Texas writes its own course of study, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and revises each subject on its own schedule. The state does not use the Common Core. The TEKS run from kindergarten through twelfth grade and set the floor for what every district teaches, with the spring STAAR tests built directly off them. Science was refreshed in 2021, health in 2022, and physical education in 2024.
| Subject | Framework | Adopted | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills | 2017 | View |
| Mathematics | Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills | 2012 | View |
| Science | Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills | 2021 | View |
| Social Studies | Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills | 2018 | View |
| Computer Science & Digital Fluency | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Technology ApplicationsK-12 CS Framework-aligned | 2016 | View |
| Arts: Visual Arts | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Fine ArtsNCAS-aligned | 2014 | View |
| Arts: Dance | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Fine ArtsNCAS-aligned | 2014 | View |
| Arts: Media Arts | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Fine ArtsNCAS-aligned | 2014 | View |
| Arts: Music | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Fine ArtsNCAS-aligned | 2014 | View |
| Arts: Theatre | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Fine ArtsNCAS-aligned | 2014 | View |
| World Languages | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Languages Other Than EnglishACTFL-aligned | 2015 | View |
| Physical Education | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Physical EducationSHAPE-aligned | 2024 | View |
| Health Education | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Health EducationNHES-aligned | 2022 | View |
| Career Development & Occupational Studies | Texas Education Agency — TEKS Career and Technical EducationCCTC-aligned | 2012 | View |
| Social Emotional Learning | Texas Education Agency — SEL (CASEL-aligned)CASEL-aligned | 2020 | View |
Tests for English learners and world-language students.
Annual assessment of English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for students identified as English learners in grades K-12.
Tests that do not fit the buckets above.
STAAR Reading Language Arts is the spring summative reading and writing test for grades 3 through 5. Students answer multiple-choice and short-constructed-response items aligned to the TEKS for ELAR.
STAAR Reading Language Arts is the spring summative test for middle-grade ELAR. Students answer multiple-choice, constructed-response, and extended-constructed-response items aligned to the TEKS.
STAAR Mathematics is the spring summative math test for grades 3 through 5, aligned to the TEKS for math. Items include multiple-choice, gridded responses, and drag-and-drop.
STAAR Mathematics is the spring summative math test for grades 6 through 8, aligned to the TEKS for math.
STAAR Science is the grade 5 spring science test, aligned to the TEKS for science. Students show what they know across matter and energy, force and motion, Earth and space, and organisms.
STAAR Science is the grade 8 spring science test, aligned to the TEKS for science.
STAAR Social Studies is the grade 8 spring social studies test, aligned to the TEKS for grade 8 US history through Reconstruction.
End-of-course exam taken at the completion of Algebra I, typically grade 8 or 9. Students must pass all five STAAR EOCs to graduate from a Texas public high school.
End-of-course exam taken at the completion of Biology, typically grade 9 or 10.
End-of-course exam in reading and writing taken at the completion of English I, typically grade 9.
End-of-course exam in reading and writing taken at the completion of English II, typically grade 10.
End-of-course exam taken at the completion of US History, typically grade 11.
Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, writing, and other subjects. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.
STAAR is the spring test most public school students take. Students in grades 3 through 8 take it in reading and math, with science added in grades 5 and 8 and social studies in grade 8. High schoolers take end-of-course STAAR exams in Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and US History.
Students must pass all five end-of-course STAAR exams to graduate from a Texas public high school. Those are Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and US History. The grade-level STAAR tests in elementary and middle school do not have a pass-to-promote requirement at the state level.
No. Texas writes its own standards, called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS. The State Board of Education adopts the TEKS for each subject and revises them on its own schedule, separate from Common Core.
The State Board of Education revises the TEKS subject by subject, usually every six to ten years. Math was last adopted in 2012, English in 2017, social studies in 2018, science in 2021, health in 2022, and physical education in 2024.
Students identified as English learners take TELPAS each spring from kindergarten through grade 12. It measures listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English, and the results help schools decide what language support a student still needs.
