The Texas State Board of Education approved revised high-school social studies standards on September 4 that expand required instruction about ancient Israel and the founding of the modern state of Israel. The Houston Chronicle reported that the broader high-school rewrite passed the Republican-controlled board on an 8–4 vote.
The final World History standards describe ancient Israel as a root of Western civilization. Students are expected to study the development of Judaism, the Exodus story, the Decalogue and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, along with Hebrew contributions including monotheism and moral and ethical teachings in the Torah.
The U.S. History standards require students to identify 1948 as the date of the establishment of modern Israel, described in the document as “the ancestral homeland of the Jews.” World History uses closely related language, requiring students to identify 1948 as the establishment of modern Israel, “the ancestral home of the Jews.”
A September 18 Stat Crux Report post said the standards would take effect in the 2030–31 school year. In the final high-school document, however, 2030–31 is bracketed out and replaced with 2033–34 for U.S. History, U.S. Government, World History and World Geography. The article therefore uses 2033–34 as the current implementation schedule for these high-school courses.
