How Districts and Educators Are Adapting to New Science TEKS

Science teachers across Texas have been busy since the start of the 2024-25 school year implementing the new science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS),  as well as preparing for new STAAR exams that will align with the new standards.

Lumberton ATPE member Stefanie Wright teaches advanced ninth-grade biology, AP biology, dual-credit anatomy, and engineering. In the 15 years she has been teaching, Wright has also taught chemistry, physics, IPC, forensic science, and environmental systems. To Wright, the TEKS changes are significant but not all that substantial.

“Some of the terminology has changed—however, the content of those TEKS is still being taught as it is necessary for proper understanding of other topics,” Wright says. “There is a shift happening, however, when it comes to the skills-based TEKS. Science, in general, is the study of the natural world.

“We have always utilized natural phenomena as an engagement piece, but it has traditionally been incorporated into the lesson as reinforcement. Moving forward, the phenomena is introduced in the beginning as a central piece of engagement. The facilitation of student learning revolves around and culminates with the students now being able to explain the phenomena and, optimally, being able to apply the same understanding to new scenarios.”

The new TEKS led Leander ISD to introduce a new middle school science program this fall called OpenSciEd. EdReports gave the middle school curriculum a green rating. This rating is reserved for EdReports’ highest-ranking curriculum and reaches the expectations for specific grade levels.

The curriculum aims for a more tailored and storyline approach to education, encouraging  students to seek answers through their own work for aspects of science they do not yet understand. The collaborative environment also provides students a real-world example of how scientific teams operate.

Leander ISD offered a few examples of what might be covered for specific grades in a letter to parents and guardians:

• Grade 6: How can containers keep stuff from warming up or cooling down?
• Grade 7: How can we make something new that was not there before?
• Grade 8: Why do things sometimes get damaged when they hit each other?

Districts also face the task of supporting teachers as they implement new TEKS. Faryal Shaukat is a biology teacher at J. Frank Dobie High School in Pasadena ISD. She has been teaching for 11 years and teaches AP biology and AP research. Shaukat’s district has introduced targeted professional development sessions that focuses on the new TEKS.

“These sessions provide teachers with updated resources and training on the new assessment criteria to align our instruction with state requirements,” she says. “Science teachers are scientists at heart, and I think that we already instinctively include many of these practices into our lessons. The new TEKS require us to be more intentional about this incorporation, but I do not feel that is a huge adjustment.”

When it comes to new activities or lessons, Shaukat is incorporating more hands-on activities, but it may take time for students to adjust.

“Students find the curriculum more challenging due to the increased emphasis on critical thinking and application,” Shaukat says. “However, I believe with structured support and practice activities, many can show significant improvement in their understanding of complex topics.”

Additionally, Wright has suggestions for more changes she would like to see in the TEKS.

“I would like to see more vertical alignment through the grade levels,” Wright says. “The biology understanding up through eighth grade seems to be disjointed, in my opinion.

“Many students are never taught the basics about plant and animal structures—other than at the cellular level. Much of the content taught in biology is novel to the students, so it seems we have no real background to build upon. I also would like more content to be taught regarding animal groups, such as vertebrates.”

For the 2024-25 school year, STAAR tests will still overlap with old curriculum. But for 2025-26, the STAAR tests will solely encompass the new TEKS. For more information and resources pertaining to the new TEKS, visit the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website. The site includes guides, side-by-side documents with old TEKS, toolkits, and more.

Thank you to the Science Teachers Association of Texas for their assistance with this article. You can learn more about STAT by visiting the STAT website.