What are the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and PreKindergarten Guidelines?
The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do in each subject and grade level. The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) has legislative authority to adopt the TEKS for each subject of the required curriculum. The SBOE periodically reviews and revises the TEKS for each subject area. Guidelines are provided for PreKindergarten students.

What Do the Technology Applications TEKS cover?
Technology includes data communication, data processing, and the devices used for these tasks locally and across networks. Learning to apply these technologies motivates students to develop critical-thinking skills, higher-order thinking, and innovative problem-solving. Technology applications incorporate the study of digital tools, devices, communication, and programming to empower students to apply current and emerging technologies in their careers, their education, and beyond.

The technology applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) consist of five strands that prepare students to be literate in technology applications by Grade 8: computational thinking; creativity and innovation; data literacy, management, and representation; digital citizenship; and practical technology concepts. Communication and collaboration skills are embedded across the strands.

• Computational thinking - Students break down the problem-solving process into four steps: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms.

• Creativity and innovation - Students use innovative design processes to develop solutions to problems. Students plan a solution, create the solution, test the solution, iterate, and debug the solution as needed and implement a completely new and innovative product.

• Data literacy, management, and representation - Students collect, organize, manage, analyze, and publish various types of data for an audience.

• Digital citizenship - Students practice the ethical and effective application of technology and develop an understanding of cybersecurity and the impact of a digital footprint to become safe, productive, and respectful digital citizens.

• Practical technology concepts - Students build their knowledge of software applications and hardware focusing on keyboarding and use of applications and tools.

The technology applications TEKS can be integrated into all content areas and can support stand-alone courses.

In PreKindergarten, students learn how technology can enhance our lives. Surrounded by technology, children can benefit from becoming aware of and interacting with digital media and a variety of other available technology. They develop techniques for handling and controlling various devices, becoming increasingly confident and independent users of developmentally appropriate interactive media.

Breakouts are the component parts of each student expectation The documents below provide a detailed explanation of the student expectations for that specific grade level. Students are expected to be technology proficient by the end of 8th grade and then will use those skills in 9th-12th grade.