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The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.

  • Every Doggett Has His Day

    By Ben Philpott, KUT News

    The U.S. House has passed a bill on Tuesday that is expected to send about $800 million to bolster the state’s education budget. But thanks to an amendment added by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, the funding comes with Texas-specific strings attached. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune has this report. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Learnstrong

    By Reeve Hamilton

    Can a $3 million marketing campaign to promote higher education change the culture of a country-sized state in which just 27 percent of the population has a college degree or certificate? It worked for cancer ... Full Story 

    "Generation TX" stickers
    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    Thevenot on bogus public school accountability rankings, Garcia-Ditta on what locals think of increased patrols on the border, Stiles and Ramsey on where Kay Bailey Hutchison's donors have landed, Grissom on the pay gap between state and local police, Cervantes on how tweaks to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder will impact Texas, M. Smith on the sinking prospects for an East Texas wetlands project, Ergenbright on the challenge of educating autistic children, Aguilar on efforts to legalize medicinal marijuana, Ramshaw on former foster children having trouble getting records from the state and Burnson on public health officials battling imported infectious diseases: The best of our best from August 2 to 6, 2010. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • Autism in Texas Schools: Ben's Story

    By Elise Hu

    Central Texas parent Charity Smith Bartell discusses the challenges her autistic son faces in the Texas public school system. Unsatisfied with Ben’s progress in the classroom, Bartell has invested her own time and money into tutoring him at home to meet his complex educational needs. Full Story 

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  • Special Needs

    By Kate Ergenbright

    After a decade in which Texas has seen a 400 percent increase in the number of children with autism, lawmakers are wrestling with how best to educate the afflicted — and how to pay for it. Full Story 

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    Credit: Justin Dehn

  • TribBlog: Testing the Texas Projection Measure

    By Brian Thevenot

    The Texas Education agency plans to release school accountability ratings for every campus in the state on Friday. For the second year, the rankings will be filtered through the controversial Texas Projection Measure, which critics fault for inflating the school scores. Full Story 

    Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott in March, 2010.
    Credit: Justin Dehn

  • TribBlog: The 51st State

    How can Texas rank last in the nation — 51st — in the percentage of adults with high school diplomas, and simultaneously rank 22nd in the percentage attending at least some college? Full Story 

    Brookings Institute Mapped Educational attainment nationwide. Texas ranks last — 51st — in the percentage of adults with high school diploma, largely due to rapid immigration growth. The state ranks significantly higher on college attainment.
    Credit: Brookings Institute

  • TribBlog: In Reversal, SBOE Passes Charter Financing [Updated]

    By Elizabeth Titus

    After getting shot down in committee, SBOE member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, and other members succeeded Friday in pushing through a plan to purchase school buildings and lease them back to charter schools in a split vote, with two Democrats absent. The decision, however, is contingent upon a favorable attorney general's opinion on the legality of the controversial move — which would pull money from the Permanent School Fund. Full Story 

    Cynthia Dunbar and Don McLeroy
    Credit: Jacqueline Mermea

  • Texas Schools Have a Math Problem

    By Matt Largey, KUT News

    A new study suggests that while the state's English curriculum is among the best in the nation, our math curriculum doesn't measure up to a set of new national standards. Matt Largey of KUT News reports. Full Story 

  • Unchartered Waters

    By Elizabeth Titus

    Lawyers for the State Board of Education advised members Wednesday to proceed cautiously with a proposal to invest $100 million of the Permanent School Fund in facilities that would be leased to charter schools. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • TribBlog: Merit Pay and the "Black Box"

    By Elizabeth Titus

    In the latest clash between the Houston Independent School District and those who question its use of "value-added data" to grade and sometimes fire teachers, state Sen. Mario Gallegos Jr., D-Houston, grilled an HSID representative at Tuesday's Senate Education Committee hearing over what he decried as a transparency issue for the district. Full Story 

    State Sen. Mario Gallegos, Jr., D-Houston, gestures at the Senate Committee on Education on July 20, 2010.
    Credit: Spencer Selvidge