Southeast Texas P-16 Council

The College Board is making changes to the AP courses that give more emphasis on what Colleges say they need:  better understanding, better ability to reason and apply knowledge.

The revisions are also designed to accomplish the following broad goals:

• Enable teachers to design curriculum that best serves the needs of each student
• Articulate clearly the connection between the revised course and its corresponding exam
• Prepare AP students for advanced college and university courses
• Continue to reflect the best practices of our talented AP teachers

Changes planned include

“In collaboration with the National Science Foundation, master AP teachers and eminent educators from universities and colleges, the AP Program has spent several years evaluating and revising AP Biology. This collaboration has led to a powerful new course, endorsed enthusiastically by higher education officials, with benefits for all members of the AP community,” the AP site says

AUSTIN – Because of the changing nature of computer science and the digital environment, the State Board of Education today approved  a substantial revision and expansion of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications for kindergarten through eighth grade, as well as to 13 high school courses.

The new curriculum standards will be implemented in 2012 -2013. These replace standards in use in Texas classrooms since 1998.

Because of the evolving and expanding nature of technology, the board is considering ultimately expanding the number of high school level technology application classes from the current eight to a total of 19.

Some of the new courses for which curriculum standards were approved are Robotics Programming and Development, Game Programming and Design, Mobile Application Development, and Digital Design and Media Production.

The board delayed adopting standards for six high school courses until July so the board members could continue to review and consider input they received during the public comment period:  Fundamentals of Computer Science; Computer Science I, II, II; Discrete Mathematics; and Web Game Development.

All the Technology Application TEKS are organized around six strands: creativity and innovation; communications and collaboration; research and information fluency; critical thinking, problem solving and decision making; digital citizenship; and technology operations and concepts. More information about the curriculum standards update is available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=8192 .