The latest Texas Education Agency news from The Texas Tribune.
The state’s new Expanded Learning Opportunities Council will be charged with developing a statewide action plan to improve and create extended learning opportunities in public schools. This story is part of our monthlong 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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UPDATED: The State Board of Education will take up the issue of whether school districts can continue to use lessons from a controversial state curriculum system at its September meeting. And the Texas Attorney General's office, along with Education Chairman Dan Patrick, has requested an official state audit of the program. Full Story
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After a report from the State Auditor's Office pointed out flaws in the Texas Education Agency's oversight of a $462 million testing contract, the agency said Tuesday it will "immediately" implement new monitoring guidelines. Full Story
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After the second year of a new statewide assessment program, Texas students' scores on standardized tests remain roughly the same, according to new data released by the Texas Education Agency. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry signed House Bill 5 on Monday, ending weeks of speculation that he might veto the high-profile education legislation that adjusts high school graduation standards. Full Story
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Some critics of Texas' largely subjective state teacher evaluations want them to include more emphasis on measures of student performance like standardized exams. But with support among lawmakers to scale back testing, those efforts have hit a roadblock. Full Story
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More than 80,000 fifth-graders and 60,000 eighth-graders in the state are at risk of being held back this year because of poor performance on state standardized tests under a Texas law banning social promotion. Full Story
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Against the recommendation of school leaders and amid skepticism from some lawmakers, the Texas Education Agency will continue working toward a transition to a public school accountability ratings system with grades of A through F. Full Story
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The procedures that led to the state's five-year, $468 million standardized testing contract with Pearson were the focus of a Senate panel's hearing Tuesday on legislation that would change how the state handles future agreements. Full Story
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As the Texas Legislature looks to overhaul the state’s standardized testing program amid outcry from parents and school leaders, state lawmakers have focused their criticism on the company that develops the tests. Full Story
Batheja on a House budget without vouchers or Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on obstacles to a new power plant in El Paso, Permenter on deer breeder regulations, E. Smith’s interview with San Antonio’s Castro twins, Galbraith on proposals for new underground water reservoirs, Root finds holes in a UT regent's appointment files, M. Smith on a planned school rating system that defied recommendations, Murphy maps oil and gas disposal wells in Texas, Dehn on objections to a bigger Medicaid program and Hamilton on efforts to lure gun makers to Texas: The best of our best for the week of April 1-5, 2013. Full Story
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At the Trib's February 25 symposium on public education at Rice University, I talked choice, testing, school finance and the intersection of policy and politics with four former state commissioners of education: Mike Moses, Jim Nelson, Shirley Richardson and Robert Scott. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday voiced his support for revamping the state's newly implemented student assessment system. Full Story
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Last spring, Texas students in grades three through eight took the STAAR exams for the first time. Using results from Pearson Education, the state's testing contractor, this interactive provides the first look at how the school districts performed. Full Story
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Last spring, Texas ninth graders took the STAAR end-of-course exams for the first time. Use our interactive to see how each of the state's school districts performed on the new tests. Full Story
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In a hearing on Wednesday, senators probed Michael Williams, the new head of the Texas Education Agency, on student assessments and funding for remedial tutoring. Full Story
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Full video of my Jan. 10 TribLive conversation with Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams addressed the hottest topic in public education in Texas today: the state's standardized testing regimen. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams talked about possible legislation that would increase access to firearms for teachers and other school personnel. Full Story
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As the El Paso school district continues to reel from a testing scandal, one district program is focusing on the students who dropped out as a result of pressure from school officials. Full Story
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