State standards are in place for students in grades K-12. They govern what students should know from one year to the next. The National Education Council decides on the essential knowledge and skills that each student must acquire. This is done with the participation of “educators, parents, business and industry representatives, and employers” (TX School Law Bulletin). The program was adopted in the late 1990s with core curriculum development, with subjects including: English, health education, physical education, fine arts, economics, application of technology, career development, Spanish language arts, careers and technical development (Texas Education Agency, 2016). The state has successfully modified the curriculum over time to keep up with changing educational trends through the use of legislative committees. These groups would study necessary changes to the standards and make recommendations accordingly. However, one of the controversies associated with TEKS is that changes made by these panels' recommendations often take effect immediately. They can often have a significant impact on students who are already struggling in one area or another (Supovits, 2009,