It's a great day to be a TEKS Resource System user!

It’s a great day to be a TEKS Resource System (TEKS RS) user! As the 2022-2023 school year moves into the Spring, TEKS RS is right here by your side. Our team has been busy creating new curriculum and assessment resources, 

including new STAAR-aligned assessment items and STAAR Analysis products. As always, the team is also regularly updating curriculum documents as needed in our dynamic system. The TEKS RS Team understands the daunting job educators have today, and our goal is to combine innovation with research-based effective practice to create an accessible and reliable curriculum for YOU! 

 

We are excited to announce that it is time to begin registering for TEKSCON 2023! Registration and housing are now open. This year, we want you to BELIEVE, Be Awesome, and Be YOU! This year, we have a great line up of inspirational speakers and are looking for some innovative breakout sessions. If you are interested in presenting, please fill out the presenter form located at www.TEKSCON.com under the “Participate” tab. Our Keynote Speaker is Niki Spears. Niki has been in education for over 25 years and understands your struggles and victories. She will excite and prepare you for the upcoming school year! This is an event you do not want to miss! 

 

Be sure to check out the content updates below in this newsletter! Thank you for your continued dedication to educating tomorrow’s leaders. 

Sincerely,

Wendi Russell

Director, TCMPC/TEKS Resource System

TEKSCON UPDATE

The TEKS RS Curriculum Conference brings together curriculum specialists, educators, administrators, schools districts, and entrepreneurs from across the state. Set along the waters of the RiverWalk in San Antonio, Texas, TEKSCON is the confluence of innovation, effective practice, and passion for success in K-12 Texas education.  

Keynote Speaker, Niki Spears is an Educator, Author, Motivational Speaker, and Change Leader who uses powerful mindset strategies to help educators and school leaders transform their lives and workplaces from somewhere they “have to be” to somewhere “they get to be!” As an educator and school leader for over 25 years, Niki witnessed the impact negativity could have on the school’s overall mission. She left her job with no promise of pay to step into her purpose of helping to create positive schools and workplaces by helping people become aware of their personal energy and how they show up each day. Niki takes her audience on a journey beyond the problems we see in our everyday lives to discover the wonderful opportunities that are hidden beneath every challenge. In a creative and insightful voyage of thought, Niki inspires participants to connect, gain confidence, move away from fear, collaborate, and adapt to change. The skills gained include self-awareness, personal responsibility, not feeling “rattled” by the unexpected, cultivating creativity, and adopting a culture of positivity and encouragement. Attendees will learn how to uncover their authentic selves, cultivate flexibility, and gain confidence. Get ready as Niki takes you on a life-changing adventure in self-discovery! 

 

Our team is committed to working hard to bring you the events you love, and we will always strive to fulfill our purpose - LEADING THE WAY TO STUDENT SUCCESS. Summer will be here before you know it, so we wanted to share a helpful guide to persuade your leadership to get you on the Road to TEKSCON.  

TEKSCON

Get the latest details and information on the TEKS Resource System Curriculum Conference, on July 25-27, 2023.

 

Read more at www.tekscon.com. 

Texas Education Agency (TEA) Updates

Implementation Schedule for Upcoming TEKS Revisions*:  

School Year 2022-2023: Revised Health/PE 

School Year 2024-2025: Revised Science AND Revised K-8 Tech Apps 

School Year 2025-2026: Revised Social Studies 

School Year 2026-2027: Revised Mathematics 

 

*Based on current SBOE decisions. 

User Survey

Implementation with fidelity of any curriculum produces higher student achievement. To ensure our understanding of user needs is on target, we are seeking your input in order to maintain a growth mindset. Thank you in advance for your participation!  

 

https://bit.ly/TEKS_RS_Survey  

Technology Enhancements & Updates

Various Accessibility Updates: Numerous pages are added throughout the site, including the addition of “Skip to Main Content” link in the site header (applies to entire site). 

 

Teacher and/or District Note: New fields were added to the bottom of the IFD. Personalize the IFD with teacher or district information including notes or links to aligned resources without having to create a District or My Version.  

 

New General Lesson Plan Template: Users can type text into open fields or upload a document when creating lesson plans. 

 

Hover over Information on IFDs: Explains the use of the “Create My Version” and “Create District Version” in an effort to distinguish between these and the new Teacher and/or District Note option on the IFD. 

 

District Resources Alignment Tool: Feature allows users to insert published content from the District Resource website section into the new Teacher and/or District Note section of the IFD. 

 

LOTE Tags for Middle School: Users can now create LOTE assessments and assessment items for Grades 6-8 in addition to the same option for HS grade levels. 

 

TEKS RS Assessment Access & TEKS RS Content Access: Upgraded layout and functionality of these pages (only viewable to District Admins) are now available.  

 

New Item Type Tags in Assessment Center: Users creating their own assessment items have updated tagging options for all new item types, including the recently added “Extended Constructed Response.” 

 

Upcoming Enhancements: 

• Reinstate the “Constructed Response” Tag/Filter option in the Math items Assessment Center. 
• Create a dynamic Conceptual Vertical Alignment tool (VAD) allowing users to examine relationships among Social Studies concepts K-12. 
• Update Physical Education Standards. 
• Add new Personal Financial Literacy & Economics Standards. 
• Update Assessment Item Submission Process with updated features for district review in order to match the workflow of other submission features in TEKS RS. (If the district allows, users can create items and submit them to district admins for feedback.) 

Reading Language Arts (ELAR & SLAR)

CURRICULUM 

NEW! Revised RLA YAGs for Grades 3-5  

A suggested revision to the Year at a Glance (YAG) for Grades 3-5 is now published as a stand-alone document in the RESOURCES SECTION and as a LINK IN THE CURRENT YAG for Grades 3-5. This revision provides more efficient teaching of literary texts and associated SEs in the Fall Semester as well as more instructional time to teach nonfiction texts earlier in the Spring Semester. We intend to make all of these revisions official throughout all interactive and dynamic curriculum and assessment products for Grades 3-5 in Early Summer 2023.  

 

ASSESSMENT 

NEW! Revised Short Constructed Response (SCR) Rubrics  

New STAAR-based SCR rubrics are now published in Grades 3-E4 as a stand-alone one-pager (front and back) Word document in the RESOURCES SECTION - RUBRICS FOLDER. This enhanced SCR Rubric contains student/teacher notes and helpful tips in addition to a detailed breakdown of the TEA SCR rubric/scoring features. Teachers and campus teams can modify the document, add prompts, etc. as needed. 

Note: We are currently in the process of updating all Unit Assessment SCR items and SCR PAs with this new revision.  

 

COMING SOON! Extended Constructed Response (ECR) Rubrics  

New STAAR-based ECR rubrics are set to be published in Grades 3-E4 as a stand-alone one-pager (front and back) Word document in the RESOURCES SECTION - RUBRICS FOLDER within the next month, followed by updates to all Unit Assessment ECR items and PAs. This enhanced ECR Rubric contains student/teacher notes and helpful tips in addition to a detailed breakdown of the TEA ECR rubric/scoring features. Teachers and campus teams can modify the document, add prompts, etc. as needed.  

 

COMING SOON! New Assessment Bundles  

New Assessment Bundles are set to be published with a 2023-2024 TBD date and will feature new STAAR item types, including SCR, ECR, and Revising and Editing items, as well as new cross-curricular passages.

Note: The TEKS RS RLA Assessments already include most of the new STAAR Redesign assessment features (SCR, ECR, and Revising and Editing items) in Grades 3-English IV. 

 

RESOURCES 

NEW! 2023 STAAR Assessed Curriculum (Changes to Readiness and Supporting Standards) Resource  

This one-page (front and back) resource highlights changes to the assessed curriculum from 2022 to 2023 and is available for Grades 3-English II and SLAR Grades 3-6 in the RESOURCES SECTION. We think this reference guide will be helpful for planning throughout each unit and can be utilized by administrators, coaches, and teachers to guide skill focus.

 

NEW! K-6 Conventions Alignment Tool  

This revised and updated tool is now available in the RESOURCES SECTION for Grades K-6 and SLAR Grades K-6. This tool identifies skill progression in Capitalization, Punctuation, Parts of Speech, Spelling, and Syntax and indicates when the new skills are introduced across this grade band. 

 

NEW! 2022 STAAR Item Analysis by Genre Resource  

2021 and 2022 STAAR Item Analysis is currently being published for Grades 3-E2 in the RESOURCES SECTION - STAAR ANALYSIS 2022 FOLDER. New grade levels are published weekly with all items for these two test administrations expected to be uploaded by the end of March. 

Mathematics & Matemáticas Updates

CURRICULUM 

COMING SOON! New K-HS Grade Level/Course Overviews & Unit Planning Tools  

Do you have questions about how your grade level was developed and the considerations that shaped the YAG and the unit order? If so, this new tool will be your guide. The tool is designed to provide an overview of each grade level/course in Mathematics. Components within this tool include the Backward Design in Nine process, Overarching Understandings, Year at a Glance Development Considerations, Year-long Development of the Grade Level/Course Big Ideas, Explanation of the Year at a Glance Order, and Year-long Spiraling Suggestions. We will announce when these new curriculum documents are ready. Our team is also exploring a new tool for mathematics that would assist teachers in planning for instruction. More information regarding the different components of this new tool will be available soon. 

 
COMING SOON! Prep for the Upcoming TEA Mathematics TEKS Review 

The mathematics TEKS review process is set for the 2022-2023 school year with implementation in the 2026-2027 school year. TEA is currently waiting for approval from the State Board of Education (SBOE) to begin the review process. SBOE will meet again in April 2023. While waiting, the TEKS RS Mathematics team is preparing for this upcoming work. Currently, we are working with our ESC partners and reviewing teacher feedback to provide suggested clarity, revisions, and/or enhancements to our current standards, in hopes of consideration by the Teacher Review Committees. Additionally, we are preparing documents and training for contractors who wish to be part of our team. If you are interested in being a contractor, we hope to have the positions posted in late Fall 2023 at https://esc13.net/careers.  

 

ASSESSMENT 

NEW! STAAR Item Types in TEKS Resource System Mathematics 

Our team just released Unit Assessment items styled similarly to the new STAAR Item Types in Grades 3-8 and Algebra I in English as well as Grades 3-5 in Spanish. These new item types are represented in each grade level/course where appropriate. Currently, there are 40 new item types in each grade level/course. You can find these items in the TEKS RS Assessment Center as non-interactive items and in Eduphoria and DMAC as interactive items.  

 

COMING SOON! Griddable Assessment Items 

Our team will be changing the format of all griddable items to the new STAAR Item Type Equation Editor in the near future. 

 

RESOURCES 

UPDATED! STAAR Item Analysis 

These resources are available for Grades 3-8 from 2015-2022 and Algebra I 2016-2022 as well as Grades 3-5 in Spanish. They are available by SE, Unit, and All Items for each designated year.  

 

UPDATED! Mathematics STAAR Blueprint and Item Percentages 

These resources are available for Grades 3-8 2015-2022 and Algebra I 2016-2022 and Grades 3-5 in Spanish and provide a quick glance at all assessed standards across the years, including the item numbers by years tested and state performance percentage for each item. 

 

NEW! Mathematics Enhanced Blueprints  

These new resources are for Grades 3-8 and Algebra I 2022-2023 and Grades 3-5 in Spanish and provide the new STAAR blueprint that includes the number of standards, number of questions, and number of points for each reporting category. A blueprint summary is included to indicate the total number of Readiness and Supporting standards and percentages for the grade level/course and the item types by points. Additionally, the new STAAR Item Types for Mathematics are provided in a summary table, indicating the question type, a question type description, and the STAAR test that each new item type may appear on. 

ADDITIONAL NEWS 

The TEKS RS Mathematics Team has a new team member! We are excited to introduce Krista Milan as our new Elementary Mathematics Specialist. Prior to joining our  

team, Krista supported the TEKS RS Mathematics team as a contractor, serving both as a writer and reviewer. Over the past several years, she has delivered professional development for ESC Region 13. She brings 19 years of experience in education as a Campus and District Instructional Coach, 3rd-5th grade classroom teacher in Title I schools, and Gifted and Talented Instructional Specialist.

 

Krista has previously served on the TEA STAAR development committees to write and review Grades 3 and 5 Math STAAR items and has been part of the Reading and Math Interim Assessment initial development process. She has extensive experience reviewing instructional materials for alignment to state standards through her work as the Assistant Alignment Director for an instructional materials review service. She is passionate about supporting educators to develop a deep understanding of curriculum and assessment because she has seen the tremendous impact TEKS RS resources have on student achievement.   

Science & Ciencias Updates

CURRICULUM 

ONGOING! NEW CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT 

Our team of educators from across the state has been working on your future curriculum for the last year and a half. Writers and reviewers conducted deep study into the research behind student learning of science content, and it has resulted in rich, detailed TEKS Specificity across our products. We are making great progress to be prepared for the 2024-2025 implementation year. 

 

ASSESSMENT 

UPCOMING! New STAAR Item Types 

This Spring, new assessment items will be published for Grade 5, Grade 8, and Biology. New Drag and Drop, Hot Spot, Multipart, Multiselect, Short Constructed Response, and Text Entry items will be available for print in our Assessment Creator as well as in their interactive form through our online testing partners.  

 

RESOURCES 

UPCOMING! Draft 2024-2025 Science Curriculum Documents  

This Summer, draft versions of products aligned to the 2024-2025 Science TEKS will be available to customers for review, planning, and feedback. Look for a single resource in each grade or course with links to the draft TEKS Clarification Documents, Vertical Alignment Documents, Year at a Glance, and several Instructional Focus Documents. These resources will also include a detailed analysis of the changes in the TEKS using our TEKS Side-by-Side documents.   

Social Studies & Estudios Sociales Updates

CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT

COMING SOON! Personal Financial Literacy/Economics 

Curriculum development for Personal Financial Literacy/Economics (PFLE) continues and a draft is nearing completion. After contributions from field experienced teachers, the TEKS RS Social Studies Team has compiled the input and crafted the organization for the course. Assessment for PFLE will follow after the release of the course in June 2023. The current bank of Economics items will be audited to determine items that may apply to the PFLE course. Additionally, assessment writing for PFL is scheduled to begin in the summer. 

 

RESOURCES 

NEW! STAAR Analysis 

Both 8th Grade and US History STAAR Analysis have been posted. This includes the district and TEKS RS versions. Additionally, any revisions to specificity that emerged from the analysis have already been released into the system. 

 

ADDITIONAL UPDATES 

NEW! STAAR Analysis 

What’s the Story? Research and Scholarship 

Our scholarship this year has been a study of the work of Jonathan Bassett and Gary Shiffman with their new text From Story to Judgment. We have been revising elements of the curriculum to reflect their work on improving instruction in history classes. Their 4 Question Method (4QM) provides a way for educators to integrate content “coverage” through storytelling with practice in the thinking skills that real people use when they examine the human world thoughtfully. Their inquiry method promotes effective planning for teachers and effective learning for students without teachers needing to “flip the table” on their current instructional approaches. Add this book to your summer reading list! 

 

Write for us! Earn CPE! Make money! 

Join the TEKS RS Affiliate Group (TAG)! This group of Texas educators will be our go-to pool for qualified writers that have been trained to write assessment items. Our first training period has begun for new item writers, but you haven’t missed out. Show your interest in joining the TAG by filling out our brief form at bit.ly/TRSItemWriting (caps matter in the link).  You’ll receive 3 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits upon successful completion of the training. When you then complete your first contract of 10 items, you will receive an additional 12 hours of CPE and $45 per item! After that, you’ll be eligible to accept future contracts as your schedule allows. Sign up today! 

Regional Report

Regional Report