New ELAR TEKS: Ideas and Implications for School Leaders

The New ELAR TEKS are different. If someone reads them and tells you that's what we've always done, they are delusional.

As an administrator or curriculum leader, there are some important things you need to know and ways you can begin to prepare. PLC Discussion about the Introductions

It's important to spend time in PLC's reading and discussing the introductions to the new TEKS. These seven paragraphs establish why the strands are included and how they "embody the interconnected nature of reading, writing, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking" (TEKS Introductions, Section 110.) Simply put, the introductions guide the form and function of the TEKS. 

PD2Teach recorded a sample PLC to guide leaders in what these discussions can look like and to identify the most salient points that could result from such discussions.If you are interested in viewing the the recording, please join TCTELA at this link.  The video is available to members at http://at.bulb.re/r5n PD2Teach will be recording discussions for each strand and provide important resources to give exemplars of what instruction can look like for each grade. 

Bring your teachers together to read and discuss the introductions to the TEKS. You can find copies at this link.  

To help you, PD2Teach has created a document that summarizes the main points that teachers should glean from their discussions of the new TEKS. 

Implications for Planning and Budgeting

As you plan ahead for implementation, there are several implications for the differences in the new TEKS. 

1. Teacher Assignments:  Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Thinking, and Research will all be connected. If you have one teacher assigned to reading and another to writing, it will be almost impossible to separate the TEKS into two separate courses. 

2. Scheduling Implications: The new TEKS reflect what we know about best practices in ELAR instruction. This takes TIME. Many schools implement balanced literacy and guided reading in the lower grades. The problem, is that teachers do not have enough time to get all of their groups covered and still have time for grade level instruction. This causes serious problems because instruction always focuses on catching students up that are behind and never gives teachers the time to focus on teaching grade level TEKS. Teachers in K-5 will need a minimum of 120 minutes to teach a blended Reading and Writing Course. Teachers in 6-12 will need a minimum of 90 minutes to teach a blended Reading and Writing Course. 45 minutes is not enough time. I'm not sure how you fit that into the master schedule with orchestra and football, but a key principle in promoting success is to structure the time needed for it (STOIC model). Teachers aren't using time as an excuse. It's an authentic handcuff to accomplishing our goals for literate, empowered citizens.

3. Testing Implications: The new TEKS were completely rewritten. The test will need to be changed. Commissioner Morath talked about his new vision of what the development process could look like. I don't know what it will look like, but I'm pretty sure we won't have a separate reading and writing test. 

4. Budgeting Implications: Self-Selected Reading and Writing are HUGE core beliefs that drive the new TEKS. Teachers will need money for classroom libraries that match the reading interests of their students. Teachers will also need significant staff development and support to understand the conceptual differences in moving away from teaching specific cannonized texts. Teachers will need significant staff development and support to understand how reading, writing, discussion, and research are all blended together and not siloed into isolated units. 

5. English III and IV: English III and IV are no longer solely focused on British Literature and American Literature. Get ready for some angry faces. But you can also count on kids being more engaged in reading. 

6. Spelling and Phonics: Say goodbye to the Friday spelling test - which we have known for YEARS is an abusive practice. Teachers (and parents) will need help in understanding the shift and knowing what to do instead.