Education News Report

The State Board of Education is inviting parents, teachers and other interested parties to testify regarding the implementation of HB 5, the omnibus legislation that reforms high school graduation requirements. The all-day hearing will take place on September 17th at the Travis Building on 1701 N. Congress Ave. in Austin.

Legislators continue to announce their plans for the future. Here’s an update:

Retiring:

Representative Jim Pitts, chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee

Representative John Davis, chairman of the House Economic and Small Business Development Committee

Rep. Mark Strama

Rep. Craig Eiland

 

Running for other office:

 Sen. Glenn Hegar, running for Texas Comptroller

Sen. Dan Patrick, running for Lt. Governor

Sen. Ken Paxton, running for Texas Attorney General

Rep. Dan Branch, running for Texas Attorney General

Rep. Stefani Carter, running for Texas Railroad Commission

Rep. Brandon Creighton, running for Texas Agriculture Commissioner

Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, running for Texas Comptroller

Rep. Van Taylor, running for Texas Senate

Seeking Re-election:

Representative Jimmie Don Aycock, chairman of the House Public Education Committee

Representative John Otto, sub-committee chairman of public education budget on House Appropriations Committee

Senator Dan Patrick and SBOE Vice-Chair Thomas Ratliff met this week at U.T. Tyler for an education policy discussion on the CSCOPE program. (Articles below)

Recent News

Chairman Aycock Named 2013 Texas Public Schools
The Friends of Texas Public Schools Board of Directors has selected Jimmie Don Aycock, Chairman of the House Public Education Committee, as its 2013 Texas Public Schools Friend of the Year honoree.

State Board of Education Will No Longer Approve Charter Applicants
For the first time since the charter school system was created in 1995, the state education board will no longer play a central role in determining which charter schools get approved.

Capital Tonight: Education commissioner opens up about legislative changes
Monday was the first day of school for many Texas students, and it was day-one for some long-debated changes made by the legislature. We spoke one-on-one with Education Commissioner Michael Williams about what parents and teachers need to know.

Patrick and Ratliff exchange words over CSCOPE

The state curriculum system known as CSCOPE — little known until recently — can now add two hours of lively and at times testy debate to a long list of public appearances that includes State Board of Education meetings, legislative hearings, and the Glenn Beck Show.

 

Interactive: Search CSCOPE Lesson Plans

We’ve obtained the complete set of curriculum content produced by CSCOPE. Review the more than 10,000 lessons in social studies, science, math and language arts for yourself in our searchable interactive to see what the controversy is — or isn’t — about.

 

Study shows Texas kids segregated by language

When public school teachers return to classrooms this month, they know one of the biggest challenges they’ll face is the growing number of students who will speak little or no English.

The proportion of students who need extra attention and schooling because of their limited language skills has been growing for years, adding to the workload of teachers who have seen per student spending by the state slide over the past five years.

Press Release
Texas ACT Scores for Various Student Groups Hit New Highs
Commissioner Williams announced that the 2013 composite score for all Texas students taking the ACT college admission test hit a new high of 20.9 according to a report released by ACT.

New training to prevent school massacres in Houston
At the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, of the 28 people who were shot, 26 died.  That’s an astronomical 92 percent fatality rate..Now to protect our children from that kind of massacre in Houston, the Harris County Department of Education is offering a new type of training for teachers and administrators in the 25 school districts it services.

Options for Full-Time Online Education Expand in Texas
The number of full-time cyber schools serving Texas public school students will double in the upcoming school year despite a history of lackluster performance and a new law limiting how many online courses public school students can take at the states expense. The law’s author, state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, said its goal is to encourage virtual learning models that blend online instruction with a traditional classroom experience.

College Board Enters Expanding Common-Test Market – Education Week
The College Board is redesigning four of its testing programs so they reflect the Common Core State Standards and can be used for accountability, a project that adds yet another player to the list of companies seeking to take on new roles in a shifting nationwide assessment landscape.

High school counselors face learning curve as state law assigns new roles
When Texas eighth-graders go back to school this month, they’ll hear about changes in high school graduation plans. Their counselors will be learning about the changes right along with them. When the state Legislature upended high school graduation requirements this year, guidance counselors were put on the front line of education reform with unprecedented new legal responsibilities. Some school districts may need to hire more staff, although the Legislature offered no new money.

Parents Have Limited Say, But All the Stress On Teacher Assignments – Education News
Even though teacher assignments could spell the difference between their children’s failure and success, more schools are limiting how much input parents get into deciding who will be at the front of their child’s classroom in the fall. In some schools, parents are not allowed to state a preference for a specific teachers, and many lock parents out of the decision entirely.

Training to Promote Mental Health Intervention

Starting Sept. 1, more Texas teachers will be trained to offer the kind of intervention Saxton’s teacher did when it is needed. Senate Bill 460, by state Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, will implement new requirements for mental health intervention strategies in schools that are intended to help teachers reach out to students who show signs of mental or emotional distress.

 

Health and Economics Spurring Texas Cities to Promote Bicycle Use
From expanding bike lanes and trails to launching bike-share programs, more Texas cities are investing resources to encourage bicycle use.

 

UT Releases Principles For Technology-Enhanced Education

UT President Bill Powers released a report this week outlining five guiding principals to promote technology-enhanced education.

 

Special-needs kids won’t get modified tests after this year

As Texas legislators reduced some high-stakes testing requirements during their recent session, the federal government quietly informed the state that certain students with special needs would no longer be allowed to take modified versions of those tests.

 

Options for Full-Time Online Education Expand in Texas

The number of full-time cyber schools serving public school students will double in the upcoming year despite a history of lackluster performance and a new law limiting how many online courses students can take at the state’s expense.

 

Hunt ISD teachers return to school with option to carry firearms
Hunt is a small Texas town where the first day of school will appear just like business as usual. However, for the first time, the teachers and staff have the option of carrying firearms on campus. The school board for the Hunt Independent School District voted in May to allow their employees to arm themselves at school. “I don’t believe the students will notice any difference,” said HISD School Board President Laurie Lowe.

 

Study Finds Regular Physical Activity Could Boost Achievement – Education News
The new study from Institute of the National Academies might have schools rethinking their cuts to physical education programs. The report, titled Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School, finds that increasing the students’ level of physical activity during the day not only makes for happier students but also improves their grades.