Are you searching for information on the new Texas Principles of Health Science TEKS standards? We know that a big challenge for health science instructors is trying to keep up with changing standards.
Because we work with hundreds of educators in Texas, we want to help them in any way possible. To help you in facing these upcoming changes, we want to provide some important information that will impact your Principles of Health Science courses in the 2017-18 school year.
In this article, we will discuss two main topics that every health science instructor should be knowledgeable about in order to have a successful program:
- How does Proclamation 2017 impact the Principles of Health Science Course?
- What is the timeline for adopted instructional materials for Proclamation 2017?
Proclamation 2017: What does it mean for your Principles of Health Science courses?
You may have heard the words “Proclamation 2017” in passing and be wondering: “What exactly is Proclamation 2017… and why should I care about it?” This proclamation is a notice that the State Board of Education is inviting bids for new instructional materials for a number of courses in the Health Science Career Cluster.
The Health Science TEKS standards have changed, and the new standards will go into effect for the 2017-18 school year. The Principles of Health Science course standards have a number of significant changes which we will go over here. The changes were made to provide better clarification, and to ensure the new Principles of Health Science course is more of a foundational course to provide a more broad approach to health care.
Changes to the TEKS General Requirements
One of the most evident changes from the old 130.202 Principles of Health Science course are the credit and grade level recommendations. The old course which was implemented in the 2010-11 school year could be offered as either One-Half to One Credit and was recommended for grades 9-11.
The new 130.222 Principles of Health Science course is now recommended for grades 9-10. In addition, the course has changed to be for One Credit. The Committee noted they made this change to align with House Bill 5.
Changes to the Introduction for Principles of Health Science
Perhaps the largest change that the TEKS Review Committee made was a total revamp of the introduction and overview of the Principles of Health Science standards. The additions shown below were decided upon in order to provide better consistency with the Health Career Cluster and to provide clarity.
Detailed Changes to the Principles of Health Science TEKS Standards
In addition to the General Requirement and Introduction updates, some of the Knowledge and Skills Statements and Student Expectations were also changed. There are additions, removals, and re-wording of multiple Statements and Expectations for Principles of Health Science. The changes listed are what will most directly impact your need to find new health science curriculum.
Please note - not all changes are pictured below.
Knowledge and Skills Statement 1 - A New Addition
The most apparent change for the 2017 standards is the addition of a new Knowledge and Skills Statement. The new statement is as follows:
With this addition, the previous “Statement 1” was renamed to “Statement 2,” and so on.
Knowledge and Skills Statement 6 - Student Expectation Changes
In the Knowledge and Skills Statement 6, there was a wording change to remove "professional characteristics." Since the Statement no longer includes identifying professional characteristics, that change is also reflected in the removal of the Student Expectation pertaining to it:
Knowledge and Skills Statement 11 - Update to Student Expectation
The TEKS Review Committee included an update to the agency names listed in Student Expectation A. They made this change to be more relevant with the current agency names, which changed since the previous Principles of Health Science TEKS in 2010.
Here’s a depiction of the before and after:
Knowledge and Skills Statement 12 - Student Expectation Changes
In the Knowledge and Skills Statement 12, there were two changes to the Student Expectations. First, the review committee changed the wording of Student Expectation A to be more broad. The second change is the addition of a new Student Expectation:
To see all of the detailed changes recommended for 130.222 Principles of Health Science by the State Board of Education TEKS Review Committees, click here to view the PDF: TEKS Health Science Final Recommendations
Important Dates for Texas Proclamation 2017
There are a number of key dates to keep in mind as you review various health science curriculum to meet the new TEKS Principles of Health Science standards. The dates below are ones to be aware of regarding instructional materials recommended for adoption under Proclamation 2017:
September 2016:
In September 2016, the Texas State Board of Education will hold a public hearing on instructional materials submitted for adoption. After the meeting, an archived webcast will be available through the TEA website for anyone interested to view.
Friday, October 7th 2016:
On October 7th, the list of instructional materials recommended for adoption under Proclamation 2017 will be posted on the TEA website. This list is all materials recommended, but not yet approved.
Want to get a head start at reviewing the curriculum options? A good place to start is thinking of what type of instructional materials you want. Read this post for guidance: How to Choose New TEKS Curriculum for Your Health Science Courses
Thursday, December 1st 2016:
On December 1st, the TEA will post the list of instructional materials adopted under Proclamation 2017. This list is what you should check out in order to begin reviewing which health science curriculum you may want to use for the 2017-18 school year.
Now that the list of adopted instructional materials has been released, you can learn about them in this review article: An In-Depth Review of TEKS Health Science Adopted Instructional Materials
April 2017:
In April of 2017, school districts and open-enrollment charter schools with funding available can begin submitting orders for new instructional materials.
June - August 2017:
Over the summer, the adopted materials will be distributed to the schools, in time to start the 2017-18 school year with curriculum that meets the new TEKS standards.
Where to go from Here with Your Health Science Curriculum
With looking at the timeline, December 2016 will be when you should start to really dig into the options of instructional materials for the Principles of Health Science course. But there are a few things you can do to improve your current curriculum, which can then carry into your choice for the 2017-18 school year.
Health science instructors are often looking for ways to better teach their students. This article will help you now and in future school years to make the most out of your curriculum: Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices for Principles of Health Science Courses
