At Public Ed Hearing, "15 Percent Rule" Criticized
Parents, superintendents and students confronted lawmakers Tuesday over issues in the rollout of the state’s new standardized testing regime at a hearing of the House Public Education Committee.
Discussion centered on a rule that calls for high school students’ end-of-course exams to count for 15 percent of their final grades, which will go into effect next year, with committee members largely agreeing with witnesses that the rule should be done away with.
The “15 percent rule” will probably be permanently reversed, said outgoing chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, who lost his primary election in May.
“You’re preaching to ...
Comments (5)
Rob Nixon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Then why have the test? Let the teachesr teach then.
Marcus D Cunningham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't understand why people are so hung up on this. The exams are based on stuff they learned during the semester. I had final exams in high school that was worth 15% of my grade. It's the same thing.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No, Marcus, it's not! The final exams are designed by the teachers to test what they know they've taught in a way that will be recognizable to the students in their classes. At worst, it's designed by a team of teachers all teaching the same subject, but keeping one another accountable to themselves and their students. The STAAR is designed at the state level -- so the students who had Mrs. Smith who covered The Electoral College in great depth over two weeks (because that's what her Master's thesis was about) and the students who had Mrs. Jones who covered The Electoral College exactly by the TEKS guidelines are both tested with, let's be generous, two questions about The Electoral College out of a four hour exam.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Accountability is a good thing -- but we've got to stop fooling ourselves that that's what we're getting with these ridiculous tests.
Texas Parents Opt Out of State Tests via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Rep. Strama seems to think that the STAAR EOC exams are really great because they were created by professionals working for Pearson. Perhaps Rep. Strama would like to take these exams and then we could post his results here on Facebook. Lots of politicians talking about million dollar tests that parents, teachers, taxpayers and politicians have not even seen.