Entrepreneurship Fundamentals: In An AI World (Texas Edition)

Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining the TEKS, ELPS, concepts, and technical skills taught in the course.

The Student Edition contains an alignment table that breaks down the required Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) by chapter. This table maps when the materials introduce each standard and how students practice it across lessons. In addition, the Teacher Manual’s introductory “Recommended Sequencing” section provides an hour-by-hour pacing plan that links narrative sections, activities, and assessments to specific TEKS, ELPS, timing, and block groupings.

In the “Course Content” section, chapter overviews identify the TEKS, key concepts, and skills addressed throughout the course. These overviews organize technical skills by mapping foundational concept readings to corresponding application tasks in the chapter activities. This sequential mapping establishes a chronological progression across all units, showing the full scope of standards coverage. For example, in the Student Edition’s introductory section, the TEKS Alignment Table maps every chapter to specific TEKS, vocabulary, and technical skills.

Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include suggested pacing to support effective implementation for various school models [e.g., traditional secondary schools, Early College High Schools (ECHS), Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH)], schedules (e.g., block, modified block), and instructional calendars (e.g., varying number of instructional days).

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides pacing pathways for 45-minute traditional classes and 90-minute block periods. These pathways detail discussion questions and student activities in each time frame to support different scheduling models. Additionally, the chapter lesson plans contain a dedicated section for timing, sequencing, and instructional notes to guide daily pacing. The Teacher Implementation Guide’s Appendix includes specialized pacing guides tailored for Early College High Schools (ECHS) and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH). Specifically, “Appendix A: Pacing Guides for Alternative School Models” provides adapted pacing for traditional 50-minute periods, 90-minute block schedules, ECHS compressed timelines, and P-TECH models and includes explicit calendar-based pacing adaptations (e.g., semester vs. year-long implementation and varying instructional day calendars).

“Appendix A: Pacing Guides for Alternative School Models” of the Teacher Implementation Guide includes explicit calendar-based pacing adaptations to accommodate variations in instructional day calendars. For example, the “Adapting to Your Instructional Calendar” section provides an hour-based fit method to map the 77-hour course across any calendar length. Educators multiply total instructional days by daily class minutes to adjust pacing for 170-day or 180-day calendars. Furthermore, the Teacher Implementation Guide provides full-year and semester mappings and per-chapter day and week estimates. These resources supply clear recommendations for adapting instruction across varying scheduling configurations.

Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include an explanation for the rationale of unit order as well as how concepts and technical skills to be learned connect throughout the course.

The Teacher Implementation Guide connects the introduction, development, and reinforcement of concepts, technical skills, and vocabulary throughout the lessons. The materials structure lessons so that students build prerequisite vocabulary and conceptual knowledge in early units before applying those elements to complex technical tasks in later units. This design demonstrates a clear technical skill progression across the course. For example, in the Teacher Implementation Guide, “Section 2: Chapter Lesson Plans” outlines specific chapter lesson objectives and provides educator notes that detail how the materials introduce and develop concepts, skills, and vocabulary throughout the course.

The “Recommended Sequencing” section of the Teacher Manual explains the educational rationale for how the instructional units are organized. This section details how the chapter sequence intentionally guides students from foundational concepts to advanced applications, including market research and business regulation. It also provides a narrative overview that explains how students progressively build from foundational entrepreneurship concepts and technical skills to research, business planning, and business regulation.

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include protocols with corresponding guidance for unit and lesson internalization.

The Teacher Implementation Guide includes a structured protocol for unit and lesson internalization to help educators prepare for instruction. This resource guides educators to analyze the overall instructional flow, review standards, plan differentiation, and organize materials before a unit begins. Additionally, individual chapter lesson plans support this preparation by providing an overview table that outlines the lesson objectives, vocabulary, pacing, and educator modeling prompts. For example, the Teacher Implementation Guide’s introductory section provides an internalization protocol that assists educators with content previews, assessment planning, differentiation, language supports, and implementation logistics.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides structured chapter previews that offer a macro-level view of upcoming instruction. These previews contain assessment planning charts, vocabulary reviews, and differentiation guidance. The previews also deliver chronological pacing schedules to ensure that educators can navigate daily lesson objectives, prepare the required materials, and understand the educator prompts. For example, in the Teacher Implementation Guide, “Section 2: Chapter Lesson Plans” provides structured instructional planning support through TEKS and ELPS alignment, instructional notes, and block-by-block pacing guidance.

Evaluation for 1.1e
Materials include resources and guidance for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementing the materials as designed.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides classroom observation and coaching tools that assist instructional leaders in monitoring classroom delivery and supporting educators’ growth. These resources include walkthrough checklists and reflective coaching prompts to guide campus administrators and instructional coaches as they observe lessons. These indicators help leaders evaluate instructional practices and provide targeted feedback to support effective implementation. For example, the “For Instructional Leaders” section provides instructional coaches, administrators, and department leads with walkthrough look-fors and coaching prompts to monitor course content delivery.

The Teacher Implementation Guide includes a “Fidelity Checklist” that helps instructional leaders evaluate program implementation throughout the school year. This tool outlines specific criteria for leaders to assess pacing, lesson preparation, and the integration of instructional differentiation. By using this checklist, administrators can systematically monitor daily assessment practices to verify that the materials are used as intended. It also provides leaders with look-fors to assess overall course delivery and maintain implementation fidelity.

Evaluation for 1.2a
Materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide the background content knowledge and academic, professional, and technical vocabulary necessary to effectively teach the concepts and technical skills in the unit.

The Teacher Manual includes comprehensive chapter overviews that build background content knowledge for educators before teaching a unit. These overviews explain core entrepreneurship theories, market structures, and technological innovations to prepare educators before they present lessons. These overviews also define the academic, professional, and technical vocabulary required to introduce unit topics effectively. The Teacher Manual’s “Chapter Overview” section breaks down chapters with a unit overview that provides background content knowledge, TEKS alignment, and key vocabulary.

The Teacher’s Implementation Guide provides structured lesson overviews to support instructional delivery across all units. These overviews outline the foundational background knowledge and vocabulary required to teach the specific standards in each lesson. This design helps educators navigate daily activities and introduce technical terms accurately. “Section 2: Chapter Lesson Plans” in the Teacher’s Implementation Guide includes educator lesson plans with overview tables detailing lesson objectives, TEKS alignment, key vocabulary, and educator notes.

Evaluation for 1.2b
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English for each unit with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.

The Teacher Implementation Guide contains a family-oriented resource that provides overview letters in both English and Spanish for each of the eight chapters. These unit-specific letters outline upcoming chapter content, emphasize major business concepts, and offer structured discussion prompts for home engagement. These tools deliver actionable suggestions to help families monitor and support student academic progress.

The materials feature vocabulary resources in both English and Spanish to bridge classroom learning and home support. The Teacher Implementation Guide provides a bilingual cognate table, and the Student Edition includes a comprehensive Spanish-English glossary. These resources provide Spanish-speaking families with direct linguistic translations of technical entrepreneurship terms to support vocabulary practice and homework review. For example, in the Teacher Implementation Guide, the “Cognate Chart” identifies key vocabulary terms in both English and Spanish to highlight cross-linguistic connections and support language development.

Evaluation for 1.3a
Materials include comprehensive, structured, detailed lesson plans that include objectives, questions, tasks, materials, and instructional assessments required to meet the content and language standards of the lesson (aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS).

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides clear lesson objectives, discussion questions, and specific standards correlations for each activity to support instruction. The guide combines direct questions and student tasks to reinforce core course concepts. For example, for chapter 3, lesson 3.1, the Teacher Manual provides explicit discussion prompts, such as “What are the primary differences between service-based and product-based business models?” These prompts link directly to formative assessment questions, helping educators evaluate student understanding of the TEKS in real time. Additionally, daily lesson plans outline measurable objectives, required materials, educator prompts, instructional strategies, assessment guidance, and block-by-block pacing to support effective lesson delivery.

The Student Edition and course resources include direct student-facing materials and bilingual family-facing supports. For example, the Student Edition features a “How to Use This Book” orientation guide and the My Entrepreneurship Progress Tracker. These student-facing tools explain course organization, guide independent work, and support student self-monitoring. The materials also provide English and Spanish letters for every course chapter. These resources clearly explain student learning and offer concrete suggestions for families to reinforce student progress at home.

Evaluation for 1.3b
Materials include a lesson overview listing the teacher and student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson (e.g., equipment, labs, technology, supplies, safety gear), and the suggested timing for each lesson component.

The Teacher Implementation Guide includes comprehensive lesson overviews that identify the specific educator and student materials needed for instruction, including internet access, artificial intelligence (AI) tools, projectors, and printed templates. Additionally, the daily lesson plans support educators with pacing throughout the full lesson cycle by providing suggested timing for each lesson component through detailed block-by-block pacing breakdowns. This clear formatting provides detailed timing guidelines that allocate specific minutes to each instructional activity. For example, each lesson plan in the Teacher Implementation Guide includes an embedded “Materials” section that identifies the required educator and student resources and provides clear time allocations for each lesson section.

The Teacher Implementation Guide outlines detailed materials lists for each lesson to ensure that educators and students have all necessary supplies before instruction begins. This systematic arrangement enables educators to organize equipment and prepare the classroom environment before each day’s lesson. For example, the Teacher Manual’s “Recommended Sequencing” section provides a structural lesson overview and specific instructional timeframes for each lesson component to support daily pacing during implementation.

Evaluation for 1.3c
Materials include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice (e.g., homework, extension, enrichment, work-based learning, Career and Technical Student Organizations, professional skills practice).

The Teacher Implementation Guide includes a dedicated section to support extended practice and real-world application. This resource features competitive event crosswalks that align chapter content with cocurricular events. It also outlines homework suggestions for each chapter and opportunities for students to apply course concepts in authentic, career-focused contexts. For example, in the Teacher Implementation Guide, “Section 6: Extension and Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) Connections” links instruction to Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) events.

The Teacher Implementation Guide outlines chapter-specific strategies for connecting classroom instruction to real-world work experiences. These structured activities support student experiential learning and offer guidance for campus-level execution through community partnerships. The materials deliver practical guidance on implementing lesson materials for community-based extended practice. For example, in the Teacher Implementation Guide, “Section 6.3: Work-Based Learning Tie-ins” details how educators can use lesson resources to facilitate student engagement with local businesses.

Evaluation for 2.1a
Materials include a variety of instructional assessments (e.g., skills demonstrations, portfolio evaluations, certification benchmarks) at the unit and lesson level (including diagnostic, formative, and summative) that vary in types of tasks and questions.

The materials outline a comprehensive system of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to monitor student progression. For example, in the Teacher Implementation Guide, “Section 3.1: Assessment Administration Guidance” details how each chapter begins with an introductory case study. Educators use this diagnostic tool before instruction to identify prior knowledge and target potential misconceptions. Additionally, the guide outlines how interactive, in-chapter activities function as formative assessments to provide performance data during the lesson cycle. At the conclusion of a chapter, students complete a summative capstone activity that is scored using the rubrics found in “Section 3.2: Assessment Rubrics” to track mastery over time.

The Student Edition provides lesson-level formative assessments that feature a variety of tasks and question types. For example, in chapter 1, the Entrepreneurship Concepts activity requires students to demonstrate understanding through multiple response formats. Students define key terms in their own words and classify business descriptions as small, medium, or large. Finally, students analyze scenarios to compare entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, which provides educators clear formative evidence of daily progress.

Evaluation for 2.1b
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the types of instructional assessments included.

The Teacher Implementation Guide contains a dedicated assessment guidance section that establishes an integrated evaluation system across all eight chapters of the course. For example, “Section 3.1: Assessment Administration Guidance” defines the purpose of each evaluation type, beginning with diagnostic assessments that use chapter-opening case studies to capture prior student knowledge. The guide also outlines how formative, in-chapter tasks deliver real-time student performance data and how summative capstone assignments require students to synthesize and apply major business-planning concepts.

The individual chapter lesson plans provide educators with explicit definitions regarding daily assessment execution. For example, in chapter 8, the “Assessment Administration Notes” section details how educators use the diagnostic case study to identify student prior knowledge related to AI ethics. The notes also clarify the distinct purpose of lesson-level formative tasks and guide educators to evaluate summative capstone projects, such as a Drafting an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Policy activity, by using standardized scoring rubrics to monitor student mastery.

Evaluation for 2.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides explicit assessment administration guidance for the midterm and final exams. For example, “Section 3.6: Midterm and Final Exam Administration” outlines the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank exam formats and specifies exact pacing timelines for chapters 1 through 8. To support consistent administration, the section outlines testing accommodations for students who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans, including extended time, separate testing environments, read-aloud support, and calculator access. Furthermore, standardized make-up procedures instruct educators to administer alternative test forms within one week of an absence to maintain exam integrity.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides educators with structured assessment administration details directly in the chapter planning tables. This structured outline schedules the diagnostic discussion for the case study and establishes exact timelines for formative tasks. By pairing each assessment task with specific timing and standards alignments, the guide ensures that educators deliver assessments consistently. For example, in chapter 5, the “Chapter at a Glance” planning section lists the sequence of instructional assessments, the required timing, TEKS connections, and instructional blocks for an Idea Validation with Customer Surveys activity.

Evaluation for 2.1d
Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.

The Teacher Implementation Guide includes structured chapter-level planning tables that directly align diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments with specific TEKS standards and course objectives. For example, the “Chapter at a Glance” section for chapter 1 systematically maps standards-aligned assessments. This planning resource details explicit TEKS connections for multiple formative tasks, including the “Routes to Entrepreneurship,” “Exploring AI Job Postings,” and “Career Interest Inventory” activities. Additionally, the guide features an assessment type legend to help educators verify that daily diagnostic, formative, and summative tasks remain aligned with the targeted academic standards and course goals.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides detailed, rubric-based evaluation criteria to ensure that assessments align with technical course objectives. For example, “Section 3.2: Scoring Rubrics” delivers comprehensive evaluation tools for technical research reports, analytical tasks, business-planning activities, and presentations. Each scoring tool outlines clear evaluation criteria and performance descriptors for exemplary, proficient, developing, and beginning levels. These clear descriptors communicate performance expectations, which ensures that educators grade summative and formative assessments consistently in alignment with course standards.

Evaluation for 2.1e
Instructional assessments include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity.

The Student Edition includes assessment tasks that systematically increase in cognitive complexity as students progress through the course content. For example, in chapter 1, an “Entrepreneurship Concepts” assignment focuses on foundational skills by requiring students to identify, define, and categorize key business terms. As instruction progresses, the materials introduce complex tasks. These activities include strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analyses, feasibility studies, and original business proposals that require higher-order thinking to execute.

The Student Edition delivers analytical projects that move beyond basic recall to evaluate student understanding of course concepts. For example, in chapter 2, a Career Interest Inventory activity requires students to complete a self-assessment and analyze their individual responses. Students then identify specific career clusters and reflect on entrepreneurial pathways that align with their personal strengths, which aligns with the TEKS. This structured activity requires self-analysis, interpretation of results, and direct application of learning to future career decisions.

Evaluation for 2.2a
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides educators with evaluation tools for various student products to evaluate understanding. For example, “Section 3.2: Scoring Rubrics” provides rubrics to score research assignments, AI activities, group work, and presentations. Each rubric outlines four distinct performance levels and provides detailed evaluation criteria to support consistent scoring. The materials also include a dedicated rubric for the culminating business proposal development project to help educators evaluate completed student tasks.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides educators with clear criteria and notes for evaluating daily activities. For example, in Chapter 4, the “Note for Teachers” section includes an answer key and completed totals for student financial activities. It explains how educators should classify transactions and outlines the calculated totals to confirm the accounting equation. The guidance also includes expected student explanations for definition and connection questions to help educators verify student calculations.

Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of included tasks and activities to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides explicit guidance to help educators respond to trends in student assessment data. For example, “Section 3.3: Interpreting Student Performance” defines what each rubric level indicates for student understanding. The guide defines performance levels from beginning to exemplary to categorize student needs. In addition, “Section 3.4: Responding to Student Performance Data” provides an actionable decision framework for classwide results. If 30 percent or more of students score below proficient, educators receive directions to reteach the core concept. For smaller groups, the guide outlines targeted intervention models to execute during independent work time.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides activity-level guidance to address student misconceptions during lesson execution. For example, in chapter 8, for a Drafting an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Policy activity, the guide outlines explicit look-for criteria for educators. These criteria suggest acceptable student answers for AI transparency, privacy, and trust. Educators use these concrete models to provide immediate feedback and redirect students toward stronger technical policy recommendations.

Evaluation for 2.2c
Materials include tools for teachers to track student progress and growth and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides progress tracking tools for both educators and students. For example, “Section 3.5: Progress Tracking Tools” contains an educator gradebook template to record student performance across all eight chapters. This tracking document organizes student scores by chapter and provides dedicated columns for diagnostic, formative, and summative performance. This section also includes a student-facing My Entrepreneurship Progress Tracker tool to encourage self-monitoring. After each chapter, students rate their confidence on key learning objectives, establish personal growth goals, and complete an end-of-course reflection to explore AI careers.

The Teacher Implementation Guide features a comprehensive course syllabus that establishes a structured framework for long-term progress tracking. For example, the syllabus outlines major grading weights for class participation, daily assignments, the midterm exam, and the culminating business proposal project. These defined categories clarify student expectations across chapters 1 through 8, which helps educators monitor student performance throughout each grading period.

Evaluation for 3.1a
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, activities, and paired (scaffolded) lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency in content and technical skills in the course TEKS.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides educators with clear strategies to support students who are still developing proficiency in course concepts and technical skills. This resource outlines foundational scaffolds, including guidelines for pre-teaching vocabulary with visual aids, using graphic organizers, and employing sentence stems or paragraph frames. For example, in chapter 1, students who are approaching proficiency receive custom scaffolds, including prefilled career interest inventories and sentence stems for case-study discussions. This sequence of structured supports enables educators to meet diverse learning needs during initial instruction and gradually increase student independence.

The chapter-specific “Differentiation Guide” sections outline explicit pathways to adapt daily instruction for varying levels of student proficiency. For example, in chapter 3, the “Differentiation Guide” section provides scaffolded materials for students who have not yet reached proficiency, including competitor comparison templates and a prestructured business model canvas. These targeted pathways provide practical strategies to support struggling learners and ensure continued access to content aligned with the TEKS.

Evaluation for 3.1b
Materials include pre-teaching or embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in text (e.g., figurative language, idioms, academic, professional, and technical language).

In “Section 4.1: General Differentiation Strategies,” the materials provide guidance for introducing academic, professional, and technical vocabulary before students engage with new content. Recommended supports include pre-teaching key terms, using graphic organizers, providing sentence stems, and incorporating visual aids. For example, educators introduce key terms before students read technical texts to build familiarity with complex concepts. Additionally, “Section 4.2: Chapter-Specific Differentiation” outlines targeted scaffolds, including bilingual word walls and customized graphic organizers, to support student comprehension of complex industry terminology.

In “Section 5.5: Pre-Teaching and Embedded Vocabulary Support,” the materials provide dedicated routines for preteaching unfamiliar vocabulary and nonliteral references. For example, the section details a before-each-chapter preteaching routine and includes descriptions of embedded instructional supports. Furthermore, this section includes a reference table of figurative and professional expressions paired with plain-language meanings. Students learn idioms and industry phrases, such as cash is king, top line, bottom line, burn rate, runway, bootstrapping, pivot, and go to market. These explicit supports help students successfully interpret nonliteral expressions and engage with the TEKS.

Evaluation for 3.1c
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, enrichment, and extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in content and technical skills in the course TEKS.

The Teacher Implementation Guide includes structured chapter-specific differentiation sections that provide explicit extension pathways for students who demonstrate proficiency. For example, in chapter 1, proficient learners engage in higher-level tasks, such as researching an AI start-up founder’s journey. Additionally, proficient students explore advanced prompt engineering in chapter 2 and conduct a competitive analysis of real local businesses in chapter 3. Finally, in chapter 4, advanced learners develop comprehensive financial projections and deliver an extended pitch. These activities extend learning beyond core instruction and deepen content knowledge and technical skills in alignment with the TEKS.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides explicit guidance for extending learning beyond the core curriculum in the section on extension and student organization connections. This resource features a dedicated crosswalk that identifies specific DECA and FBLA competitive events. This alignment helps educators connect classroom learning to cocurricular events. For example, proficient students can refine classroom projects, such as the business pitch activity, into advanced presentations for competitive events. These professional experiences encourage critical thinking and allow proficient students to apply technical skills in career-focused settings.

Evaluation for 3.1d
Materials include teacher guidance for providing specially designed instruction (SDI) for students receiving supports and services through special education.

In the Teacher Implementation Guide, the materials provide general differentiation strategies and instructional scaffolds to assist students receiving special education services. For example, “Section 4.1: General Differentiation Strategies” details foundational tools, such as graphic organizers, sentence stems, visual supports, extended time, and simplified directions. These general scaffolds help educators modify daily output expectations and support technical skill development during core instruction.

In “Section 4.3 Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Accommodation Guide,” the materials provide explicit accommodations tied directly to named course activities and features. For example, the section details specific SDI strategies for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tool Audit in chapter 1 and the Business Model Canvas and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) activities in chapters 3 and 4. Furthermore, this section outlines tailored supports for prototyping in chapter 5, the chapter 4 financial analysis tasks, the pitch delivery lesson, and the capstone Business Proposal Development Project. These explicit adaptations connect SDI guidance directly to the unique content, features, and structure of the instructional materials.

Evaluation for 3.2a
Materials include (explicit) direct prompts and guidance to support the teacher in modeling and explaining the concept(s) to be learned.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides explicit modeling prompts that assist educators in introducing and explaining new concepts. For example, in chapter 1, the lesson plans provide direct instruction guidance featuring think-alouds, demonstrations, and step-by-step explanations. Specifically, educators model how to evaluate a business idea by walking through a sample AI tool audit. This structured approach ensures that students receive explicit instruction and guided examples before analyzing business concepts independently.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides educator-facing guidance for modeling and supporting students as they complete applied activities. For example, in chapter 3, a Feasibility Analysis activity directs students to evaluate whether a proposed mobile car wash service is viable. To support instruction, the “Note for Teachers” section provides clear sample responses for each part of the task. This modeling guidance helps educators demonstrate how to identify an industry feature, explain customer benefits, and evaluate customer value.

Evaluation for 3.2b
Materials include teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides detailed facilitation guidance using varied instructional approaches to support content delivery. For example, in chapter 7, the lesson plans provide a sequencing table that structures lesson components, including estimated timing and key vocabulary. This guide directs educators to model how to create workflow diagrams, helping students analyze processes before using AI tools. Recommended instructional strategies, such as role-play for hiring scenarios and pilot-planning workshops, help educators deliver content through collaborative, applied methods.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides explicit educator guidance to facilitate active discussion and student engagement at the start of each chapter. For example, in chapter 1, students analyze an introductory case study focused on a real-world start-up. The guide includes a “Note for Teachers” section with structured discussion questions about AI tool adoption. This resource guides educators in leading small-group discussions that activate students’ prior knowledge and prepare them for upcoming activities.

Evaluation for 3.2c
Materials support multiple types of practice (e.g., guided, independent, collaborative) and include guidance for teachers and recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.

The Student Edition supports multiple types of practice to accommodate varied learning environments and classroom structures. For example, a Career Interest Inventory activity provides opportunities for independent reflection, and other lessons use team-based collaboration. For an AI Tool Audit activity, the Teacher Implementation Guide directs educators to transition from whole-group instruction to partner collaboration. Students ultimately conduct independent evaluations of AI business platforms by combining guided, collaborative, and individual practice structures. This multistep process supports multiple practice types and recommended structures to ensure effective implementation.

The materials support collaborative, guided, and independent practice through real-world business-planning tasks. For example, in chapter 3, a Customer Discovery Interview activity outlines a structured progression of practice. Educators begin by leading a whole-group modeling session to demonstrate effective customer-questioning techniques. Students then work with partners to write interview questions before independently analyzing the feedback collected from real-world contexts using diverse group implementation structures.

Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include teacher guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic, professional, and technical language.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides explicit guidance for supporting emergent bilingual students at varying levels of language proficiency. For example, “Section 5.1 Linguistic Accommodations by Proficiency Level” organizes accommodations by the language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This section includes differentiated supports, such as sentence frames and guided discussions, for various proficiency levels. These targeted linguistic accommodations apply directly during core classroom activities. In the Student Edition’s Customer Discovery Interview activity, beginning-level students use customized sentence frames, and higher-level students participate in structured peer discussions. Advanced students independently analyze responses and defend conclusions using academic and technical language.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides chapter-specific language objectives aligned with the ELPS. For example, “Section 5.2: Per-Chapter Language Objectives” delivers targeted listening, speaking, reading, and writing objectives for daily instruction. For a Conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis with AI activity, these objectives help students use technical AI terms. This standards-mapping provides embedded linguistic accommodations to help students master academic and technical language.

Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.

The Teacher Implementation Guide contains robust recommendations for executing lessons in state-approved bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. For example, “Section 5.3: Bilingual/ESL Program Implementation” outlines specific strategies for sheltered instruction, pull-out services, push-in models, and dual-language classrooms. These models use visual supports, shared reading, and collaborative structures to ensure emergent bilingual (EB) students successfully engage with technical curriculum content. Educators apply these ESL and bilingual practices in specific student activities, such as the Student Edition’s Keyword Research activity, in which educators pre-teach digital marketing terminology using visual examples to model keyword selection.

The Teacher Implementation Guide provides cross-linguistic transfer strategies to support vocabulary acquisition in state-approved ESL and bilingual programs. For example, “Section 5.4: Cognate Chart” features an English-Spanish reference chart for technical entrepreneurship and AI terminology. For a Develop a Marketing Campaign activity, educators use this cognate chart to connect prior language knowledge to new technical concepts. This cross-linguistic resource guides educators to explicitly leverage student language assets during core technical instruction.

Evaluation for 3.3c
Materials include embedded guidance for teachers to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic, professional, and technical vocabulary, increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, and making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse.

The Teacher Implementation Guide includes embedded guidance to support EB students in developing academic, professional, and technical vocabulary, increasing comprehension, and building background knowledge. For example, chapter lesson plans integrate ELPS alignments directly in the block timing tables. In chapter 1, educator notes encourage oral discussion of AI skills and include sentence stems to support language development. These embedded vocabulary and discourse supports apply directly during student-facing lessons. In the Student Edition, a Career Interest Inventory activity uses these educator-led scaffolds when educators provide structured sentence stems to help students discuss career interests and entrepreneurial strengths with peers.

The materials provide a Spanish-English glossary in the Student Edition that builds background knowledge and facilitates cross-linguistic connections. This comprehensive bilingual resource provides Spanish translations of key business, marketing, and AI terminology. For example, in a Develop a Value Proposition activity, educators reference the Spanish-English glossary to clarify technical terms. This bilingual tool offers embedded guidance to support emergent bilingual students in making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse.

Evaluation for 3.3d
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.

This guidance is not applicable because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

Evaluation for 4.1a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on industry-specific knowledge and skills in alignment with the course TEKS.

The Student Edition provides explicit instruction on foundational business and technology concepts. For example, chapter 1 presents industry-specific knowledge through detailed explanations and informational text before students engage in application activities. Students learn entrepreneurship fundamentals, explore AI concepts, examine professional expectations, and develop workplace skills through direct instructional content. This structured instructional sequence supports educators in explaining the essential technical skills aligned with the TEKS.

The Teacher Implementation Guide includes detailed lesson plans to support educators in delivering direct instruction connected to industry-specific practices. For example, in chapter 4, the “Purchase and Brand Experience” lesson plan identifies the TEKS alignment, the ELPS alignment, and a block-by-block instructional sequence. In the “Customer Touchpoint” segment, educators provide direct instruction with visual supports and pause for vocabulary checks. In the “Building a Brand Story” segment, students apply the instructional content by analyzing a storefront scenario.

Evaluation for 4.1b
Materials consistently provide opportunities for students to develop, use, and apply industry-specific academic, professional, and technical vocabulary.

The Student Edition introduces industry-specific business and marketing vocabulary to build foundational knowledge. For example, in chapter 3, the distribution channels section defines terms such as manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, consumer, direct channel, and indirect channel. Each term includes business examples that explain each channel participant’s role. Similarly, the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis activity develops professional vocabulary through detailed explanations and visual models. Furthermore, the chapter 2 Putting the Vocabulary to Work activity requires students to apply technical terms across four distinct modes. Students complete a written working brief using at least five technical terms, perform a value-and-risk analysis, conduct a peer terminology check, and deliver a 60-second oral explanation.

The Student Edition consistently gives students opportunities to apply industry-specific vocabulary in authentic entrepreneurial tasks. For example, the chapter 3 Mapping Distribution Channels activity requires students to use distribution terminology to distinguish between direct and indirect channels. In the Conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis with AI activity, students apply analytical terms by evaluating an AI scenario. In chapter 7, the Student Edition also includes an Implementing Guardrails activity that requires students to apply technical terms, such as content filtering, relevance validation, and large language model (LLM) structures, to protect a simulated corporate app.

Evaluation for 4.1c
Materials provide opportunities for students to develop and refine industry-specific knowledge and skills through activities and tasks that progressively increase in rigor and complexity across lessons and units within the course.

The materials provide sequential opportunities for students to refine industry-specific knowledge through activities that increase in cognitive complexity. For example, in chapter 1, students complete a Career Interest Inventory to identify personal strengths and foundational entrepreneurial career pathways. The level of rigor increases in chapter 3 in a Customer Discovery Interview activity, in which students gather primary research, analyze customer responses, and evaluate how market feedback influences real-world business decisions. In chapter 6, a Keyword Research activity requires students to apply concepts from entrepreneurship, marketing, and digital technology to evaluate complex target audiences and justify strategic promotional campaigns using AI tools.

The Student Edition features sections with embedded activities that systematically build technical execution skills in individual units. For example, in chapter 6, the “Sales Funnel Optimization” section introduces a Comparing Pricing Strategies activity, in which students evaluate product conditions and economic risks for a remote software start-up. Later in the same unit, a Content on the Journey activity increases the rigor by requiring students to analyze distinct consumer profiles. Students must actively employ generative AI platforms to brainstorm targeted advertising content for each stage of the customer behavior funnel, which demonstrates a clear progression of industry-specific skills.

Evaluation for 4.1d
Materials include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of industry-specific knowledge and skills in alignment with the course TEKS.

The materials include student-facing activities that require students to demonstrate understanding of industry-specific knowledge and skills aligned with the TEKS. For example, the Student Edition includes a Customer Discovery Interview activity in which students validate business ideas. Students further demonstrate technical knowledge in a Prototype Testing Report activity, in which they evaluate a product, analyze performance data, and document improvement strategies. Additionally, a Create a Business Pitch project requires students to synthesize information from multiple course topics, communicate clear value propositions, and justify financial decisions.

The materials feature capstone case studies that require students to apply regulatory knowledge to authentic commercial scenarios. For example, chapter 8 includes a Regulatory Compliance Case Study assignment. This task requires students to research a real-world business accused of violating corporate rules in areas such as AI development, data privacy, and intellectual property. Students use reputable news sources and legal databases to identify the business, describe the alleged violation, and analyze the resulting legal consequences. This project requires students to apply compliance knowledge to a real case and share findings through class discussions.

Evaluation for 4.2a
Materials explicitly connect new knowledge and skills to prior learning across lessons and units within the course and across courses as applicable.

The materials explicitly connect new knowledge and skills to prior learning across lessons and units in the course. For example, in chapter 4, students build on the entrepreneurship concepts, AI knowledge, and opportunity research introduced in earlier chapters to develop comprehensive business plans. This foundational mapping continues in the Student Edition in an Operations Workflow Design activity, in which students draw on prior learning about how businesses create value in order to master new concepts of workflow management, organizational efficiency, and corporate operations.

The Student Edition connects technical execution parameters back to historical research modules from earlier units. For example, in chapter 5, students apply data gathered in earlier chapters to make product-related commercial decisions. The chapter draws on prior learning related to entrepreneurship, AI, opportunity analysis, and business planning. Students use market research findings developed in chapter 3 and business-planning concepts introduced in chapter 4 to evaluate product ideas. This structured review sequence connects previously acquired knowledge directly to the ongoing entrepreneurial development process.

Evaluation for 4.2b
Materials are aligned with and provide relevant cross-curricular connections that support transferable academic knowledge and skills in literacy, math, social studies, and science.

The materials provide cross-curricular connections that support the transfer of academic knowledge and skills across multiple content areas. For example, “Appendix C: Cross-Curricular Connections Guide” identifies explicit connections between entrepreneurship content and core concepts in mathematics, English language arts, social studies, and science. In the Student Edition, a Financial Projection Analysis activity demonstrates this interdisciplinary integration. Students apply mathematical equations as they interpret financial data, analyze projected revenues, and evaluate business performance, and students simultaneously apply literacy skills to explain the technical recommendations and provide written evidence.

The Student Edition embeds relevant academic connections directly in primary business planning modules. For example, in chapter 4, students apply skills from multiple academic disciplines to develop strategic corporate plans. Students use mathematics to create financial projections and use literacy skills to draft technical business plan components. Additionally, the Student Edition incorporates social studies concepts to examine business ownership structures and government regulations and incorporates scientific reasoning concepts to analyze market data. This blended approach ensures that students transfer core academic competencies directly to real-world business scenarios.

Evaluation for 4.2c
Materials integrate academic, technical, and employability knowledge and skills in the context of the course and in alignment to the course TEKS.

The Student Edition integrates academic, technical, and employability skills through authentic workplace-readiness modules. For example, in chapter 1, the professional standards section requires students to analyze communication scenarios, evaluate business interactions, and compose professional emails. The materials incorporate technical skills through detailed instruction on virtual communication tools and digital meeting practices, and students build employability skills, such as professional collaboration, active listening, and workplace etiquette. Furthermore, the Professional Communication Scenarios and Meeting Preparation and Follow-Up activities, in which students prepare for a product demonstration and use technology to demonstrate career readiness, deliver cross-domain synthesis.

The materials provide capstone application projects that require students to demonstrate overlapping academic and corporate competencies in alignment with the TEKS. For example, a “Creating and Delivering a Pitch” project combines academic research, presentation technology, and professional public delivery. In the Student Edition, a Develop a Value Proposition activity also uses this structural integration. This task requires students to analyze customer needs, apply technical marketing concepts, use AI platforms, and communicate strategic corporate ideas using professional business language.

Evaluation for 5.1a
Materials provide opportunities for students to investigate career clusters and programs of study as applicable to the level of the course and in alignment with the course TEKS.

The materials provide opportunities for students to investigate career clusters and programs of study, which are aligned with the TEKS. For example, in chapter 1, students complete an Everyday AI Tool Audit activity to investigate AI tools used in business and entrepreneurship. Students analyze how professionals use these technologies in workplace settings. The accompanying educator guidance encourages discussion of adjacent careers and entrepreneurial opportunities associated with emerging technologies. Students explore the technological competencies, problem-solving skills, and innovation-focused mindsets needed for careers that incorporate digital tools. In chapter 5, a Develop a Value Proposition activity requires students to analyze customer needs, evaluate market opportunities, and communicate how a product addresses a target market. The educator guidance connects these skills to careers in entrepreneurship, marketing, product development, and business strategy, in which professionals use market analysis, creativity, and critical thinking.

The materials provide students opportunities to investigate entrepreneurship-related career pathways through local business and workforce resources. For example, in chapter 8, the Student Edition explains that local organizations support entrepreneurs through Chambers of Commerce, economic development programs, financial institutions, business associations, start-up competitions, and pitch events. The materials identify resources entrepreneurs use to enter or grow in the field, including grants, loans, networking opportunities, and training programs. Students apply this information in a Local Resource Investigation activity by researching three organizations in their local areas that provide resources to entrepreneurs. Students identify each organization’s name, type, eligibility requirements, and application processes. Through this activity, students examine real organizations that connect entrepreneurs to funding, training, mentoring, and business development opportunities to prepare for business ownership.

Evaluation for 5.1b
Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze relevant regional or statewide Labor Market Information (LMI) or emerging market workforce data to support data-driven investigations of careers.

The materials provide opportunities for students to analyze relevant Labor Market Information (LMI) or emerging market workforce data to support data-driven investigations of careers, which is aligned with the TEKS. For example, in chapter 1, students complete an Exploring AI Job Postings activity by researching authentic job openings related to AI and entrepreneurship. Students analyze required education, identify technical skills, and evaluate salary information for various positions to examine workforce trends in growing industries. The Teacher Implementation Guide supports this investigation by guiding educators to connect entrepreneurship instruction to labor market research, including career demand, job growth projections, salary ranges, and regional workforce needs. A Career Interest Inventory helps students identify potential career pathways, and these components extend learning by requiring students to examine workforce expectations associated with emerging technologies.

The materials provide additional opportunities for students to analyze relevant LMI and emerging workforce data to support data-driven investigations of careers. For example, in chapter 11, the materials introduce students to data analysis and business decision-making, highlighting the increasing workforce demand for analytical and technology-based marketing careers. In chapter 12, students explore various marketing occupations, identify job responsibilities, compare educational requirements, and investigate career pathways in the industry. Students analyze employment opportunities and evaluate how professional skills, certifications, and postsecondary education influence career advancement. Throughout the course, students examine how changes in technology, consumer behavior, digital media, analytics, and global markets affect marketing careers and workforce demands.

Evaluation for 5.1c
Materials include career investigation activities and tasks designed to support development of individual career goals (e.g., career interest inventories, career goals, post-secondary education requirements, post-secondary career plans).

The materials include career investigation activities and tasks designed to support the development of individual career goals. For example, in chapter 1, students complete an Exploring AI Job Postings activity by researching authentic job openings related to AI and entrepreneurship. Students analyze required education, certifications, technical skills, and employability skills to see how these qualifications align with potential career pathways. A Career Interest Inventory activity helps students identify personal interests, and this task requires students to connect career interests to educational pathways, skill development, and professional opportunities. The Teacher Implementation Guide includes career exploration supports that guide students to examine educational requirements, professional certifications, and career progression opportunities for careers in entrepreneurship, business, marketing, finance, and information technology.

The materials provide students with opportunities to develop individualized career goals through entrepreneurship planning and resource investigation. For example, in chapter 8, an Entrepreneur Resource Presentation activity asks students to imagine a business they might want to start. Students describe the product or service, identify target customers, determine a location in Texas, and explain the resources needed to begin. Students research local, state, and national resources that could support their business goals, including grant or loan opportunities, mentoring, and advisory services. Students identify at least one resource from each category, explain the offerings, determine eligibility, and evaluate how each resource helps them move forward. Students identify which resource they will pursue first to connect personal entrepreneurship interests to concrete goals and individual career pathways.

Evaluation for 5.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on professional standards and employability skills relevant to career clusters and programs of study as applicable to the level of the course and in alignment with the course TEKS and Texas CTE Employability Skills Standards.

The materials include guidance for educators to provide explicit instruction on professional standards and employability skills, which is aligned with the TEKS and Texas CTE Employability Skills Standards. For example, in chapter 1, a Meeting Participation and Professional Conduct activity requires students to evaluate effective meeting behaviors, demonstrate active listening, contribute to discussions, and practice professional interactions. The accompanying educator guidance supports direct instruction related to communication, teamwork, professionalism, leadership, and workplace etiquette. Students learn how professional standards influence collaboration and productivity and develop the skills expected in business environments. The Teacher Implementation Guide provides recommendations for reinforcing employability skills, including communication, leadership, adaptability, critical thinking, and professional responsibility, through collaborative projects and presentations.

The materials extend instruction on professional standards and employability skills in chapter 7. For example, in the “Team Formation” section, students learn how entrepreneurs identify staffing needs, define roles, write job postings, and consider required qualifications. The section addresses AI in recruitment and emphasizes fairness, bias awareness, and the alignment of hiring practices with business culture. Students apply these concepts in a Designing a Hiring Workflow activity by developing a hiring workflow for a start-up. Students identify a business role, draft a job posting, create interview questions, and evaluate screening tools. This activity requires students to connect professional expectations to workplace practices, including communication, role clarity, ethical hiring, decision-making, and team development.

Evaluation for 5.2b
Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in career development activities and tasks (e.g., mock interviews, resume writing, portfolio development) as applicable to the level of the course and in alignment with the course TEKS and Texas CTE Employability Skills Standards.

The materials provide opportunities for students to engage in career development activities and tasks, which are aligned with the TEKS and Texas CTE Employability Skills Standards. For example, in chapter 1, students complete an Exploring AI Job Postings activity by investigating authentic job postings related to AI and entrepreneurship. Students analyze employer expectations, evaluate required education, and identify technical and employability skills needed for career success. This activity connects real-world workforce preparation tasks to personal career interests. The Teacher Implementation Guide recommends work-based learning experiences, guest speakers, industry partnerships, and career exploration activities that extend student understanding of professional expectations and career opportunities.

The materials provide students with additional career development activities connected to hiring, team formation, and workplace readiness. For example, in chapter 7, the “Team Formation” section explains how entrepreneurs identify staffing needs, determine required skills, and create job postings that communicate responsibilities and company culture. Students apply this learning in a Designing a Hiring Workflow activity by identifying a role that a start-up needs, describing role responsibilities, and evaluating how AI supports candidate screening. This activity helps students analyze the hiring process from an employer perspective to strengthen their understanding of professional expectations, job readiness, and workplace decision-making.

Evaluation for 5.2c
Materials emphasize the use of academic, professional, and technical vocabulary during career development opportunities.

The materials emphasize the use of academic, professional, and technical vocabulary during career development opportunities, which is aligned with the TEKS. For example, in chapter 1, students complete an Exploring AI Job Postings activity by analyzing authentic job advertisements and identifying industry-specific terminology related to AI and business operations. Students examine professional vocabulary associated with qualifications, technical skills, certifications, workplace responsibilities, and career expectations. Students discuss career opportunities by using academic vocabulary related to career planning and technical terminology related to emerging technologies. The Teacher Implementation Guide encourages career exploration activities that require students to engage with professional and industry-specific language and to investigate pathways, workforce expectations, and postsecondary opportunities.

Chapter 6 emphasizes professional and technical vocabulary through a marketing communication activity. In the “Personalized Outreach” section, students learn vocabulary related to digital marketing and customer communication, including email marketing, triggerable emails, personalized outreach, customer journey, automation, and sales funnel. Students apply this vocabulary in a Drafting Triggerable Emails activity by creating email messages about customer actions or events. This activity requires students to use marketing language to explain each message’s purpose, audience, timing, and intended response. This career development task mirrors real-world marketing communication and strengthens students’ ability to apply industry-aligned language in an entrepreneurship setting.

Evaluation for 6.1a
Materials include experiential learning through classroom experiences (e.g., labs, workplace simulations, project-based learning) and/or work-based learning (e.g., job shadowing, internships, practicums) to develop or reinforce the real-world application of technical and employability skills in the context of the course and aligned to the appropriate level on the work-based learning continuum.

The materials provide a Digital Prototyping with Cloud Development Platforms activity that includes workplace simulations for authentic product development. Students define a digital product, engineer prompts, and build a functional prototype using cloud platforms. In a connected Test Authoring with Artificial Intelligence (AI) activity, students perform unit, integration, and usability testing to evaluate prototype functionality. Finally, a Creating an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Product Integration Roadmap capstone activity requires students to construct a professional implementation plan. These experiential exercises reinforce technical and employability skills in alignment with the work-based learning continuum.

In chapter 7, an Implementing Guardrails activity provides a classroom experience that simulates AI product engineering. Students analyze a realistic product scenario involving a large language model (LLM)–powered fitness coaching app. Students design essential safeguards to ensure that the app operates safely, appropriately, and reliably for external users. Student tasks include identifying content filtering, relevance validation, language evaluation, privacy protections, and fallback protocols. This hands-on simulation requires students to apply technical knowledge to a realistic business problem.

Evaluation for 6.1b
Materials provide opportunities for students to use relevant industry-specific materials (e.g., technical texts/manuals, equipment, technology, supplies) during experiential learning.

In chapter 2, a Basic Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT activity provides opportunities for students to engage with industry-specific technology during experiential learning. Students use ChatGPT or an equivalent LLM to apply prompt engineering techniques that mirror current business and entrepreneurship practices. For example, students write, evaluate, and refine prompts that contain clear context and specific instructions to improve the utility of generative tools. These hands-on tasks allow students to interact directly with the AI technology used by professionals for ideation, communication, and business problem-solving.

In chapter 6, a Programmatic Case Study activity requires students to research how digital entrepreneurs use automated advertising technologies to achieve campaign goals. Students investigate industry-specific platforms, including demand-side platforms, advertisement exchanges, and programmatic advertising services. For example, students analyze specialized platforms, such as Outbrain, to explain how automated audience targeting helps a business reach customers and optimize campaign delivery. This analysis provides students direct exposure to technical resources and digital advertising materials used in modern entrepreneurship.

Evaluation for 6.1c
Materials emphasize the use of academic, professional, and technical vocabulary during experiential learning opportunities.

In chapter 2, a Comparing LLMs activity provides classroom experiences in which students use technical terms to evaluate LLMs. For example, students apply vocabulary words, such as parameters, context windows, fine-tuning, open-source, and proprietary, during model evaluations. In a connected API Hunt activity, students investigate application programming interfaces (APIs) and examine data pipelines, agentic AI, and technology stacks. The Teacher Implementation Guide supports this vocabulary development by providing instructional sequences for terms, such as tokenization, training data, and tensor processing units.

In chapter 5, a Creating an AI Product Integration Roadmap activity requires students to use professional vocabulary during an applied product development task. For example, students apply terms such as minimum viable product (MVP), prototype, iteration, usability testing, integration roadmap, and cloud development platform. This simulation connects technical language to entrepreneurial decision-making by requiring students to plan how AI features integrate into a digital tool. These experiential exercises ensure that students consistently apply industry-related language in realistic business contexts.

Evaluation for 6.2a
Materials include opportunities for students to apply academic and technical knowledge and skills to authentic, real-world, industry-specific problems and develop and evaluate viable solutions as applicable to the level of the course and in alignment with the course TEKS.

A Feasibility Analysis activity provides opportunities for students to apply academic and technical knowledge to authentic entrepreneurial problems. For example, students analyze a mobile car wash business by translating product features into customer benefits and evaluating pricing models. Students expand this problem-solving process in a Business Proposal Development Project by analyzing customer needs and developing market plans. This project requires students to evaluate business challenges and defend recommendations, which aligns with the TEKS.

In a Planning a Pivot activity, students solve authentic entrepreneurial challenges by responding to changing customer needs and by changing an existing business strategy. For example, students select a business scenario, such as a streaming service discovering shifting primary audience demographics. Using customer feedback, students identify which elements of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) require revision and redesign a minimum viable product (MVP). Students deliver a pitch explaining their strategy to evaluate solutions to industry-specific problems, which aligns with the TEKS.

Evaluation for 6.2b
Materials include opportunities for students to conduct industry-related data analysis to evaluate information, identify trends, and justify decisions using quantitative and qualitative reasoning as applicable to the level of the course and in alignment with the course TEKS.

In the materials, an “Identifying KPIs” activity provides opportunities for students to conduct industry-related data analysis during experiential learning. Students analyze quantitative and qualitative data associated with a high-tech product launch. For example, students evaluate revenue, conversion rates, and brand sentiment to select 10 key performance indicators (KPIs). In a connected Building a KPI Dashboard activity, students organize metrics to identify emerging trends. These tasks require students to justify business decisions using quantitative reasoning, which aligns with the TEKS.

In chapter 7, a Cleaning Noisy Data activity requires students to analyze industry-related customer data to guide a technology solution. Students simulate the role of an entrepreneur creating an AI tool to understand user exercise habits. For example, students evaluate customer data points, including daily exercise, preferred fitness goals, and device usage logs. This analysis requires students to determine which information remains relevant to the business goal and exclude irrelevant noise. Students use qualitative and quantitative reasoning to justify which data points support the business objectives, which aligns with the TEKS.

Evaluation for 6.2c
Materials include opportunities for students to engage in inquiry-based learning (e.g., formulating industry-specific questions, conducting research using industry-specific sources) as applicable to the level of the course and in alignment with the course TEKS.

In chapter 3, an Industry Problem Analysis activity provides opportunities for students to engage in inquiry-based learning. For example, students select a specific marketplace sector to brainstorm customer frustrations and operational inefficiencies. Students conduct research using industry publications and market reports to evaluate gaps in existing business solutions. In a related SCAMPER with Generative AI activity, students apply a structural framework to compare concept improvements with AI outputs. These experiential exercises require students to formulate industry-specific questions, which aligns with the TEKS.

In chapter 8, a Local Resource Investigation activity allows students to conduct research using industry-specific sources to identify small-business support networks. Students investigate three local organizations that provide logistical or financial resources to area entrepreneurs. For example, students gather information regarding organizational eligibility criteria, available funding programs, and networking opportunities. This research requires students to locate local ecosystem data to understand how small-business owners access training and capital. This inquiry task helps students evaluate real-world community support systems, which aligns with the TEKS.