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Adding a little info about CSCOPE and some action being taken. Hopefully it will continue to be front and center with more public input.

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Sen. Patrick, CSCOPE announce sweeping changes

AUSTIN- State Sen. Dan Patrick, in coordination with the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC), announces significant changes to the CSCOPE curriculum management system.

The TESCCC has worked with Patrick, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and the State Board of Education (SBOE), to address concerns raised at a recent committee hearing on the CSCOPE system. The two parties have agreed to several immediate as well as forthcoming changes.

The changes that take effect immediately include:

All future meetings of the TESCCC Governing Board, beginning with the February meeting, will be public with all the respective notice requirements being met.
The TESCCC will begin a joint review process of all CSCOPE lessons with the SBOE beginning with Social Studies.
Amendment of all Terms of Use Agreements, signed by both teachers and districts, removing civil or criminal penalties associated with the release of CSCOPE content.
Clarifying that all teachers and districts may post any and all CSCOPE lessons that they deem necessary.

In addition to these immediate transparency and quality control changes, CSCOPE will also undergo structural, governance, and other changes, including:

Ending the non-profit 501(c)3 arrangement that incorporates CSCOPE.
Initiating the posting of CSCOPE lesson content to their public website.
Creating a standing curriculum review panel, comprised of: parents, teachers, school administrators, members of the SBOE, and TESCCC board members.

Finally, CSCOPE is notifying all participating school districts that lessons are not intended to be taught verbatim, and the Governing Board generally recommends that local districts utilize CSCOPE lessons solely as a resource. Until CSCOPE lessons can be reviewed through a collaborative process with the SBOE and TESCCC, districts are strongly encouraged to review all lessons at the local level, to ensure that lessons are appropriate for their students.

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