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FEBRUARY 18, 2000 |
December 8, 1999
TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:
Attached are application forms for innovative course approvals. A school district may develop innovative or other locally-designed courses to enable students to master knowledge, skills, and competencies not included in the required curriculum (19 TAC Section 74.27).
Based on the rules concerning graduation requirements and due to the implementation of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), experimental courses went through a sunset review during the 1997-1998 school year, and innovative course approvals replaced experimental courses. All experimental courses expired on August 31, 1998.
Before you decide to apply for an innovative course approval, please review the TEKS to be sure that an innovative course approval is needed. You may find that one of the new TEKS courses will meet your needs. Since the process to adopt the TEKS took more than three years and involved input from thousands of Texans, the need for a number of innovative courses that do not meet the required curriculum should be limited.
If you wish to submit an application for approval of innovative courses to be taught in the Fall 2000, please submit your application by February 18, 2000. Please note that requests for innovative course approvals are allowable under current State Board of Education rule. These requests do not require waivers of law or rule. Please do not submit requests for approval to the Waiver Unit.
Requests for approval of innovative courses that do not fall within any of the subject areas in the required curriculum will be reviewed by the State Board of Education in Spring 2000. The Board must find that a proposed innovative course is academically rigorous and addresses documented student needs.
If you have questions about requesting approval of an innovative course in Career and Technology Education, please call 512/463-9446. For questions about Technology Applications, please call 512/463-9401. For questions about subject areas in the remainder of the required curriculum, please call 512/463-9581.
Sincerely,
Ann Smisko
Associate Commissioner
Curriculum, Assessment, and Technology
Attachments
Attachments:
For further information about requesting approval of an innovative course in Career and Technology Education, please call 512/463-9446. For questions about Technology Applications, please call 512/463-9401. For questions about subject areas in the remainder of the required curriculum, please call 512/463-9581.