The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) votes Friday, Sept. 4, on a K-12 social studies curriculum rewrite affecting every public school in Texas. Students at Clear Lake High School, Clear Brook High School and Friendswood High School would see changes to how they learn about religion and American history.

If the 15-member board approves the new standards, the changes take effect in the 2030-31 school year. Clear Creek ISD and Friendswood ISD would be required to adopt them. KERA News reported the board's 10-5 Republican majority was expected to approve the curriculum.

The proposed standards cover four high school courses: U.S. History, U.S. Government, World History and World Geography. Most of the roughly 100 testimonies at a Monday, Aug. 31, hearing focused on how the standards treat Islam and Christianity.

How the standards treat each religion

Islam is referenced 12 times across the four courses, Community Impact reported. Students would learn about the religion through the lens of extremism and "radical Islam" in all four courses. The World History course describes "The Prophet Mohammed's brutal military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes, the normalization of slavery, and the taking of female captives as harem slaves."

Christianity is referenced at least 18 times. Students would study the "roots of Western civilization in Christianity," the life and teachings of Jesus and how Christians contributed to Western civilization. The Bible is directly mentioned, with students required to learn about "moral teachings from the Old and New Testaments."

The board earlier in 2026 removed a standard that would have taught about Muslim contributions to algebra and astronomy, according to KERA News.

In the World Geography course, students would study the central ideas of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Confucianism and Daoism. But religious texts and "significant beliefs" would be required study only for Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Islam's holy text is not included.

Testimony split along sharp lines

Bahia Amawi, a Central Texas speech pathologist, told the board Monday, Aug. 31, that the standards "were written intentionally to portray one face in a positive light while deliberately casting another in a negative light."

Meghan Dougherty, an Austin-area social studies specialist, testified that the proposed standards did not comply with Texas' college, career and military readiness requirements. She said the curriculum would send students to college "a step behind peers in other states who were taught analysis skills."

Fort Worth pastor David Waller testified Aug. 31 that the Bible "is foundational to American history" and called for it to be mandatory reading for every high school student.

SBOE member Brandon Hall, a Republican from Aledo, told reporters at a June 22 board meeting that the rewrite would "roll back 80 years worth of historical revisionism."

What changed and what's next

The SBOE gave initial approval to the high school standards on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Democratic members sought amendments to describe Islam in more neutral terms and include information about Muslim contributions to science. The Republican majority voted those amendments down.

The board approved K-8 social studies standards and a required reading list with biblical references in June 2026. Students would also study the American Revolution, the Battle of the Alamo, slavery, the Civil Rights movement, World War I, World War II and the Cold War.

No Clear Creek ISD or Friendswood ISD officials have commented publicly on the proposed standards. The final vote is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4.