Senate Bill 815 Requires the Fine Arts TEKS

The historic 78th Texas Legislature has adjourned. Within the midst of literally hundreds of other bills related to education introduced during the session, Senate Bill 815 (SB 815) was passed by both the Senate and House of Representatives, was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry, and will become effective for Texas school districts in the fall of 2003. What does this mean for fine arts educators? What does this mean for administrators? More importantly, what does this mean for the schoolchildren of Texas?

What Does SB 815 Say?

Texas Senator Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio, District 26 and Texas Representative Rob Eissler of The Woodlands, District 15 were the author and sponsor, respectively, of this important legislation. SB 815 mandates that the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are now required of all Texas school districts as a condition of accreditation in providing instruction in all of the required curriculum – foundation and enrichment subject areas. There are two categories of the state-approved required curriculum that all school districts in Texas must offer – foundation and enrichment. The foundation content areas consist of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The enrichment content areas consist of fine arts, languages other than English, health and physical education, economics, career and technology education, and technology applications. Two of the basic differences between the foundation and enrichment curricula are 1) foundation subjects are assessed on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) as part of the state accountability system, whereas the enrichment subjects are not assessed; and 2) prior to the passage of SB 815, the TEKS were required in providing instruction in the foundation curriculum, while the TEKS were required as “guidelines” in providing instruction in the enrichment curriculum (Texas Education Code 28.002 [c-d] and Texas Administrative Code 74.1 [b-c]). With the passage of SB 815, however, the TEKS are now required (not as guidelines) of all Texas school districts when providing instruction in art, dance, music, and theatre. It should be noted that although SB 815 is effective for the upcoming 2003-04 school year, school districts may apply to the Commissioner of Education for an extension for implementation until the 2005-06 school year.

What Does SB 815 Not Say?

SB 815 does not:

Again, simply stated, the passage of SB 815 means that the TEKS are now required when providing instruction in all of the required curriculum – foundation and enrichment subject areas, including fine arts.

Why TEKS?

As stated in President George W. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” Education Act (Title IX, Section 9101 [11]), core academic subjects are identified as "English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography.” This bipartisan legislation determines how the U. S. Department of Education will support our nation's schools, students, and communities. The requirement of the Fine Arts TEKS as mandated by SB 815 serves to more closely align the state of Texas with the “No Child Left Behind” federal legislation and reinforces the fact that the arts are truly an essential educational endeavor alongside the other foundation subject areas and not merely entertainment, an activity, or a frill.

The learning standards are actually a reflection of what our best fine arts teachers have been doing for many years. The TEKS, though, are documented in writing, are clearly articulated, provide a vertically and horizontally aligned structure for student achievement, and, consequently, “legitimize” the arts as an essential component of a well-rounded and balanced education for all students. Additionally, one credit of fine arts will soon be required of all students for graduation when the Recommended Graduation Program becomes the default plan for Texas high schools, effective the 2004-05 school year. It is only logical that the TEKS be mandated when providing instruction in courses that are required for high school graduation.

As previously stated, the TEKS are “what” students should know and be able to do at the end of every grade level in each of the academic disciplines, including fine arts. It is the responsibility of school districts, though, to develop local curriculum that is aligned with the TEKS. The state of Texas does not mandate “how” the TEKS are mastered (e.g. curriculum development, methodologies, instructional time, scheduling, staffing [with the exception of grades K-4 “homeroom” class sizes]). However, the fact that the Fine Arts TEKS will now be required of school districts when providing instruction in art, dance, music, and theatre will bolster the rationales of educators’ requests for the resources necessary to effectively and appropriately deliver the TEKS.

The passage of SB 815 could not have come at a better time for fine arts educators in Texas. Proclamation 2002 (Fine Arts textbook adoption) is scheduled for approval by the SBOE in November 2004 and for implementation in school districts in Fall 2005. Although publishers have been earnest in aligning instructional materials with state learning standards in the past, it is likely that they will be even more diligent now in developing textbooks that will serve as useful and higher quality instructional tools in delivering the TEKS.

The population of Texas is very transient in nature. Indeed, student transfers from school to school within local school districts are a common occurrence. The Fine Arts TEKS, however, will bring about a level of consistency in grade level student achievement and high standards of learning in the arts, regardless of the size, geographic location, socio-economic status, and/or other demographic considerations of schools - factors that are, regrettably, sometimes used as excuses for low student expectations.

What Now?

Many school districts already require the Fine Arts TEKS in art, dance, music, and theatre instruction and have developed curriculum that is aligned with the standards. For those districts that have not fully implemented the TEKS, it is impossible to teach what one does not know, so following the TEKS will require professional development for many teachers. The state’s professional arts education associations’ conferences offer a myriad of TEKS-related workshops and clinics for their respective memberships. Furthermore, many school districts provide their fine arts teachers with TEKS-related professional development opportunities that are locally organized and facilitated.

It is important to note that TEA established the Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) in 1995 to support effective and appropriate implementation of the Fine Arts TEKS in Texas schools. With the passage of SB 815, the potential and value of CEDFA’s mission becomes more significant than ever. CEDFA provides a vast amount of TEKS-related information, products, and resources for fine arts educators, some of which are listed below:

The most far-reaching project of CEDFA, however, is the annual Fine Arts Summit initiative. By gathering fine arts educators, teacher educators, campus/district administrators, school board members, community members, and other stakeholders in fine arts education, the goal of the Fine Arts Summit is to increase support for the arts in Texas public schools. Workshop presentations at the Summit, which are conducted by expert educators who are members of the CEDFA Training Cadre, address topics in art, dance, music, and theatre that are aligned with the Fine Arts TEKS. Some of the Summit’s participants are teams organized by regional Education Service Centers (ESCs). The ESC teams then replicate the state Summit at regional levels during the ensuing school year so that these fine arts professional development opportunities are available to school districts in all areas of the state.

The Fine Arts TEKS can make a difference because they powerfully address two fundamental issues that are pervasive in all education matters - quality and accountability. The TEKS will help ensure that the study of the arts is disciplined and focused and that arts instruction has a reference point for assessing its results. The TEKS provide a direction for competence and educational effectiveness, but without creating a “one shoe fits all” model. The TEKS can enhance weak arts instruction to improve programs and help make good programs even better. Requiring the TEKS should result in teachers having to spend less time defending and advocating arts education and having more time to teach children art, dance, music, and theatre.

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