TITLE 19. EDUCATION
PART 2. TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
CHAPTER 127. TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
SUBCHAPTER
C.
The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopts amendments to §§127.49, 127.51, and 127.52, concerning Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for career development and career and technical education (CTE) in agriculture, food, and natural resources. The amendments are adopted without changes to the proposed text as published in the August 1, 2025 issue of the Texas Register (50 TexReg 5031). The rules will not be republished. The amendments make a technical adjustment to the prerequisites for §127.49 to align with the CTE programs of study; update cross references; and update language relating to employability skills to reference new 19 TAC §127.15.
REASONED JUSTIFICATION: The federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, commonly referred to as Perkins V, requires states that receive federal CTE funds to align CTE programs of study to high-wage, in-demand, and high-skill occupations. In fall 2023, the Texas Education Agency engaged members of the workforce, secondary education, and higher education to advise on the development and refresh of programs of study, which include coherent course sequences, industry-based certifications, and work-based learning opportunities to ensure students are prepared for high-wage, in-demand, and high-skill careers in Texas.
The amendments update language related to prerequisites and references to a course title to ensure alignment with refreshed programs of study. In addition, employability skills have been removed from the rules, and a reference to the universal employability skills in new §127.15 has been added.
The SBOE approved the amendments for first reading and filing authorization at its June 27, 2025 meeting and for second reading and final adoption at its September 12, 2025 meeting.
In accordance with Texas Education Code, §7.102(f), the SBOE approved the amendments for adoption by a vote of two-thirds of its members to specify an effective date earlier than the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year. The earlier effective date will allow for technical adjustments to be made to course prerequisites for implementation in the 2025-2026 school year. The effective date is 20 days after filing as adopted with the Texas Register.
SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND RESPONSES: The public comment period on the proposal began August 1, 2025, and ended at 5:00 p.m. on September 2, 2025. The SBOE also provided an opportunity for registered oral and written comments at its September 2025 meeting in accordance with the SBOE board operating policies and procedures. Following is a summary of the public comments received and corresponding responses.
Comment. Twelve teachers expressed support for the amendment to the prerequisite for §127.49, Livestock and Poultry Production (One Credit), Adopted 2024.
Response. The SBOE agrees and took action to adopt the proposed amendment to §127.49 to make a technical adjustment to the prerequisite to align with the CTE programs of study.
Comment. A community member stated that the current prerequisite for Livestock and Poultry Production creates problems with the sequence of courses for almost all schools that use this popular course as part of an animal science program of study. The commenter expressed support for the proposed amendment.
Response. The SBOE agrees and took action to adopt the proposed amendment to §127.49 to make a technical adjustment to the prerequisite to align with the CTE programs of study.
Comment. An administrator requested the removal of the current prerequisite for the Livestock and Poultry Production course, which reads "a minimum of two credits with at least one course in a Level two or higher course from the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Cluster." The commenter stated that this prerequisite makes it challenging to schedule and ensure that students are following the sequence of courses necessary to achieve completer status for a program of study.
Response. The SBOE agrees and took action to adopt the proposed amendment to §127.49 to make a technical adjustment to the prerequisite to align with the CTE programs of study.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY. The amendments are adopted under Texas Education Code (TEC), §7.102(c)(4), which requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to establish curriculum and graduation requirements; TEC, §28.002(a), which identifies the subjects of the required curriculum; and TEC, §28.002(c), which requires the SBOE to identify by rule the essential knowledge and skills of each subject in the required curriculum that all students should be able to demonstrate and that will be used in evaluating instructional materials and addressed on the state assessment instruments.
CROSS REFERENCE TO STATUTE. The amendments implement Texas Education Code, §7.102(c)(4) and §28.002(a) and (c).
The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed the adoption and found it to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.
Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on October 13, 2025.
TRD-202503693
Cristina De La Fuente-Valadez
Director, Rulemaking
Texas Education Agency
Effective date: November 2, 2025
Proposal publication date: August 1, 2025
For further information, please call: (512) 475-1497