After a heated public hearing earlier this month, the State Board of Education (SBOE) held a special meeting on Monday and gave preliminary approval to minor revisions to the K-12 social studies curriculum standards. At the previous meeting, the board had directed TEA staff to bring forward amendments only to bring the standards into compliance with SB 3, the so-called “critical race theory” bill. Amendments recommended by staff included media literacy and civic engagement skills. However, the board did not consider additional amendments made by members during the meeting as they were determined by the Chair, Dr. Keven Ellis, as not relating to the topics required of the new law. The SBOE will vote on the final adoption of these standards at their November meeting and will fix an implementation date, expected to be the 2025-2026 school year.