Government Relations Report - January 2025

89th Legislative Special Sessions Update

• Major issues slated to be debated this session include education savings accounts (vouchers) and school funding and teacher pay among other issues.

• Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced this week during his Biennial Revenue Estimate that the state will have $194.6 billion in available General Revenue for the 2026-27 budget cycle. This includes $23.8 billion left over from the current budget cycle, which includes $4.5 billion left unspent when the Legislature failed in 2023 to agree on an education savings account bill. In addition, the state’s Rainy Day Fund is expected to be at $28.5 billion by the end of the 2027 fiscal year.

• Bill filings for this session began back in November, and to date, TASA is tracking approximately 600 bills. Legislators can file bills until March 14. Bills related to school funding, education savings accounts, civics courses, property tax relief, taxpayer-funded lobbying, and library books, are among some of the bills filed thus far. 

• Watch broadcasts of the Texas House and Senate and follow bills as they are filed.

Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA):

• The SBOE created a list of approved instructional materials and a list of rejected instructional materials closing the first year of the IMRA process.

  • IMRA 2024 List of SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials (PDF)

  • IMRA 2024 List of SBOE-Rejected Instructional Materials (PDF)

    •  Districts may still use these materials; however, districts may not access the new entitlement funding for these products, nor any products where the SBOE took “no action”.

• The SBOE also approved a quality rubric for supplemental mathematics products and approved updates to the existing suitability and quality rubrics for the next IMRA cycle.

  • Suitability Rubrics

    • IMRA Suitability Rubric (PDF) was updated to clarify that positive suitability indicators are required to be in products designed to cover the foundation curriculum in K–12 (English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies). There is an exception for supplemental mathematics materials.

  • Quality Rubrics

    •  Supplemental Mathematics K–12 Quality Rubric (PDF) Approved November 22, 2024 for IMRA 2025

 Mathematics K–12 Quality Rubric (PDF) Revised and Updated November 22, 2024 for IMRA 2025

SBOE IMRA Cycle 2024 Timeline

• TEA Releases “What if” Accountability Ratings  Among changes made by TEA for the new A-F system, the CCMR indicator for high school would rise from 60% to 88%. Since the new methodology would be applied to 2022 graduates, it drew concern from some districts. Districts filed suit and, in late October, a Travis County judge blocked TEA from releasing ratings. These ratings are only provided for reference and do not replace the final 2022 A-F ratings.  Link to Presentation

• Mathematics Achievement Academies As a part of the 84th Texas Legislature,  Mathematics Achievement Academies are available for K - 4 for the three-day academies. Teachers who successfully complete the three-day in-person training are eligible to receive a $350 stipend or professional development credit. More information can be found on the TEA website.

• 26 Texas Schools Receive 2023 National Blue Ribbon Honors  The list is available under Agency News on the TEA Website

Middle School Advanced Mathematics:

• SBOE heard from the work groups on two options for the advanced math TEKS. The Full Board decided to move forward with option 2 (recommendation, TEKS verification of recommendation), a plan that takes 4 years of math (6, 7, 8, & Algebra 1) and compacts it into 3 years, with the first reading at the January meeting.

Mathematics TEKS Revision:

The Committee of the Full Board approved a long range plan for revisions that does NOT include revision of the Math TEKS until 2031. SBOE TEKS and IMRA Timelines (PDF)

Watch SBOE Past Meeting and Live Meetings at: www.adminmonitor.com/tx/tea 

Regards,

Michelle Gandy, TCTM Government Relations Representative