TEXAS IS READY
For the first time in more than two decades, in 2020 Texas revised its sex ed standards.
The next step? Preparing our families, schools, districts, and communities for when the new standards take effect in 2022.
The Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens (Ntarupt), and Healthy Futures of Texas are collaborating to improve sex education curriculum access for Texas youth.
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And all the latest news from our organizations
Texas is ready to lead in sex ed
16%
Only 16% of school districts in Texas currently teach "abstinence-plus" sex ed. The remainder teach abstinence-only curricula, or no sex educations at all.
(Source: Conspiracy of Silence:
Sexuality Education in Texas Public Schools in 2015-16.)
21
Every 21 minutes, a baby is born to a teen in Texas.
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Texas has the 9th highest teen birth rate and the highest repeat teen birth rate nationwide.
(Source: Texas Campaign analysis of CDC Natality data, 2018.)
75%
75% of Texans support abstinence-plus sex ed, including all major demographic, regional and political groups.
(Source: Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy polling data, March 2020)
Poll Results Webinar
Held June 17, 2020
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Webinar releasing results of our poll on Texas voters' opinions on sex education.
Click the link below to watch the recording.
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Poll Results
Download here​
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Texas voters overwhelmingly support abstinence-plus sex education in Texas.
Click here to see the results of our March 2020 public opinion polling. ​
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Plotting a path forward for Texas youth
How the State Board of Education works
The SBOE is made up of 15 elected officials from across Texas who are responsible for making and revising standards regarding each subject offered in Texas schools.
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Texas does not require health education in high school, but many school districts choose to offer elective health classes, which include sex education components. Some districts offer age-appropriate sex ed, like the names of body parts or skills for healthy friendships, at younger grades as well.
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Districts that choose to teach sex education must follow minimum curriculum standards set by the SBOE: Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS. These represent the minimum standards associated with courses in Texas. School districts can choose to go above and beyond the TEKS in selecting curricula for their students.
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In 2020, the SBOE revised these Health TEKS for the first time since the 1990s, fundamentally changing the map for adolescent health in the state.
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You can read the drafts of the TEKS and the approved final version here.
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Want more information? Check out this infographic to see the whole SBOE process.
Who represents me?
The State Board of Education ​is an elected group that oversees several important functions of Texas’s public education system, including setting minimum curriculum standards and reviewing and adopting instructional materials.
There are currently 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats on the SBOE, each representing about 1.8 million constituents in Texas.
Reaching out directly to your SBOE member can be a powerful way to advocate. Use the link below to find out who represents you and how to contact them.
Get Involved
Young people in Texas deserve quality, accurate sex education
Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
Recommendations
Abstinence-Plus
Young people deserve information about abstinence as well as contraception, STI prevention, and healthy relationships.
Medically Accurate
Sex ed curriculum should reflect the most recent science and be supported by evidence.
Inclusive
All students deserve to learn in a safe environment that respects their identities and experiences.