Texas Association of School Boards President issues statement on Dallas home-rule charter school district

Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) President  Faye Beaulieu issued the following statement that appeared on March 27, 2014 in The Dallas Morning News:

Elected school boards work best

"In recent days, community leaders in Dallas ISD have allowed their frustration with what they know about the performance in their local schools to push them toward a drastic change in local governance. Those at the helm would put before the public the opportunity to sign a petition to replace the current nine-member elected Board of Trustees that manages the district with a 15-member appointed board not subject to public election or many of the Texas Education Code’s mandates. Five percent of the district’s registered voters must sign the petition to kick-start the change, and then 25 percent must participate in the November general election on the proposed new system.

Rather than stand down an elected board, can we work toward a relationship where the city and the ISD figure out how to support each other? Can the city partner with the district to maximize available resources? Can the district help the city accomplish its goals to continue to attract new business and tourism?

I urge you to look hard at the forces that would call you to “support our public schools,” and make sure their tactics are indeed in everyone’s best interests. Publicly elected school board members, accountable to those they govern, offer the best oversight for local school districts."

Faye Beaulieu, president, Texas Association of School Boards, Bedford

A Guide to Public Education from TASB Governmental Relations carries useful background on Home-Rule School Districts, and many other topics.

 

Dallas ISD Trustee Mike Morath attempted to amend a new cornerstone principle of the Texas Association of School Boards dealing with opposition to using public funds for mechanisms to privatize public education

The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) held its 2013 state Delegate Assembly in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, September 28, 2013. Conference Delegates were presented with a newly proposed Cornerstone Principle for adoption.

The proposed new Cornerstone Principle was written as follows: 

"Opposition to the use of public funds for vouchers, tax credits, and other mechanisms to privatize public education."

Delegates adopted this Cornerstone principle of the Texas Association of School Boards by 95.39 percent (Yes-331, No-16).

Then it was announced that an amendment to the Cornerstone Principle had been sumitted by Mike Morath (Dallas ISD).

The minutes of the Delegate Assembly state the following:

"Hughey announced that an amendment to the proposal had been submitted by Mike Morath (Dallas ISD) with a second by Marshal Wesley (Duncanville ISD). The amendment would alter the language to read:

Morath amendment: "Opposition to the use of public funds for vouchers, tax credits, and other mechanisms to publicly fund private schools.

Original language - "other mechanisms to privatize public education."
Morath Amendment - "other mechanisms to publicly fund private schools."

"Garcia called for a vote on the proposed amendment. The amendment failed with Delegates voting against it by 70.92 percent (Yes-98, No-239)."

"...Garcia called for a vote by Frisbee on the Original proposed language of the new Cornerstone Principle. The Principle was adopted by a two-thirds majority."

The Mike Morath amendment failed: It would have exempted charter schools that have become "mechanisms to privatize public education."

Texas Association of School Boards Fall Legal Seminar held in Austin

In addition to providing a number of services , TASB Legal Services designs seminars to help member school districts advance public education.  School Board members, administrators and attorneys are offered a variety of information and training sessions. 

The TASB Fall Legal Seminar this week-end in Austin covered several topics from   “When good Employees Go Bad” to recent Legislative and Legal Updates.

Also included were informative and for me, confirming discussions about the Texas Open Meetings Act (OMA), which was established to “ensure the public’s access to meetings of governmental bodies so that it has the opportunity to be informed concerning the transactions of public business.”

I have often expressed concerns about following the Texas Open Meetings Act. Training at the TASB Legal Seminar provided helpful Texas Open Meetings Act reminders.

Texas ISD representatives from small to large school districts attended the TASB Fall Seminar facilitated by TASB Legal Services staff. 

Thanks to TASB Legal Services for providing quality educational training about legal developments that influence and affect public schools in Texas.

Texas Association of School Administrators and Texas Association of School Boards convention held in Dallas (September 26 - 29 - 'Education is Everybody's Business'

Some of the TASB Officers and Directors

Trustees and school administrators for public education representing hundreds of 

Texas School Boards and Independent School Districts (ISDs) met this week-end
(September 26 - 29) in the Dallas Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center.  

The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and the Texas Association
of School Boards (TASB) hosted the Annual Convention to provide education and
training for 1,000+ ISDs making it a 100% Texas ISD membership organization.

The theme:  Education is Everybody's Business.

In addition to dozens of educational sessions, the Annual Convention featured the
following general session speakers: 

Mrs. Laura W. Bush, Former First Lady
Steven Berlin Johnson, Award Wnning Author
Ken Kay, Chief Executive Officer, EdLeader 21

Participants could also attend The  Lecture Series to hear four "Distinguished Speakers":

Larry Speck, Former Dean of th eSchool of achitecture, The University of Texas at Austin
                      and Current President, Texas Society of Architects
Andrew Busch, Editor in Chief, the Busch Update
Nikhil Goyal, Author and Learning Revolution Leader
Angela Maiers, author an dAward-Winning Educator, Maiers Education Services

The TASB Delegate Assembly adopted Proposed Changes to Priorities of its 2012-14 Advocacy
Agenda and Proposed 2012-2014 Advocacy Resolutions Recommended for Adoption.

TASB delegates also approved two changes for the TASB Cornerstone Principles:

• Strong family and community engagement to create optimal opportunities for each child

• Opposition to th euse of public funds for vouchers, tax credits, and other mechanisms

         to privitize public education

Superb student performing groups from Stephenville ISD and Aldine ISD captivated the audience.

Darrell Floyd, TASA President and Superintendent of Stephenville ISD, presided on Friday.

Viola Garcia, TASB President and Board Secretary, Aldine ISD, was presider at the Saturday General Session. 

Sunday's presiding officer was Faye Beaulieu, TASB President Elect and Board Vice-President, Hurst-Euless Bedford ISD.

Thanks to TASB Staff and Executive Director James B. Crow for another high-quality Annual Convention.  

Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and Entity Board summer meeting - Houston, Texas

The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) hosted the Summer TASB and Entity Board meeting last week in Houston, Texas - from Wednesday to Saturday, July 24-July 27, 2013.

A packed agenda called for reports and action by Boards and committees, including: the Energy Cooperative  Board,  First Public, LLC, the Legislative Action Committee, the Local Government Purchasing Cooperative, the Lone Star Investment Pool Board, Risk Management Board and committees, TASB Benefits Board, and the TASB Board and committees.

Meanwhile, TASB staff members reported they are also wrapping up final preparations for the 2013 TASA/TASB  annual state conference, set for September 27 - 29 in Dallas.  Hundreds of School Board Trustees and school administrators from all over Texas will attend.

Our appreciation to President Viola M. Garcia, along with the Executive Committee, for leading TASB Directors and affiliates in an effective, efficient summer meeting.

Thanks to TASB staff who once again facilitated this well-planned, well-organized event.

The quality of service and work provided by TASB for Texas schools and public education helps validate why, for the fifth year in a row, the Texas Association of School Boards was selected as the Fourth Best of Top Places to Work In Central Texas among large companies by the Austin Business Journal.

Executive Director Jim Crow stated, "This is a great honor, as there were 250 nominations this year.  TASB staff is dedicated to service, and we know that if we are good and caring to our staff, they will be good and caring to our members. I am extremely proud of their commitment to excellence as they work to support Texas public schools every day."

We are grateful for the services TASB provides to school districts throughout the state of Texas.

Texas Association of School Boards Legal Services summary of House Bill 5

HB 5 Summary

"TASB Legal Services has completed its summary of House Bill 5 (HB 5), which makes significant changes to public school curriculum, assessment and accountability.

This and a complete list of other education-related bills that passed this session will be available in the 2013 TASB Legislative Summary for School Officials. The document will be available to download free of charge in late July. Information on its release will be available in the Legislative Report upon the document's completion.

House Bill 5

Effective date:  June 10, 2013. Applies beginning with the 2014-15 school year, except as indicated below.

90 percent rule:  Effective in 2013-14, a student in any grade k-12 may not receive credit or a final grade if the student attends class less than 90 percent of the days the class is offered, absent extenuating circumstances. 

End-of-course exams:  Effective in 2013-14, students must pass five EOC exams in order to graduate: Algebra I, Biology, English I (including reading and writing in a single exam), English II (including reading and writing in a single exam), and US History.  Requirements that students achieve a minimum score on each EOC and a cumulative score in each academic area in order to graduate are eliminated, as is the mandate that EOC scores count as 15 percent of students’ final course grades.  TEA must assign a scale score on each required EOC and covert the score to an equivalent score on a 100-point scale.  A student’s performance on an EOC exam may not be used to determine class rank for any purpose, including Top Ten Percent. 

By October 1, 2013, the commissioner must adopt rules to determine a method by which performance on an AP, IB, ACT, SAT, PSAT, ACT-Plan, or other national norm-referenced exam used by higher education to award credit will be used to satisfy EOC requirements.  A special education student’s ARDC will decide whether the student must pass the EOCs in order to graduate.  

Limit on benchmarks:  Effective in 2013-14, a school district may not administer more than two benchmark assessments to prepare for a corresponding state-mandated assessment.  A parent of a special needs student may request additional benchmarks be administered to the parent’s child. 

Accelerated instruction:  Effective in 2013-14, absent parental permission, a student may not be removed for remedial instruction for more than 10 percent of the days a class is offered.  Effectively immediately, school districts must offer, at no cost to students, accelerated instruction before the next test administration to students who fail an EOC exam for Algebra I, biology, English I & II, or US history.  The instruction may require participation outside of normal school hours or normal school operations.  Districts must budget separately for accelerated instruction, and compensatory education funds may not be budgeted for any other purpose until the district sets a budget for accelerated instruction.  Districts must evaluate the effectiveness of accelerated instruction and hold an annual public hearing on the results.   

College prep courses:  Each school district must partner with at least one institution of higher education to provide college prep courses in math and English.  The course may be offered either on the high school campus or online. If a district determines that a rising senior is unlikely to pass an EOC exam, the district must require the student to enroll in the corresponding college prep course (if available); the college prep course assessment can be used to satisfy the EOC requirement.

High school graduation requirements:  To graduate under the foundation program, students must complete:

• Four credits in English (English I-III and one advanced course)
• Three credits in math (Algebra I, geometry, and one advanced course)
• Three credits in science (biology, and either two advanced courses, or one advanced course and one integrated physics and chemistry course)
• Three credits in social studies (US history, .5 government, .5 economics, and world geography and/or world history) 
• Two credits in the same foreign language or a computer programming language, with SBOE to adopt exceptions for students with disabilities or who are otherwise unlikely to complete this requirement
• One credit in fine arts
• One credit in PE, absent an exception (may be an approved private program)
• Five electives

Distinguished level of achievement:  A student earns a distinguished level of achievement in the high school foundation program if the student completes:

• four credits in math, including geometry, Algebra I and II, and another advanced math course (or CTE course, as permitted by SBOE rule)
• four credits in science, including biology, and either two advanced courses, or one advanced course and one integrated physics and chemistry course (or CTE course, as permitted by SBOE rule)
• the remaining foundation program credits, and
• at least one endorsement (all of which must require two additional elective credits)

All districts must offer Algebra II to be accredited.

Endorsements:  The endorsements are STEM, business and industry, public services, arts and humanities, and multidisciplinary studies.  If a school district offers only one endorsement, it must be multidisciplinary studies.  A district must ensure that on entering ninth grade each student indicates in writing an endorsement the student intends to earn.  A district must permit a student to choose at any time to earn an endorsement other than the one the student previously indicated.  A student may graduate under the foundation program without an endorsement if, after the student’s sophomore year, the student and parent are advised by a school counselor of the benefits of graduating with an endorsement and the parent provides written permission on a TEA form. 

Transition plan:  The commissioner must adopt a transition plan from the current high school programs to the new program beginning with the 2014-15 school year.  Any student in ninth grade in 2013-14 or before may graduate under one of the current plans or the foundation program.  By commissioner’s rule, a 2013-14 high school senior who does not satisfy the curriculum requirements of his current program may graduate if the student satisfies the foundation program and any other graduation requirements. 

Personal graduation plans:  Starting in 2014-15, middle schools must develop PGPs for students who fail a state assessment or who are unlikely to graduate from high school within five years.  High schools must provide a state-mandated notice and counsel entering ninth graders and their parents about graduation options, including the distinguished level and endorsements.  By the end of the school year, the student and parent must sign a PGP that identifies a course of study.  A student may change his or her PGP; if so, the district must notify the student’s parent. 

Counseling about postsecondary requirements:  Counseling about postsecondary education, which had been required during the first and last years of high school, is now required in every year of high school. 

Top Ten Percent and college admissions:  Unless an exception applies, a student must graduate at the distinguished level of achievement to be eligible for automatic admission through the Top Ten Percent.  A student who is not eligible for automatic admission may apply to any general academic teaching institution if the student completed the foundation program or achieved a certain score on the SAT or ACT.  

Career and Technical Education:  With school board approval, a district may offer a course, apprenticeship, or other training for credit without SBOE approval if the district develops the program in partnership with an institution of higher education and local businesses, labor, and community leaders, and the program allows students to enter a regional career and technology training program, an institution of higher education without remediation, an apprenticeship, or an internship for an industry-recognized credential.  By September 1, 2014, the SBOE must ensure at least six new advanced CTE or technology applications courses, including personal financial literacy and statistics, are approved to satisfy a fourth credit in math. The state CTE plan must require districts, to the extent possible, to allow CTE students to enroll in dual enrollment courses that lead to a degree, license, or certification as part of the program.  The district will receive a subsidy for paying for a student’s career certification exam.  

Instructional Materials Allotment funds:  Effective immediately, TEA will provide districts an estimate of IMA funds for the next fiscal year, and districts and charter schools will be able to pre-order materials up to 80 percent of the estimate. 

Accountability:  Beginning in 2013-14, and regardless of the date on which a student originally enrolled in a US school, unless a student is enrolled in school in the US for at least 60 consecutive days during a year, the student may not be considered enrolled in a US school for the purpose of determining a number of years for purposes of eligibility for an alternative assessment for LEP. Also effective with the 2013-14 school year, a student who was previously reported as a dropout but who reenrolls and drops out again is not included in the district's dropout calculation, regardless of the number of times this occurs.

Performance ratings:  Beginning with the 2016-17 school year, the commissioner must assign each school district a performance rating of A, B, C, D or F, setting rules to determine the criteria for each rating.  The commissioner will assign each campus a rating of exemplary, recognized, acceptable, or unacceptable.  A district may not receive an "A" if it has any unacceptable campus.  Effective in 2013-14, in evaluating campus and charter school performance, the commissioner shall evaluate against the student achievement indicators set in Texas Education Code section 39.053, except, to the greatest extent possible, when an indicator to measure growth would negatively affect the rating of a campus achieving at the highest level.  

New community and student engagement rating:  Beginning in 2013-14, by August 8 annually, each district must evaluate the district and each of its campuses in community and student engagement, assign the district and each campus a rating based on criteria set by a local committee, and report the rating to TEA. 

Distinction designations:  Beginning in 2013-14, distinction designations for outstanding performance are expanded and must be directly referenced in connection with a district or campus performance rating and made available publicly together with the performance ratings.  

FIRST rating system:  The financial accountability rating system will be expanded to include processes for anticipating future financial solvency for each district including analysis of district revenues and expenses for preceding years.  The commissioner, in consultation with the comptroller, must set criteria for financial performance ratings, and each district will be assigned a financial performance rating.  If the financial accountability indicators or other factors project a district shortfall in the next three years, TEA will provide the district interim financial reports to evaluate the district's budget status.  TEA may require the district to acquire professional services for financial assistance or training. A district assigned the lowest financial rating shall submit a corrective action plan to the commissioner to identify financial weaknesses and strategies for improvement.  If a district fails to submit a plan, the commissioner may impose sanctions. 

Texas School Accountability Dashboard:  Effective immediately, TEA must create a Web site known as the Texas School Accountability Dashboard for the public to access district and campus accountability information.  The dashboard must allow for comparisons among districts' performance information disaggregated by student populations."

Texas Education Agency House Bill 5 Guidance

From Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Governmental Relations

"The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced initial requirements regarding the assessment component of House Bill 5, recently signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry. The Texas Legislature passed HB 5 by more than a two-thirds majority, making the law effective immediately after the governor’s signature.

High school students are now required to pass five end-of-course exams, and TEA’s letter will help districts begin preparing for the new graduation requirements.

 According to TEA’s letter:

• HB 5 requires reading and writing be combined and given in a single day. High school students who have to date passed English I or English II reading but not English I or English II writing (or vice versa) will still need to successfully complete the second test to meet graduation requirements.

• Assessments in Algebra II, geometry, English III, chemistry, physics, world geography, and world history have been eliminated from the testing requirements and will not be included in the July 2013 STAAR administration.

• End-of-course assessments will continue to be offered in Algebra I, English I, English II, biology, and U.S. history.

• Accelerated instruction is required for students who did not perform satisfactorily on end-of-course exams required for graduation under HB 5 (Algebra I, English I (reading/writing), English II (reading/writing), biology, and U.S. history).

• Accelerated instruction is not required for end-of-course exams in chemistry, physics, Algebra II, geometry, world history, world geography and English III."

Texas Education Agency (TEA) Letter-Click Here
 

Texas House Bill 5 reducing exams from 15 to 5 still awaiting Governor Rick Perry's signature

From Texas Association of School Boards Legislative Update

"The House and Senate unanimously adopted the conference committee report for HB 5 (Aycock/Patrick, Dan), sending the bill to the governor. 

Gov. Rick Perry has yet to sign or otherwise make his intention known on the bill, which would significantly overhaul graduation requirements and reduce high-stakes testing. Perry may sign, veto or allow the bill to become law without his signature.

It is critical that those supporting HB 5 call the governor's office at 512-463-2000 and urge him to sign HB 5 right away. TASB and other education groups sent this letter to the governor asking that he sign it.
HB 5 would:

• Reduce end-of-course exams from 15 to 5: Algebra I, U.S. history, biology, English I and English II (reading and writing would be combined into one exam for both English I and II).
• Replace the current minimum, recommended and distinguished graduation plans with a foundation graduation plan consisting of four English credits; three science, social studies and math credits; two foreign language/computer programming credits; one fine arts credit; one physical education credit; and five elective credits (22 credits). 
• Eliminate the requirement that end-of-course exams must count toward 15 percent of a student’s final course grade.
• Create a distinguished achievement and endorsement graduation plans, including endorsements in STEM, business & industry, public services, multi-disciplinary studies, and arts & humanities.
• Require four science credits and algebra II for automatic state college admissions under the top 10 percent rule and state financial aid, and allow all students to be eligible to apply for Texas colleges. 
• Eliminate cumulative score requirements for end-of-course exams.
• Allow districts to administer state-developed Algebra II and English III exams for diagnostic purposes.
• Establish an A through F accountability rating system for school districts beginning with the 2016-17 school year, while campuses will remain under the existing exemplary, recognized, acceptable and unacceptable system. (HB 5 makes no provision for the delay of accountability ratings for upcoming school years.)
• Grant the commissioner authority to join a CTE consortium of states.
• Prohibit schools from pulling students out of class for more than 10 percent of class time for test preparation or remediation without parental consent.
• Prohibit a school from giving any student credit or a final grade for a course if the student was not in attendance for 90 percent of the days a class was offered.
• Require all districts to offer Algebra II.
• Allow a district to offer an apprenticeship or training CTE course that leads to an industry-recognized certificate or credential.
• Not include language regarding career exploration courses, which address the foundation school program and courses required for automatic admission to state schools, for students in grades 7 and 8.
• Require the SBOE to adopt at least six advanced CTE courses, including courses in personal financial literacy and statistics, that satisfy the fourth credit in math.
• Require school districts to partner with at least one institution of higher education to offer college prep courses in English and math.
• Require TEA to provide to districts information on the advantages of the distinguished and endorsement graduation plans, to include automatic college admission and state grants.
• Require all students entering grade 9 to select an endorsement, allow students to change endorsements at any time, and allow students to opt into the foundation plan with parental consent after grade 10. 
• Allow a student to satisfy a fine arts credit by participating in a community-based program not provided by the school.
• Allow students to substitute a course for the second foreign language course if it is clear the student will not be able to complete a second foreign language credit after completing the first.
• Prohibits schools from administering more than two benchmark tests per student per subject, not to include college readiness exams such as the SAT or ACT.
• Require TEA to minimize the effect test administration has on a campus and student instruction."

Texas Association of School Boards Legislative Update - HB 5 Graduation Requirement, Assessment Overhaul

TASB Legislative Update

"Both the House and Senate adopted the conference committee report for HB 5 (Aycock/Patrick, Dan) over the weekend, sending the bill to the governor. HB 5 would, among other things:

• Reduce end-of-course exams from 15 to 5: Algebra I, U.S. history, biology, English I and English II (reading and writing would be combined into one exam for both English I and II).
• Replace the current minimum, recommended and distinguished graduation plans with a foundation graduation plan consisting of four English credits; three science, social studies and math credits; two foreign language/computer programming credits; one fine arts credit; one physical education credit; and five elective credits.
• Create a distinguished achievement and endorsement graduation plans, including endorsements in STEM, business & industry, public services, multi-disciplinary studies, and arts & humanities.
• Require  four science credits and algebra II for automatic state college admissions under the top 10 percent rule and state financial aid, and allow all students to be eligible to apply for Texas colleges.
• Allow districts to administer state-developed Algebra II and English III exams for diagnostic purposes.
• Establish an A through F accountability rating system for school districts beginning with the 2016-17 school year,while campuses will remain under the existing exemplary, recognized, acceptable and unacceptable system.
• Prohibit schools from pulling students out of class for more than 10 percent of class time for test preparation or remediation without parental consent.
• Require the SBOE to adopt at least six advanced CTE courses, including courses in personal financial literacy and statistics, that satisfy the fourth credit in math.
• Require all students entering grade 9 to select an endorsement, allow students to change endorsements at any time, and allow students to opt into the foundation plan with parental consent after grade 10.
• Prohibits schools from administering more than two benchmark tests per student per subject, not to include college readiness exams such as the SAT or ACT.
• Require TEA to minimize the effect test administration has on a campus and student instruction."

School Board Advocacy Network urges legislators to reduce high-stakes testing in grades 3-8 - pass HB 2836

Reduce Emphasis on High-Stakes Testing in Grades 3-8
 

"With just over 24 hours left for legislators to pass bills, those not heard before midnight on Sunday will die. House Bill 2836 by Rep. Bennett Ratliff (R-Coppell) is currently in conference committee and will go before the full Senate and House for passage on Sunday.

House Bill 2836 focuses solely on testing in grades 3-8. Call your legislator and urge them to support the bill with the following provisions:

• Reduce the length of tests to 120 minutes in grades 3-5, 180 minutes in grades 5-8,with no time limit for struggling learners;
• Refine tests to include readiness standards only for accountability purposes, supporting standards for diagnostic purposes only;
• Include revisions for STARR-Alt tests to be provided by the State and not teachers; and
• Require the length, scope and assessment of TEKS be studied.

Contact Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and the following conference committee members to urge their support for HB 2836."

Senate Conferees:

Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), 512-463-0107

Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), 512-463-0128

Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), 512-463-0104                        

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), 512-463-0126

Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 512-463-0131

House:

Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Houston), 512-463-0520

Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston), 512-463-0554

Rep. John Kuempel (R-Seguin), 512-463-0602

Rep. Marsha Farney (R-Georgetown), 512-463-0309"

School Board Advocacy Network urges passage of Texas House Bill 5 without additional admendments

"House and Senate conferees are currently considering House Bill 5, which would reduce the number of end-of-course exams taken by high school students and provide multiple pathways to graduation.

"There is a possibility that HB 5 will be amended to include statewide school district legislation that failed in the House and was removed from another bill earlier this week.

Please contact the members of the HB 5 conference committee NOW and ask that the bill be kept "clean" of any additional legislation, especially Achievement School District legislation that would permit takeover of neighborhood schools by a statewide school district.

Urge conferees to:

• NOT amend HB 5 with other bills that have failed to pass.
• Keep the number of end-of-course exams at five tests.

Conference Committee Members (click on a name to send an e-mail)

House:

Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock (R-Killeen), 512-463-0684

Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Houston), 512-463-0520

Rep. Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont), 512-463-0662

Rep. Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock), 512-463-0670

Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin), 512-463-0674

Senate:

Chairman Dan Patrick (R-Houston), 512-463-0107

Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), 512-463-0128

Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 512-463-0131

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), 512-463-0126

Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), 512-463-0104"

School Board Advocacy Network supports testing reform in grades 3-8

School Board Advocacy Network Action Alert

 

Please call the lieutenant governor’s office and urge him to refer HB 2836 by Rep. Bennett Ratliff (R-Coppell) to the Senate Education Committee and have the bill set for a hearing as soon as possible.

HB 2836 would:

• improve the accountability system by reigning in the amount, scope and time of state-mandated testing in grades 3 through 8; 
• reduce state required testing from 17 to 15 tests in grades 3 through 8; 
• ensure that students can thoroughly learn the TEKS readiness standards; and
• reduce the amount of time students spend on each state test to 120 minutes in grades 3 through 5 and 180 minutes in grades 6 through 8.

Contact Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and urge him to refer HB 2836 to the Senate Educaation Committee and help reduce the high-stakes nature of state assessments in grades 3 through 8.

Texas State Senate passes HB 5 - high stakes tests fall from 15 to 5

From Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Governmental Relations - Legislative Report 

"The Senate took up and considered several amendments to House Bill 5 on Monday. HB 5, filed by Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock (R-Killeen) and sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), would make significant changes to graduation requirements and state assessments, including creation of a single "foundation" diploma with endorsements in STEM, business & industry, arts & humanities, and distinguished performance. The bill would also reduce the number of end-of-course exams from 15 to 5: English I & II (reading and writing would be combined into one test for both subjects), algebra I, biology and U.S. history.

Chairman Patrick began laying out the bill in the Senate by stressing that HB 5 increased both the rigor and flexibility of high school graduation plans. He noted that students would be required to choose an endorsement upon entering high school, and that all plans require four credits of both English and math and two to four credits of science and social studies.

Patrick noted that HB 5 also:

• restricts the number of days that a student may be pulled out for remediation;
• requires all districts to offer algebra II;
• allows districts to provide apprenticeships in conjunction with institutions of higher learning or industry;
• allows the SBOE to approve at least six advanced CTE courses to count toward advanced math requirements;
• adds technology applications to count toward applied STEM courses;
• allows STEM students to take dual credit courses designed for degree or certification attainment;
• allows other assessments to satisfy EOC requirements;
• limits the number of benchmark tests districts may administer to two per student per state assessment;
• prohibits assessment vendors from serving on TEA advisory committees on state accountability; and
• allows all graduates to apply for TEXAS Grants and state universities.

Patrick explained that HB 5 is “4x4 flex,” which allows students to take more advanced courses in certain fields. 

Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) took a moment to say that he did not vote on this bill as it left committee, but that he was going to vote for it on the Senate floor because it limits the number of tests that students are required to take in addition to benchmark tests, which his constituents have expressed to him as a severe problem.

Patrick agreed, noting that testing days would be reduced from 90 to a maximum of 21 under HB 5.

Senators then spent the next few hours introducing and voting on various amendments to the bill. The following amendments made it successfully onto HB 5:

• Amendment 1 (Patrick): Adds personal financial literacy to the foundation curriculum and allows it to count toward social studies credit.
• Amendment 2 (Patrick): Deletes language requiring remedial work be done in high school as opposed to college because of the unfunded mandate it would create for districts.
• Amendment 3 (Patrick): Restores subsidy for any certification exam instead of just manufacturing certification, as done by a House amendment.
• Amendment 4 (Patrick): Enables districts to provide students a substitute course for the second year language course requirement if it appears a student will not be able to pass it.
• Amendment 5 (Patrick): Allows districts to count an outside fine arts activity toward school fine arts requirements.
• Amendment 6 (Patrick): Takes career exploration courses out of the bill due to cost.
• Amendment 7 (Patrick): Removes requirement that schools administer, at state cost, college preparatory tests in grade 8. Only tests administered to students in grades 10 and 11 will be subsidized by the state. Also clarifies that tests are voluntary and students may not be forced to take college prep tests.
• Amendment 8 (Patrick): Removes language regarding completion and graduation evaluations.
• Amendment 9 (Patrick): Allows districts to partner with any community college in the state for dual credit courses.
• Amendment 10 (Patrick, et al): Changes A-F accountability ratings to district-level ratings and postpones the new system until 2016-17 school year.
• Amendment 12 (Van de Putte): Allows districts to develop and the commissioner to approve local courses to address regional workforce needs and student interests. The courses would be transferrable to other districts in the state through the assignment of a PEIMS code.
• Amendment 13 (Van de Putte): Requires graduation plans chosen by students and parents to be revisited to ensure that a student is on track or is able to change endorsements if necessary. Requires that parents are notified electronically of any changes.
• Amendment 14 (Uresti): Allows computer science to be taken instead of or in conjunction with computer programming.
• Amendment 15 (Estes): Allows students, with parental authorization, to opt-out of active RFID tracking technology used for student identification at a school.
• Amendment 16 (West): Clarifies and puts into place factors that the commissioner of education must take into account when determining if the state has provided enough resources to provide remediation for purposes of social promotion and accountability rating postponement.
• Amendment 17 (Van de Putte): Clarifies that a school district must allow a student to change an endorsement if the student chooses.
• Amendment 18 (Seliger): Requires that students on the foundation graduation plan seeking automatic admission under the top ten percent rule take four years of math, including Algebra II, and four years of science. The commissioner must provide standard language regarding the benefits and consequences of the foundation plan to be provided and signed-off on by students, parents and school counselors when a student applies to take high school courses. An amendment to the amendment (Davis, W.) allows a locally-developed, commissioner-approved Algebra II-equivalent course to count toward this requirement.
• Amendment 21 (Van de Putte): Establishes a seal of bi-literacy that a school may choose to include on a high school diploma.
• Amendment 22 (Seliger): Directs TEA to provide school districts with an estimate of the instructional materials allotment appropriations for a given year and exempt districts from “prompt pay” provisions if actual appropriations are less than estimated by TEA.
• Amendment 23 (Van de Putte): Prohibits the penalizing of dropout recovery schools and makes provisions for these schools within the accountability system.
• Amendment 24 (Davis, W.): Ensures assessment instruments are valid and reliable by requiring a warranty from test providers.
• Amendment 25 (Williams): Adds optional, state-subsidized post-secondary readiness assessments for districts if they choose to administer them. Clarifies that results of these assessments may not be used for accountability or college admission purposes. An amendment to the amendment (Van de Putte) prohibits the results of these tests from being used for class rank, eligibility for top ten percent or course grades. Debate on this amendment centered on this amendment actually establishing two additional tests that districts would administer because they would be subsidized by the state and not subject to any accountability. Sen. Dan Patrick amended the amendment so that districts who decide to give optional diagnostic tests may not administer benchmark tests for those optional tests.
• Amendment 27 (Seliger): Strikes language that allows computer language to count as a foreign language for graduation requirements.

The Senate passed the bill unanimously after Sen. Patrick agreed to work within the conference committee to prohibit any changes to the Senate’s compromises on A through F accountability ratings and the top ten percent rule."

National School Boards Association annual conference

Hello from the National School Boards Association Annual Conference.

The National School Boards Association

Texas Association of  School Boards Officers at NSBA Annual Conference

"Protecting public education is everybody's business - especially school boards."

"The “new NSBA” will take the battle to those who look to dismantle the nation’s public education system—and its leaders intend to play a more influential role in future policy debates over school reform and local school board governance."

That was the message delivered by Thomas J. Gentzel, NSBA’s new executive director, at NSBA’s annual conference First General Session Saturday.
 

 

Over 500 Texans are attending the conference, earning Texas continuing education credits for many of the sessions.