1. (a) Implementation.

   1. (1) The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
   2. (2) School districts shall implement the employability skills student expectations listed in §127.15(d)(2) of this chapter (relating to Career and Technical Education Employability Skills, Adopted 2025) as an integral part of this course.
2. (b) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 10-12. Prerequisite: at least one credit in a course from the Information Technology Career Cluster. Recommended prerequisites: Geographic Information Systems and Raster-Based Geographic Information Systems. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.

3. (c) Introduction.

   1. (1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.
   2. (2) The Information Technology career cluster focuses on the design, development, support, and management of hardware, software, multimedia, and systems integration services. This career cluster includes occupations ranging from software developer and programmer to cybersecurity specialist and network analyst.
   3. (3) In Spatial Technology and Remote Sensing, students receive instruction in industry standard geospatial extension software and geospatial tools, including global positioning systems (GPS), and training in project management and problem solving related to geographic information systems (GIS).
   4. (4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations that foster leadership and career development in the profession such as student chapters of related professional associations.
   5. (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

4. (d) Knowledge and skills.

   1. (1) The student demonstrates knowledge of the GIS field and GIS-related careers. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify employment and career opportunities in spatial technology and remote sensing related GIS fields;
      2. (B) describe and explore career preparation learning experiences, including job shadowing, mentoring, apprenticeship training, and preparation programs;
      3. (C) identify industry certifications for GIS-related careers, including careers that use or benefit from spatial technology; and
      4. (D) analyze and discuss ethical issues related to the field of spatial technology and remote sensing technology and spatial technology and remote sensing technology projects.

   2. (2) The student applies basic GIS software knowledge and skills to explore the use of various geographic projections in GIS software. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and use Mercator map projection;
      2. (B) identify and use Albers conic map projection; and
      3. (C) research and explain the evolution of and need for different map projections.

   3. (3) The student explores the application of GPS technology. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) define and use data terminology related to GPS;
      2. (B) identify and use appropriately GPS receiver components;
      3. (C) describe various applications of GPS coordinates such as locating fire hydrants, extinguishers, lighting, and parking lots; and
      4. (D) compare the accuracy of GPS coordinates from different receivers such as smartphones, tablets, and GPS handheld devices.

   4. (4) The student demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the types and components of unmanned remote sensing platforms. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify major components of aerial, terrestrial, and submersible remote sensing platforms;
      2. (B) determine the most appropriate remote sensing platform to use based on various conditions;
      3. (C) differentiate the types of sensing systems used by each type of platform, including active, passive, spectrometer, radar, LiDAR, scatter meter, and laser altimeter platforms; and
      4. (D) compare situations in which different unmanned remote sensing platforms and sensing systems might be used.

   5. (5) The student demonstrates skills related to GIS data analysis. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) evaluate findings and potential problems using GIS data;
      2. (B) create models that represent collected GIS data;
      3. (C) create, query, map, and analyze cell-based raster data; and
      4. (D) analyze density, distance, and proximity of various data points using spatial analyst tools.

   6. (6) The student analyzes geospatial socioeconomic data to create three-dimensional maps to demonstrate findings. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify key sources of and gather and organize geospatial socioeconomic data;
      2. (B) plan, organize, and create thematic maps;
      3. (C) convert two-dimensional themes to a three-dimensional map to demonstrate features, distributions, and themes; and
      4. (D) interpret, draw conclusions about, and justify findings related to geospatial socioeconomic data.

   7. (7) The student uses spatial technology to develop and analyze a location map. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and collect data using GPS and unmanned systems and identify the boundaries and topography of a location;
      2. (B) analyze how the location of a community impacts resources and hardships such as jobs or traffic in the community;
      3. (C) create a map of a location that includes buildings and facilities, adjacent streets, and transportation sites using GIS software; and
      4. (D) develop a map that includes categories for a facility's features such as restrooms, spaces allocated for core activities, emergency equipment, and excavation routes.

   8. (8) The student documents spatial technology knowledge and skills. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) create a spatial technology and remote sensing portfolio that includes attainment of technical skill competencies and samples of work such as location maps and spatial technology and remote sensing-based reports; and
      2. (B) present a portfolio to peers or interested stakeholders.

Source Note:The provisions of this §127.699 adopted to be effective August 1, 2025, 50 TexReg 3752.