What students are missing is the most important part: how world history connects directly to their daily lives.
Texas is about to change that.
The new proposed social studies standards—thoughtfully drafted by content advisors and shaped by hundreds of Texas teachers participating in the official work groups—represent a transformative step forward. For the first time, students will see clearly how the civilizations of the past shape the world they live in today.
Under these new standards, students will discover that the numbers they use every day in math were shared with the world by Arabian scholars. They will see how the columns of Ancient Greece and Rome inspired the design of the U.S. Capitol, the Texas Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial—demonstrating how classical ideas shaped American government. They will learn that the paper they use in class every day was first invented in China.
History will no longer feel distant or abstract. It will feel real.
Students will explore how Tex-Mex cuisine grew from ancient Mesoamerican civilizations. They will study the Mali Empire and its influence on global trade and learning. They will learn that an early Thanksgiving took place in El Paso in 1598—broadening their understanding of the many threads that form our shared story.
They will also encounter the people and traditions that make Texas unique. Students will learn about Blind Lemon Jefferson, a Black Texan whose blues music shaped American culture. They will study the Vietnamese boat people who came to Houston seeking freedom and enriched our communities through entrepreneurship and tradition. They will examine the deep Hispanic roots of Texas through Tejano ranching, the vaquero tradition, and celebrations like Fiestas Patrias.
This is history students can see, hear, and experience around them every day.
By connecting world history to Texas and to the United States, we help students understand not just what happened in the past—but how civilizations, cultures, and individuals shaped the world they inhabit today. Texas itself is a melting pot shaped by civilizations from across the globe, and these standards finally help students see that they are part of that ongoing story.
At the Booker T. Washington Initiative, we know why this matters so deeply.
In Texas, Black students represent roughly 13 percent of the total student population. Yet they have the highest dropout rates, are the most likely to be referred to special education programs, and have the lowest scores on standardized tests across grades and subjects. Half of all Black students with an Emotional and Behavioral Disorder (EBD) diagnosis drop out before graduation, and 73 percent of those students are arrested within three to five years.
These outcomes are unacceptable.
Education is the civil rights movement of our time. The Texas Constitution requires that suitable provision be made “for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.” When student outcomes look like those described above, it is clear that reforms are urgently needed—especially for students who have been left behind.
The Booker T. Washington Initiative is committed to securing for parents the rights and freedom to choose the educational options best suited for their children. We work with districts and schools of all types to expand access to instruction and opportunities that help students succeed in the classroom and beyond. Our goal is clear: to close the academic achievement gap while shutting off the school-to-prison pipeline.
The new history standards are part of that solution—for all Texans, and especially for minority communities who have too often been underserved by the current standards.
When students see themselves reflected in the curriculum—when they understand how their culture, their community, and their state connect to the broader human story—they are more engaged, more confident, and more likely to succeed.
Texas is leading the way by raising expectations and broadening horizons. Thanks to the work of dedicated content advisors and hundreds of Texas teachers, our students will soon receive a richer, more connected understanding of history.
