Spring Branch ISD Featured News

 

TEKS, established by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), set the learning standards for students from pre-K through high school. This framework helps Spring Branch ISD (SBISD) create and deliver the science curriculum used in classrooms. 

The TEA approved the Revised Science TEKS after a thorough review during the 2020-2021 school year.

What are the TEKS?

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do in each subject and grade level. The Texas State Board of Education(SBOE) has legislative authority to adopt the TEKS for each subject of the required curriculum.

What does this mean for your child in SBISD?

We spoke with Dr. Rhoda Goldberg, Director of Science for K-12 in SBISD, to find out how these changes will affect students. 

Here's what to expect:

• Three-Dimensional Teaching: The new standards emphasize integrating science and engineering practices, recurring themes, and core content in lessons.
• New Focus Areas: Engineering practices and the use of real-world phenomena (an observable event) are now included.
• Content Adjustments:  Significant changes are seen in middle school, where standards now align more consistently across all science topics. For all grades, many existing standards remain but have been updated or shifted to different grade levels.

Alignment with College & Career Readiness

The Revised Science TEKS promote critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving—skills essential for college and careers. Students will engage in activities like collecting and analyzing data, developing models, and using evidence to support their conclusions, all of which contribute to their overall readiness for future challenges.

Support for Teachers

Over the past two years, SBISD has been preparing teachers for these changes by:

• Involving them in selecting new textbooks and developing the curriculum.
• Providing professional development focused on three-dimensional teaching and understanding the new TEKS.
• Offering ongoing training, including specific sessions on the engineering design process and targeted learning experiences for fifth and eighth-grade teachers.

Dr. Goldberg is confident that SBISD is well-prepared to implement the Revised Science TEKS and appreciates the dedication of teachers who have worked hard to integrate these changes.

• Read Dr. Goldberg’s full interview here. 
• Visit the TEA website to learn more.