Innovative Courses
Innovative courses allow districts to offer state-approved innovative courses to enable students to master knowledge, skills, and competencies not included in the essential knowledge and skills of the required curriculum (). The State Board of Education (SBOE) may approve discipline-based courses in the foundation or enrichment curriculum and courses that do not fall within any of the subject areas listed in the foundation and enrichment curricula when the applying school district or organization demonstrates that the proposed course is academically rigorous and addresses documented student needs.
School districts and open-enrollment charters that wish to offer an approved innovative high school course are encouraged to reference the Innovative Course Implementation section of this webpage.
Stakeholders who are interested in submitting an application for a new innovative high school course are encouraged to reference the Innovative Course Application and Approval section of this webpage.
Authors of expiring innovative courses who have been invited to renew are also encouraged to reference the Innovative Course Application and Approval section of this webpage.
Announcements
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List of Approved Innovative Courses, 2024-2025 Now Available: The list of innovative courses that are approved for the 2024-2025 school year has been posted. Stakeholders may view the list under the List of Approved Innovative CoursesÌýsection of this webpage.
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List of Innovative Courses That Have Become TEKS-Based Courses, 2024-2025 Posted:ÌýA list of innovative courses that have become TEKS-based courses (effective August 31, 2024) has been posted. This list contains updated service IDs as well as the location of the TEKS for each course. Stakeholders may view the list under the Innovative Courses That Have Become TEKS-Based Courses, 2024-2025Ìýsection of this webpage.
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2025-2026 Innovative Course Application Cycle Now Open: The 2025-2026 application cycle for innovative courses is now open for new and renewal submissions. Courses that are approved by the State Board of Education (SBOE) will be available for implementation beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. As part of this cycle, innovative courses with an expiration year of 2024-2025 will be invited to renew. The application deadline for both new courses and renewals is on September 13, 2024. Application materials for the 2025-2026 innovative course application cycle have been published on this webpage under the Application Materials and Supporting Documents section.
Innovative Course Implementation
This section is intended for school districts and open-enrollment charters that wish to offer an approved innovative course in their course catalog for students.
List of Approved Innovative Courses
With the approval of the local board of trustees, school districts and open-enrollment charters may offer any state-approved innovative course for state elective credit only. Innovative courses may not meet any other specific graduation requirement. LEAs do not need to apply to TEA to offer an approved innovative course. Innovative courses are approved to meet certain on the Foundation High School Program.
Complete course descriptions and requirements are available for download in the list of approved innovative courses shown above or from one of the content-area pages listed below. Course descriptions include the knowledge and skills for the course, suggested activities, suggested resources and materials, and approved educator certifications. The lists have been updated as of August 14, 2023.
- Career and Technical Education
- Foundation (Bilingual/ESL, English Language Arts and Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies)
- Enrichment (Fine Arts, Health, Physical Education, Technology Applications)
- Other Electives
Innovative Courses That Have Become TEKS-Based Courses, 2024-2025
Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, eight former innovative courses will become TEKS-based courses. The following list includes updated Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) IDs for each course as well as the location of each TEKS the 19 TAC.
Innovative Course Application and Approval Process
This section is intended for stakeholders who are interested in submitting an application for a new innovative course. Authors of expiring innovative courses who have been invited to renew are also encouraged to reference this section.
Rule Changes for Innovative Course Applications
In November 2023, the SBOE approved amendments to the rules related to innovative courses. Major changes include the following:
Previous Rules | Amended Rules |
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Courses are approved by either SBOE or Commissioner of Education. | Courses approved by SBOE. |
All new courses require a pilot. |
All new courses, except for courses designated for a TEA-approved CTE program of study,Ìýrequire a pilot. Please note that the refreshed programs of study have been finalized and that no new innovative courses will be accepted into a statewide or regional program of study. Therefore, all new courses will require a pilot for the 2025-2026 cycle. |
N/A | New courses are approved for 3 years and renewals for 5 years. |
LEAs may offer innovative course without modifications with the approval of their local board of trustees. | LEAs may offer innovative courses without deletions with the approval of their local board of trustees. |
N/A | All recommended resources must be submitted to TEA for SBOE review. |
Application Materials and Supporting Documents
The 2025-2026 application cycle for innovative courses will open on February 26, 2024. Courses that are approved by the State Board of Education (SBOE) will be available for implementation beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. As part of this cycle, innovative courses with an expiration year of 2024-2025 will be invited to renew. The application deadline for both new courses and renewals is on September 13, 2024.
Completed application material should be emailed to innovative.courses@tea.texas.gov.
The following application materials are for new courses:
- 2025-2026 Innovative Course Application Checklist
- 2025-2026 Innovative Course Application Instructions - New
- 2025-2026 Innovative Course Application - New Course (Word)
- 2025-2026 Innovative Course Application - New Course (PDF)
- Instructional Materials Assurances Statement - Innovative Courses
The following application materials are for renewals:
- 2025-2026 Innovative Course Application Checklist
- 2025-2026 Innovative Course Application Instructions - Renewal
- 2025-2026 Innovative Course Application - Renewals (Word)
- 2025-2026 Innovative Course Application - Renewals (PDF)
- Instructional Materials Assurances Statement - Innovative Courses
Application Timeline for the 2025-2026 Cycle
To benefit both innovative course applicants and LEAs who wish to implement innovative courses, the timeline for future innovative course application cycles has been updated. The updated timeline is designed to provide additional time for the following:
- Applicants to complete applications
- Applicants to receive local board approval
- Applicants to complete course pilots and analyze data
- Districts and open-enrollment charters to plan for innovative course implementation
Courses that are approved will be available for implementation beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
The table below contains the updated innovative course application timeline:
Date | Action |
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January 17, 2024 | Information regarding innovative courses and renewals is made available online. |
January-June 2024 | Innovative courses with an expiration year of 2024-2025 are invited to renew. |
February 26, 2024 | ApplicationÌýwindow is openÌýfor the 2025-2026 cycle. This is the first day that applications may be submitted.Ìý |
September 13, 2024 | Application deadline—New innovative course and renewal application are due.ÌýThis is the last day that applications may be submitted. |
September 2024 -ÌýApril 2025 |
State Board of Education (SBOE) approves or denies applications. As course applications complete the editorial negotiation process, applications may be placed on the board’s agenda as early as September 2024. Courses that are approved will be available for implementation beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. |
July 1, 2025 | PEIMS codes for the 2025-2026 school year are updated for school districts and open-enrollment charters |
Innovative Course Sunset Review Process
At its November 2023 meeting, the State Board of Education (SBOE) amended the the innovative courses rules to establish a sunset review of innovative courses that meet certain criteria. TEA’s Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division has generated a sunset list of all innovative courses that meet the criteria.
Stakeholders may view a copy of the Final Spring 2024 Innovative Course Sunset Report:
The timeline for the innovative course sunset review includes the following:
Date | Action |
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March 2024 |
TEA sends sunset report to State Board of Education (SBOE) Committee on Instruction for review. Authors of innovative courses are notified if their course will appear on the sunset report. |
April 9-12, 2024 | SBOE discusses potential sunset of existing innovative courses in the report. |
June 25-28, 2024 | SBOE takes final action to sunset innovative courses. |
August 31, 2025 | Innovative courses that were sunset by the SBOE are retired and no longer count for state elective credit. |
Sunset Report Rules
The following rules were adopted by the State Board of Education (SBOE) regarding the criteria of generating the biennial sunset review of existing innovative courses:
Â鶹ÊÓƵ shall review all approved innovative courses once every two years and provide for consideration for sunset a list of innovative courses that have been approved as an innovative course for at least three years and meet one of the following criteria:ÌýÌýÌý
- Zero enrollment for the previous two years
- Average enrollment of less than 100 students statewide for the previous three years
- Student enrollment at an average of fewer than 20 districts or charter schools statewide for the previous three years
- Duplicative of another innovative or TEKS-based course
- Approved for implementation as a TEKS-based course
Questions related to innovative courses may be directed to the Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division by submitting a or contacting the innovative course inbox atÌýinnovative.courses@tea.texas.gov.Ìý
Additional Innovative Courses Resources
TexasÌýEducation Agency
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701-1401
Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division
For questions or additional information, please submit a Curriculum Request Form through the TEA Help Desk.
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(512) 463-9581Ìý