Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency is the administrative unit for primary and secondary public education in Texas. The mission of the Texas Education Agency is to provide leadership, guidance, and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students. The Texas Education Agency comprises of the commissioner of education and various agency staff. The Texas Education Agency and the State Board of Education (SBOE) guide and monitor activities and programs related to public education in Texas. Under the leadership of the commissioner of education, the Texas Education Agency manages the textbook adoption process, oversees development of the statewide curriculum, administers the statewide assessment program, administers a data collection system on public school students, staff, and finances, rates school districts under the statewide accountability system, operates research and information programs, monitors for compliance with federal guidelines and serves as a fiscal agent for the distribution of state and federal funds. The Texas Education Agency's operational costs are supported by both state and federal funds. The Texas Education Agency was established in 1949 by the Gilmer Aiken Laws. It replaced the former State Board of Education and the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Currently the Texas Education Agency has seven agencies viz., the Field Services Department, which acts as a bridge between local school districts and the commissioner of education; the Department of Curriculum and Assessment, which administers the divisions of curriculum development, instructional outcomes assessment and professional educator assessment; the Department of Professional Development, which focuses on achieving a comprehensive professional development system; the Office of Programs and Instructions, which supervises the division of accelerated instruction, bilingual education, special education, services for the deaf, and migrant education; the Office of Accountability, which supervises activities related to accreditation, student achievement analysis, compliance analysis, school district governance, special investigations, and institutional development; the Office of School Support Services, which directs policy development and supervises activities related to school support, audits, technology applications and resource planning; and the Office of Operations, which provides services for all employees and departments.

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