AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas State Board of Education is expected to give final approval this week to revised high school social studies standards that would change how public school students learn about U.S. and world history, government and geography.
The proposed standards would require students to examine connections between biblical imagery, the Declaration of Independence and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
One recommendation would direct students to study early Islam through references to what the proposal describes as the Prophet Mohammed’s “brutal military campaigns” against Jewish and Christian tribes, the normalization of slavery and the taking of female captives.
Another proposed standard would require students to describe arguments against the modern welfare state that developed through the expansion of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society programs.
The board’s Republican majority approved changes to K–8 social studies standards in June, along with a required reading list that includes Bible stories.
The board postponed action on four upper-level courses after members raised concerns about the pace of the revision process and potential errors. Members will resume consideration Monday, with final votes expected Friday.
The overhaul has taken several years. The board delayed its social studies review in 2022 after conservative lawmakers criticized how Texas schools addressed topics including race and gender.
Conservative lawmakers and activists have supported the revisions, arguing that Texas schools should move away from lessons they believe portray the United States negatively.
The proposed standards have drawn opposition from Democrats, educators and students, who have criticized what they describe as reduced attention to racial, ethnic and cultural diversity and a greater emphasis on Christianity.
Hundreds of people have testified during board meetings, some of which continued overnight. Teachers have also questioned the revision process and said the board majority gave greater weight to conservative activists than to educators.
The proposed framework would also eliminate the current sixth-grade world cultures course. Some educators have criticized the change, saying it could reduce students’ exposure to cultures and traditions outside Western civilization.
If approved, Texas schools would begin phasing in the revised social studies standards during the 2030-31 school year.
The board’s Republican majority will temporarily expand to 11-4 this week after Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Pasadena Republican Tammie Nielsen to replace Houston Democrat Staci Childs, who vacated her seat while campaigning for the Texas House.
Democrat Coretta Mallet-Fontenot will appear on the November ballot as a candidate to permanently replace Childs on the board.
