.S. government
.5 credit in personal financial literacy
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) must compile and distribute free, open‑source curricula for districts to use, and allow AP courses deemed equivalent to fulfill the credit requirement.
Applies to public high school students entering 9th grade in 2026–27
HB824
This bill requires the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) to update the social studies TEKS for U.S. Government class in high school to include the following:
the role of governmental officials, including:
statewide elected officials; county officials; city councilors; and, other local governmental officials; the voting process and election laws of this state; the eligibility requirements to run for elected office in this state; Robert ’s Rules of Order; and the elected officials who represent the student at
each level of government.
Applies to High School Government classes starting in the 2025-26 school year
In June, the SBOE presented three possible options for a framework. To gauge our members’ feelings about these options, we pushed out a survey during the month of July. The full summary of responses to the survey is available here. Please feel free to share these results with your colleagues or any other stakeholders.
As a result of the responses of the survey, in which we found that 56.2% of our members disagreed or strongly disagreed with Option 2 and 67.2% disagreed or strongly disagreed with Option 3, we have been working with SBOE Member Pam Little on an alternative framework proposal.
We found many survey respondents believed K–3 Framework should be preserved for developmental appropriateness. Many survey respondents expressed support for keeping the current K–3 sequence focused on personal identity, family, and local communities. These educators emphasized that early learners need to develop a basic sense of time and place before engaging with more complex historical ideas.
“Students in K–2 are just beginning to understand time and place. It makes sense to start with the world they know before asking them to understand the past.”
“K-2 needs some coherence, not just random people, events, and places.”
Many educators emphasized the need for students to encounter world geography and global history before diving into U.S. and Texas history. They also expressed concerns about the proposed sequences being too focused on Western civilization.
“There’s too much emphasis on Texas and the United States without the global background to understand it. Students need context first.”
“World geography and culture needs to be addressed prior to 8th grade to give students background knowledge necessary to understand aspects of US and TX History.”
“Students need strong grounding in geography and how people and the world interact.”
Several respondents raised concern that repeating content in middle school could lead elementary campuses to further de-emphasize social studies in favor of math and reading. Respondents stated they wanted meaningful content in elementary grades to ensure social studies remains a priority across all levels.
"We need to be able to take what we build conceptually and content wise into middle school. It would be great if Middle School did not repeat anything from elementary but built off of it. The middle option will create repeats no matter how well intentioned and will result in less teaching of Social Studies in elementary."
After reviewing your comments, TXCSS will be advocating for:
more specific and coherent TEKS at the elementary level
a standalone Texas history course in elementary
an embedded 2-year U.S./Texas history course in middle school
the retention of a standalone world cultures course in upper elementary or middle school
the addition of a standalone early world history course in upper elementary or middle school
We will share a finalized version of our proposal in the coming weeks. While we understand that no single framework will satisfy every perspective, our goal is to reach a broad consensus across our community. Now more than ever, it is essential that we present a unified voice. If we are unable to align around clear proposals and action steps, decision-making will fall entirely to TEA and the State Board of Education—without strong, coordinated input from the field. If you have concerns or further input, please email us directly at advocacy@txcss.net.
The selection of workgroups has not yet begun. It is unclear what the calendar for TEKS revisions will be starting in the fall. Content advisors should be chosen by the September meeting and the SBOE will vote on a final framework proposal in September.
It is essential that members of our organization directly engage with State Board of Education members in the coming months. In mid-August, we will issue a formal call to action encouraging you to contact your Board representatives ahead of the September meeting. If possible, we also urge you to attend the meeting in person and provide public testimony. State Board members must hear directly from educators in the field, especially since TEA did not reach out to educators in crafting the Framework proposals that were presented in June.
This moment presents a critical opportunity to influence how social studies is taught in Texas and to address persistent gaps in our standards and course offerings. In light of HB 27, there is a real risk that more students will choose to fulfill their graduation requirements by taking a year of economics, potentially bypassing world history and world geography altogether in high school.
This makes it all the more important that we strengthen instruction in these subjects during the elementary and middle school years—when students can build foundational geographic knowledge and historical context essential for understanding the broader world.
If you have questions, comments, or concerns about our advocacy for social studies, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Our official email is advocacy@txcss.net. We welcome your input and ideas. We seek to be transparent and support your work in the classrooms across the state of Texas.
Dear TXCSS Members,
We are at a pivotal moment in the future of social studies education in Texas. The State Board of Education (SBOE) shared two proposed K–8 social studies framework options in June. We conducted a survey of our members in June, which found that these proposals did not have support amongst our community. 116 social studies educators responded to our survey, and shared concerns or suggestions they wanted to see in the K-8 framework.
You shared your thoughts, and we listened. We heard a lot of support for embedding Texas history into U.S. history, more foundational world history and world geography, more foundational civics, and a focus on developmental appropriateness. We also have spoken with some SBOE members to learn more about what they would like to see with TEKS revisions.
We have drafted an alternative proposal for the State Board to consider in September. We believe this new proposed framework represents both significant progress and necessary compromise. This framework wasn’t designed in isolation, it is the result of thoughtful collaboration between educators, content experts, and stakeholders, balancing what we know is best for students with what we anticipate will be acceptable to SBOE members.
We understand that not everyone will agree with every aspect of the proposed framework. Concerns have already been raised about:
Developmental appropriateness, especially in early grades
The instructional demands on elementary teachers
The depth of content knowledge required
These are valid and important issues and we hope to continue supporting educators through future implementation guidance, resource development, and professional learning. Also, the framework is a skeleton. Much of the difficulty or complexity of these courses will be determined by the TEKS written to them.
But here’s what we gain with this framework:
Preservation of 6th Grade World Cultures, an essential window into global perspectives
A full year of World History in 5th Grade, exposing students to democratic ideas, civilizations, world religions, and revolutions before middle school
An integrated 7th–8th Grade U.S. and Texas History sequence, helping students see Texas history in context and not isolation
Stronger foundations in civics education, with creation of a Foundations of Constitutional Democracy course
A streamlined five-strand structure that reduces redundancy and supports more coherent instruction
A spiraled curriculum that builds meaningfully from K–8 in both content and complexity
Without unity from our professional community, we risk losing the opportunity to influence what comes next. The TEA and SBOE could move forward with a framework that lacks global context, weakens historical thinking, or pushes a more ideologically driven agenda. We believe that some members are leaning towards Option 2 (page 23, 3X3X3 model).
Here’s how you can help:
Read the full proposed framework: Revised Framework
Provide your feedback: Click here to submit comments or concerns anonymously (by August 29)
Most importantly: Contact your SBOE representative to voice your support for this framework. Personalized messages from constituents are powerful. You can use this email template and customize your personal message.
Sign up to speak at the State Board meeting in Austin during the week of September 9-12. We will send out more information when the agenda is published, so we know exactly which day the Board will discuss the social studies framework and when the public can sign up to comment.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please also feel free to reach out to us directly at advocacy@txcss.net. This is a moment for us to stand together. We may not agree on every detail, but we share a commitment to a rigorous, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate social studies education for Texas students. Let’s act together to ensure educators remain the driving force behind what our students learn.
Thanks,
Meghan Dougherty
Co-chair TXCSS Advocacy Committee
TXCSS Review is ready to help you this testing season, check out these strategies to review your students for success! "Old School" manipulatives, "New School" online strategies and resources for students taking the AP test.
The Texas Education Agency compiled a collection resources to celebrate Black History Month.
From TEA: Each year, during February, we celebrate the history and cultural contributions of Black Americans in the United States. Students learn about the achievements, perspectives, struggles, and experiences of Black Americans throughout more than 400 years of American history. The following websites provide a variety of lessons, activities, and instructional materials that can be used to honor Black History Month and to support instruction in Ethnic Studies: African American Studies and other social studies courses throughout the year.
Celebrate Black History Month 2024 | National Museum of African American History and Culture (si.edu)
Black History Month | Texas Education Agency
The African American Story | Texas State History Museum (thestoryoftexas.com)
Texas Institute for the Preservation of History & Culture - Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture (pvamu.edu)
African American Heritage | Texas Time Travel
Out of the Stacks | A blog from the Archives and Information Services Division at TSLAC (texas.gov)
The Nazi Persecution of Black People in Germany | Holocaust Encyclopedia (ushmm.org)
Fall into the fall semester with these quick and easy formative assessment ideas.
Formative Assessment or Checks for understanding help the teacher adjust as you work towards the “end.” By using formative assessments, you can make sure that the students understand the concepts or ideas before they fail a summative or unit assessment. Here are some fun ideas to both engage your students and get the data you need on what your students know.
Graphic organizers - provide students with a way to use both words and pictures to represent their learning. This allows students that feel they are not as good at writing to show their understanding in a different way.
Signaling - allows your students to give you a quick idea of how they are doing on a topic. Finger signaling by holding up a number or traffic signals can provide a way for a teacher to quickly gauge understanding.
Chain Reaction - gives the control to the students the control of the assessment & allows the teacher to facilitate the assessment and listen for key ideas
July Teacher Tip: What is hot is Social Studies? Check out Chat GPT & see how AI is helping teachers in the classroom.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot trained to understand typed prompts and generate content that sounds human, is the fastest-growing web platform ever. (Edutopia, March 13, 2023)
Quick Guide to ChatGPT This one page quick guide developed by Crystal Uhiren @MrsUTeacher. This quick guide gives teachers a one page guide of ideas that they can try using Chat GPT to make teacher work a little easier.
We Are Teachers: 20 Ways Teachers Can Use ChatGPT to Make Their Lives Easier
By: Jill Staake on March 13, 2023
Edutopia: 6 Ways to Use ChatGPT to Save Time
By: Todd Finley - March 13, 2023
Summer Break is here try Teacher Tip's Summer Bingo! Find your best self as you relax & recharge from the school year. Check out the BINGO card online to get some ideas about how to spend your summer.
Calling all US History teachers! The American Historical Association (“AHA”) has been partnering with the National Council for the Social Studies (“NCSS”) to learn about how US history is taught in your state. Recently, the AHA sent out a survey to US history teachers in your state - another opportunity to contribute to this important work.
If you received a letter and/or an email about the survey, please complete the questionnaire about your experiences teaching US history as soon as possible.
After you follow the link in your letter and/or email and complete the 15-20-minute survey, you will receive a $10 gift card as a thank you for participating.
For more information about the survey, please visit the survey website. https://www.norc.org/research/projects/american-historical-association-survey-of-us-history-teachers.html#accordion-80b3b41f0d-item-b5f832e322
ENDING THE YEAR ON A POSITIVE NOTE
May your school year end on a positive note. State testing is over & now what? Try these quick & easy strategies to engage your students to the end.
1.Passion Projects - allow students to research a subject of their choice and create a presentation or create a project that shows their learning.
2.Let The Students Teach - allow students to teach the class for part of a day or period.
3.Reflection Time - take the time to let students reflect on their experiences in your classroom. Students often realize or notice things that you would never think about.
4.Write A Letter -students write a letter to a teacher or professional in the school that has helped them throughout the school year. Letters can be distributed by students or put into teacher’s boxes for a great end of the year surprise.
5.Theme Days - count down to the end of the year by creating a theme for each of the last days of school.
6.Time capsule - create a time capsule of memories using a water bottle and colored strips of paper. Students can write down their favorite memories to keep and open in the years ahead.
7.Survival Guide - allow students to create a video on the best tips for surviving the school year in your class. The videos can then be saved to create a great way to start the following school year with your new students.
8.Celebrate Achievements - class rewards provide a way for a teacher to recognize student accomplishments that might go unnoticed in regular school assemblies but can highlight how far a student has grown in the year.
9.Write About It - students create a six word memoir to describe their year. Check out more information on TechNotes from TCEA.
10.Graffiti Wall - students sign a large piece of paper with their favorite memory of the school year. Allow students to take pictures or selfies in front of the wall to preserve their memories for years to come.
Email Calendar Drive