Education Service Center, Region 20 offers an Access database of enhanced TEKS information to facilitate local curriculum development and alignment. True vertical and horizontal alignment can be established when the TEKS are searched, sorted and clarified.

As one example in vertical curriculum planning, the user may begin by searching by skill, concept, or process. Searching a major concept will bring up every TEKS statement keyed to that concept in grades K-12 in order by grade. Planners then may look at student expectations for content or performance from grade to grade, find gaps and fill them in. They also may modify practices to make vertical alignment more cohesive.

Districts may add new information to localize curriculum documents with teaching dates or grading periods. Some familiarization with Microsoft Access is necessary to make customized changes to the database.

About the Vertical Alignment Tool

Program Requirements

• Microsoft Access on each computer workstation utilizing this database
• Minimum of 20 MB free hard drive memory
• Local Area Network with shared folder rights
• Distributed by password protected download

Content Areas, Grade Levels and Courses

• English Language Arts grades K-8, English I, II, III, IV
• Mathematics grades K-8, Algebra I Geometry
• Science grade K-8, Integrated Physics and Chemistry, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
• Social Studies grades K-8, U.S. History, World Geography, World History and shells for local development of Economics and Government

TEKS and Enhanced Information

• Complete text of TEKS and Student Expectations
• Skill categories defined
• Concept categories defined
• Process categories defined
• Sample clarifications, performance descriptors and assessment types
• Open fields for user to add localized information; strategies, activities, resources and others

Search and Sort by

• Grade level
• TEKS number
• Skill
• Concept
• Process