A Mexican American Studies course has been approved by Frisco ISD to be part of the next school year according to a Star Local Media article from October 13 which observes,
“Frisco ISD is looking ahead to offering a Mexican American Studies course next school year.
The course, developed by Houston ISD and approved by the state board of education in 2018, will serve as a one-year social studies elective credit.
“In Mexican American Studies, students learn about the history and cultural contributions of Mexican Americans,” a course description from the Texas Education Agency states. “Students will explore history and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective. They will have opportunities to interact with relevant film, literature, art, and other media. The course emphasizes developments in the 20th and 21st centuries, but students will also engage with developments prior to the twentieth century.”
However, this initiative won’t be the first of its kind as African American Studies have already been implemented in the present school year according to a Patch article from October 13. They say,
“It will be the second ethnic studies course offered in Frisco ISD. The District launched African American Studies in the 2021-22 school year with more than 270 students enrolled across all 11 FISD high schools. In addition, the District offers a multicultural section of Advanced Placement Seminar, which allows students to select topics of interest related to cultures from around the world.
Mexican American Studies and African American Studies are the only two ethnic studies courses approved by the State Board of Education and have defined learning standards outlined in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Mexican American Studies was approved by the State Board in 2018, while African American Studies was approved in 2020, respectively.”
Verily, these programs and classes are dedicated to impart further knowledge and understanding of different topics that is not normally under the ambit of a social studies class according to a Liberty High School article from October 14 which reports,
“According to Frisco ISD Managing Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning, Meridith Manis, these classes are for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of topics that aren’t covered by the average social studies class.
“Students who take ethnic studies courses are able to gain a deeper understanding of topics that there simply isn’t enough time to cover in other social studies classes,” Manis said in a Frisco ISD news release. “In addition, the courses utilize an inquiry-based approach to enhance student engagement. Students have the opportunity to research overarching questions based on themes to drive learning in the classroom.”
Frisco ISD will not be requiring any prerequisites for the students to take in order to be eligible for both Mexican American Studies and African American Studies.