This section defines several education-related terms used in the chapter, including instructional material, open education resource instructional material, publisher, supplemental instructional material, and technological equipment.
Sec. 31.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Full subject tier one instructional material" means instructional material designed to, if implemented as designed, provide a student with mastery of the essential knowledge and skills adopted by the board for a certain subject and grade level in the required curriculum under Section 28.002 or for prekindergarten without the need for supplementation. (1-a) "Instructional material" means content that conveys the essential knowledge and skills of a subject in the public school curriculum through a medium or a combination of media for conveying information to a student. The term includes: (A) material used by a teacher, including a lesson plan, answer key, grading rubric, or unit plan; (B) material used by a principal or campus instructional leader to support instruction; and (C) material used by a student, including a book, supplementary materials, a combination of a book, workbook, and supplementary materials, computer software, magnetic media, DVD, CD-ROM, computer courseware, on-line services, or an electronic medium, or other means of conveying information to the student or otherwise contributing to the learning process through electronic means, including open education resource instructional material. (1-b) "Open education resource instructional material" means teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that allows for free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others, including full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge. (1-c) "Partial subject tier one instructional material" means instructional material designed to, if implemented as designed, provide a student with mastery in a portion of the essential knowledge and skills adopted by the State Board of Education for a certain subject and grade level in the required curriculum under Section 28.002 or for prekindergarten without the need for supplementation in the essential knowledge and skills covered. (2) "Publisher" includes an on-line service or a developer or distributor of electronic instructional materials. (3) "Supplemental instructional material" means instructional material designed to assist in the instruction of one or more of the essential knowledge and skills adopted by the State Board of Education for a subject in the required curriculum under Section 28.002 or for prekindergarten. (4) "Technological equipment" means hardware, a device, or equipment necessary for: (A) instructional use in the classroom, including to gain access to or enhance the use of electronic instructional materials; or (B) professional use by a classroom teacher. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 679 (H.B. 2488), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 6 (S.B. 6), Sec. 19, eff. July 19, 2011. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 6 (S.B. 6), Sec. 67(1), eff. July 19, 2011. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 581 (S.B. 810), Sec. 2, eff. June 9, 2017. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 942 (S.B. 1784), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2017. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 818 (H.B. 1605), Sec. 12, eff. June 13, 2023.