Overview
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) creates, maintains, and distributes a wide range of educational materials, including curriculum guides, assessments, instructional videos, and data sets. To protect the intellectual property of these resources while still supporting educators, students, and the public, TEA has established a clear copyright policy. This page explains the purpose of the policy, the rights it grants, and the responsibilities of anyone who wishes to use TEAowned content.
Key Principles of the Policy
- Public Interest: TEAs resources are intended to improve educational outcomes across Texas and should be accessible to teachers, students, and parents.
- Protection of Rights: While encouraging use, TEA retains copyright ownership to ensure accuracy, maintain quality, and protect the agency from unauthorized commercial exploitation.
- Clear Licensing: The policy defines specific licensing termsmost commonly a nonexclusive, royaltyfree license for educational purposes.
- Compliance with State Law: All uses must align with Texas state statutes, especially the Texas Education Code and the State Public Records Act.
Allowed Uses Without Prior Permission
Under the TEA policy, the following activities are generally permitted without needing to seek explicit permission, provided that the use is noncommercial and properly attributed:
- Copying and distributing printed or digital versions of curriculum guides within a public school district.
- Integrating TEA videos or audio recordings into classroom instruction or schoolwide professional development.
- Including excerpts of TEA assessment items in a research paper or academic presentation, as long as the excerpt is no more than 10% of the total material.
- Posting TEA materials on a schoolor districtmaintained website, provided the site is clearly identified as an official educational resource.
- Translating TEA documents into another language for internal use within a Texas school district.
All permitted uses must include a clear citation, for example:
Source: Texas Education Agency, Title of Document, 2024. Retrieved from https://tea.texas.gov/
Restrictions and Prohibited Actions
Even with the broad allowances, the policy lists several activities that are prohibited unless a separate license is obtained:
- Commercial resale or redistribution of TEA materials (e.g., selling curriculum guides on a private website).
- Modifying TEA content and presenting the altered version as the original work.
- Incorporating TEA materials into a product or service that is sold to third parties.
- Using TEA logos, trademarks, or insignia in a manner that suggests endorsement or affiliation with a nongovernmental entity.
- Posting TEA content on socialmedia platforms that are not clearly identified as educational or that have advertising components.
Violations may result in the removal of the infringing material, a ceaseanddesist order, or, in extreme cases, legal action under state copyright statutes.
Requesting Permission for Restricted Uses
If your intended use falls outside the permitted categories, you must request a license from TEA. The process is straightforward:
- Identify the Material: Note the title, publication date, and specific portions you wish to use.
- Describe Your Intended Use: Explain the context (e.g., commercial textbook, corporate training module) and the audience size.
- Submit a Request: Use the online TEA Contact Form or email copyright@tea.texas.gov. Attach a sample of the material if possible.
- Review and Approval: TEA will evaluate the request, possibly requesting additional information, and will respond within 1015 business days.
- License Agreement: If approved, you will receive a written agreement outlining fees (if any), attribution requirements, and any usage limits.
For educational institutions, TEA often grants royaltyfree licenses, especially when the purpose aligns with improving student outcomes.
Helpful Resources
- Official TEA Website Central hub for policies, publications, and contact information.
- Texas Education Code Legal framework governing public education in Texas.
- State Public Records Act Guidelines on public access to stategenerated documents.
- TEA Policy Library Full text of the Copyright Policy and related documents.
- U.S. Copyright Office General information on copyright law and fair use.
