Texas Approves History Overhaul for Millions, Teaching Ancient World to WWII in Grades 3-7
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27
Texas Approves History Overhaul for Millions, Teaching Ancient World to WWII in Grades 3-7
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27
Summary
Late Friday, the Texas State Board of Education approved a new history model that will move students through time sequentially, starting with ancient history in third grade and reaching World War II by seventh.
The overhaul replaces the common split-by-subject approach—Texas history in one grade, U.S. history in another—with Texas, U.S. and world history taught together through each era.
Republicans on the board, who hold a 10-5 majority, backed the change alongside conservative groups that argued fragmented lessons had failed and pointed to weak history scores.
The shift will affect millions of students in the nation’s second-largest state and sets Texas apart from most states, which still organize elementary and middle-school history by separate subjects or regions.
Texas approved the plan alongside a new statewide English book list that emphasizes classic literature and includes Bible excerpts, underscoring a broader curriculum push.