What is the Texas Education Agency and what are its powers and duties?

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the governmental body in Texas that implements and enforces the provisions of the Texas Education Code.

The TEA is composed of the Commissioner of Education and the TEA staff.

There are fourteen specific powers and duties the TEA are granted through the Education Code under section. 7.021. For any other educational function not mentioned in 7.021, the TEA has no power and it is up to school district (or open-enrollment charter school) to handle the issue. (TEC 7.003).

The fourteen specific educational functions of the TEA are:

1. to administer and monitor compliance with education programs required by federal or state law, including federal funding and state funding;
2. to conduct research, analysis and reporting to improve teaching and learning;
3. conduct hearings involving state school law at the direction and under the supervision of the commissioner;
4. establish and implement pilot programs established by the Texas Education Code;
5. manage an investment capital fund (grants for schools) designed to encourage student achievement and promote more local control of schools;
6. develop a teacher recruitment program;
7. carry out duties under the Texas Advanced Placement Incentive Program;
8. carry out duties related to adult and community education (Chp. 29);
9. develop a program for driver education and traffic safety (Chp. 29);
10. help children with visual impairments (Sec. 30);
11. help administer regional day school programs for the deaf (Chp. 30);
12. maintain computer and telephone systems for the schools;
13. review school district budgets and require uniform accounting;
14. coordinate scholarship programs with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board .

The TEA is also empowered to enter into educational contracts with the federal government provided it provides written notice to the governor and the legislature 30 days prior.