Federal officials say Texas’ testing standards in reading are below the “basic” proficiency standards — and that low bar means those passing the TAKS may not be as proficient as advertised.
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
TribBlog: A Conversation With the State Schools Chief
Rather than deliver curriculum by book or even CD — one product per student — “We’re going to buy content and get a statewide license and deliver it to anyone who wants it” over the web, says Robert Scott. Much of that content will come from “smaller content providers who have been shut out of the market.”
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Public Education
TribBlog: Education Department could make restraint reporting mandatory
The U.S. Education Department is considering making restraint reporting mandatory for school districts nationwide, starting this school year.
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Higher Education
The Tipping Point: Texas Textbook Politics Meets the Digital Revolution
Under new legislation, school districts for the first time can spend a portion of state “book” money on computer hardware and digital content. Some fear the explosion of choice will produce an erosion of quality content.
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Public Education
The World According To Don
So what if he’s no longer the chair of the State Board of Education? Self-described “religious fanatic” Don McLeroy has big plans for Texas education — and science is just the beginning.
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Public Education
TribBlog: Restraints in public schools — by disability
If you’ve been following this week’s series on kids with disabilities being physically restrained in Texas public schools, you may be interested to see how the restraints break down by disability.
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Public Education
Student restraints, Day 3: Jennifer Howson’s story
Jennifer Howson, 21, was restrained dozens of times at her school in the northeast Texas town of Kemp, often sustaining scrapes, bruises and black eyes.
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Health care
TribBlog: Restraints: A gut-wrenching case
Of all the tales of restraints gone wrong I heard while reporting this story on Texas special education students, this one is the worst:
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Public Education
Dropout problem drags Texas down
“I represent a district that has 80 percent renters, 70 percent of people speaking a first language other than English, where there’s a high school with 42 languages and 40 percent turnover of the student body every year — now tell me how you plan to calculate the dropout rate,” Rep. Scott Hochberg said. “I will stipulate that it’s too big — let’s just start there. I wish we fought over solutions as much as we fight over the number.”