What type of curriculum decisions can be made at the individual school level? Do any of the RISD schools have a non-TAKS approach to curriculum?
All public schools in Texas are required to teach the state curriculum, which is called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS. Students’ knowledge of the TEKS is measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, or the TAKS. While the two are commonly confused, it is not accurate to state that schools “teach the TAKS.” While the TEKS is “what” must be learned, the “how” it is learned is generally up to individual districts, based on community expectations and demographics.
