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.
Public Education
Explore The Texas Tribune’s coverage of public education, from K-12 schools and funding to teachers, students, and policies shaping classrooms across Texas.
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Public Education
Seeking to Pare State Exams, Lawmakers Take Aim at Testing Firm
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.
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Public Education
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Testing, Texting, Taxes
In this edition of the Newsreel: A Senate committee approves an education bill cutting some current requirements for high school diplomas, the House wants to make texting and driving a crime, and the governor calls for tax cuts.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson tracks the latest on Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on lawmakers’ openness to driving permits for non-citizens, Batheja on surprising support for higher state spending, Root and Galbraith on the state’s search for answers after the West explosion, M. Smith covers the debate over high school standards, Grissom finds a shadow payroll at the Capitol, Hamilton on the man with a plan at UT, Rocha spots a special deal for lawmakers accused of crimes, KUT’s Philpott on obstacles to road funding and Ramshaw on the privileges of legislative membership: The best of our best for the week of April 15-19, 2013.
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Politics
Polling Center: Education Wasn’t a Silver Bullet for Democrats
A couple of Democrats won election in 2012 talking about education, but that doesn’t mean the issue was a silver bullet for the minority party. Lots of others talked about it and lost, and the two who won were victorious in districts favorable to them.
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Public Education
High School Curriculum Bill Headed to Senate Floor
At a hearing Tuesday, Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, slammed national media coverage of the Legislature’s effort to change high school diploma requirements and reduce high-stakes exams.
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Public Education
Guest Column: Use the Rainy Day Fund for Education
The Rainy Day Fund has been used for public education before and should be used for it now — to reverse drastic cuts made in education spending during the 2011 legislative session.
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Politics
Texas Weekly Newsreel: School Vouchers, Gambling, Drug Testing
This week in the Newsreel: An effort to legalize casinos is under way in the Texas Senate, Attorney General Greg Abbott wants a redistricting bill, and some lawmakers want to give drug tests to recipients of unemployment and TANF benefits.
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Public Education
Nixing Algebra II Not Out of the Equation in Texas
As Texas reconsiders whether all students should take algebra II to earn a high school diploma, it is bucking a national trend that it helped launch a decade ago toward more stringent math curriculum.
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Public Education
Plan to Expand Charter Schools Clears Senate
A significantly altered version of Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick’s legislation expanding the state’s charter school system quickly passed out of the upper chamber Thursday afternoon.