If you’re developing a curriculum with hopes of getting it into the hands of students in Texas schools, aligning your content to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) isn’t just a box to check, it’s a key part of getting your materials into the classroom. Simply put, TEKS standards lay out what students need to know at each grade level, and districts are using these standards to guide everything from lesson planning to print and digital resource adoption. That means if you’re hoping to have your materials in the hands of teachers and students in the Lone Star State, you must have content that’s aligned to the TEKS.

Why Is TEKS Alignment Such a Big Deal?

With over 5.5 million students in more than 1,200 districts, Texas is one of the largest and most influential K–12 markets in the country.¹ Texas is a massive education market, and TEKS shape what teachers are required to cover in their instruction. Educators may not be permitted to use unaligned curricula, even if the content is solid. Districts and reviewers need to see that your materials directly support the TEKS so teachers can confidently use your resources without having to adapt or supplement them on their own.

If you’re not familiar with the TEKS or want to see the full list of standards, click here to check out the Texas Education Agency site.

What Does It Mean to be TEKS-Aligned?

True alignment means more than matching a lesson to a standard number. It requires a deep look at your objectives, scaffolding, assessments, and pacing to ensure you’re hitting the intent of the standard on a deeper level. It means your instructional goals, activities, and assessments reflect the intent of each TEKS statement. Are your lessons building skills in the right sequence? Are you fulfilling the rigor called for in the standards? These are the kinds of questions educators and reviewers will ask.

To see how Texas evaluates instructional materials, check out the Texas Resource Review, which provides transparency around alignment and quality ratings.

How to Avoid Common TEKS Alignment Pitfalls

One of the most common pitfalls we see as a vendor working with K–12 publishers and EdTech companies is attempting to align content to TEKS standards by simply swapping out another state’s standard abbreviation. For example, Florida’s MA.3.AR.1.1 and Texas’s TEKS 3.4(B) both address multiplication in Grade Three, but they’re not interchangeable because Texas’ standards rarely match Florida’s. The underlying pedagogy can differ significantly. Superficial alignment is easy to spot and can hurt your credibility with educators and reviewers. Proper alignment requires expert evaluation, gap analysis, and thoughtful content mapping. If your content wasn’t built with TEKS in mind, it can still be aligned using a rigorous process led by subject matter experts. At MRCC, we help companies do just that—ensuring your materials meet the expectations of TEKS and other programs through deep, intentional alignment rather than quick fixes.

Wrapping It Up for TEKS Alignment

At the end of the day, TEKS alignment is about more than checking off requirements—it’s about making sure your content works for Texas teachers and students. With some upfront attention to detail and a clear understanding of the standards, you can ensure your materials are not only compliant, but useful, meaningful, and desirable in real classrooms.

How MRCC Can Support Your Standards Alignment Goals

Our team works with content creators, publishers, and developers to support TEKS alignment at every stage of the process. Whether you’re creating from scratch or need help fine-tuning, we can review your materials, map content to standards, and help identify your gaps before they become sinkholes.