Hundreds of Texas campuses are expected to receive high marks again this month, thanks to a state rule that counts some students who failed a TAKS test as having passed.
The Texas Projection Measure, introduced last year, predicts students' future TAKS scores in a given subject based on their current TAKS scores and on their previous year's average campus score. If a student fails this year's TAKS test but is predicted to pass in a future year, the school gets credit as if the student had passed this year. And that can boost a school's rating.
The Texas Education Agency is scheduled to release this year's ratings July 30.
The controversial formula came under attack during a recent Texas House subcommittee hearing. Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston, gave a few examples of how students could bomb the TAKS but still get credit for passing.
Since then, TEA Commissioner Robert Scott has said the Texas Projection Measure may be eliminated or revised in 2011. One possible revision: allowing districts to decide whether to use the measure.
Supporters say the concept helps recognize the efforts of schools where students have made academic gains but still fall short of the passing standards.
According to the agency, 73 districts and 1,111 campuses saw their ratings rise from recognized to exemplary last year because of the measure. And 178 districts and 1,077 campuses climbed from acceptable to recognized because of the adjustment.
Here are some hypothetical North Texas examples of how the projection measure works and how it can benefit schools. All of the following schools saw a ratings boost last year because of the projection measure, but it isn't clear whether they'll benefit again this year.
Americans continue to overwhelmingly believe that English should be the official language of the United States and reject by sizable margins the idea that such a move is racist or a violation of free speech.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 87% of Adults favor making English the nation's official language. This is the highest level of support yet but in line with what voters have been saying for several years. Just nine percent (9%) disagree.
Eighty-three percent (83%) say a company doing business in this country should be allowed to require its employees to speak English. Eleven percent (11%) say companies should not be permitted to require their employees to speak English on the job. These views are unchanged from a year ago.
Only 10% of Americans say requiring people to speak English is a form of racism or bigotry. Eighty-four percent (84%) disagree and say that's not true.
Click It or Ticket It
The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) 9th annual Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement campaign will take place May 24 through June 6. Transportation officials say state laws enacted in 2009 could result in more citations this year if drivers and passengers fail to heed new safety belt requirements. For the first time, all passengers in the back seat now must be buckled up, and children younger than 8 years old have to ride in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. Fines range from $25 to $250 plus court costs.
Traffic News
The new frontage road along the south side of Interstate 30 between Summerhill Road and State Line Avenue will open up to traffic Thursday and both old and new sections are being converted to one-way eastbound. Also, exit and entrance ramps are being relocated. The I-30 eastbound entrance ramp from Summerhill Road is being closed and motorists will need to enter the frontage road before getting on to the Interstate. The I-30 eastbound exit ramp to State Line Avenue is being closed and motorists will exit at a temporary exit onto the frontage road located near the water tower then travel to State Line Avenue
New Agent in Bowie County
The Bowie County Commissioners Court met this morning at 10am in the Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston. The Court accepted Brian Triplett as the new Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent.
Number of Students Per Class Could Be Reduced
Texas legislators are considering reducing the number of students in classrooms in the Lone Star State. One proposal would limit the number of students in grades k-4 to 22 pupils.
Any statewide change in the standard could translate into hundreds of millions of dollars for the state and districts. The 22-pupil limit is costly because every time a class in the five affected grade levels hits 23 or more students, a new class must be created with an additional teacher and classroom.
One superintendent from the Houston area said each new class costs his district $100,000 to $150,000. Superintendent David Anthony of the Cypress-Fairbanks school district also said his district added more than 70 classes last year.
The Republican nominee for Bowie County Clerk says the Bowie County Commissioners Court conducted an illegal meeting yesterday. Nichols said, "The Texas Open Meetings Act requires that a city, county, school district, or sales tax economic development corporation publish notice of its meetings on its Internet website, if
one exists." According to Nichols, the notice must be properly posted at least 72 hours prior to the meeting, or the meeting cannot legally be held. Any meetings that are held without proper notice are in
violation of the act. Nichols went on to say, "I went to the courthouse after I found out that a
meeting actually took place today. I spoke with James Carlow, Bowie County Judge to inform him of the situation. I told him that I was respectfully requesting the Commissioner's Court re-hold the meeting. I also explained to him that our County Clerk should be aware of the requirements under the Texas Open Meetings Act." Nichols further
stated, "Judge Carlow called me later to tell me that Chris Goodsell, the purchasing agent, had mistakenly forgotten to post the meeting online, as the act required. He told me that the current County Clerk, Velma Moore, was not responsible for preparing the Commissioner's Court agendas or for posting their notices."
Unlike most County Clerks in the state of Texas, Velma Moore is not responsible for posting the notices. Instead, this duty is the responsibility of Chris Goodsell, the county's Purchasing Agent.
Bowie County News 4.26.10
The Bowie County Commissioners Court will meet this morning at the Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston. The meeting will begin at 10am. Among the items on the agenda that the Commissioners will consider include taking action to approve a grant program that would provide defense in court for people in Bowie County that are considered to be indigent. "These grants are a starting point for the state to accept some fiscal responsibility of implementing the Fair Defense Act," said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, who is a member of the Task Force on Indigent Defense.
Bowie County News 4.22.10
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison promised Wednesday to secure federal funds for the Trinity River projects in Dallas and Fort Worth and to see the massive redevelopments through to completion.
"Nothing great ever happens easily. This is not easy," she said. "But it is so important to the development of our two cities that I'm not at all giving up."
Both Trinity projects rely heavily on earmarks, and Hutchison told business leaders from the Dallas Regional Chamber and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce that she will use earmarks, among other methods, to ensure both projects receive the money they need.
"I am absolutely not walking away from earmarks," she said at a luncheon at the Capitol.
Hutchison has never had any qualms about requesting earmarks, which are projects inserted into bills by lawmakers without the normal legislative process.
Her support could be particularly important for the Fort Worth plan because that district's representative, Kay Granger, has signed on to House Republicans' one-year ban of earmarks.
Bowie County News 4.21.10
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was in Texarkana yesterday making stops at Senior Respiratory Systems and Christus St. Michael’s Hospital. Dewhurst talked about a new program in the Lone Star State that focuses on putting Texans back to work. The program, Texas Back to Work, provides reimbursements for businesses that hire and keep unemployed workers for at least four months.
The Pleasant Grove Hawks wrapped up their third consecutive 16 3A District championship last night by defeating Mt.Vernon 12-3. The New Boston Lions improved to 6-2 by beating the Atlanta Rabbits last night behind the 10-strikeout performance of Janson Carr. The Lions are alone in second place in the district and secured a playoff spot with the win.
In girls softball action the Lady Pirates of Pittsburg defeated the Lady Leopards to win the 16 3A-district championship. The New Boston Lady Lions wrapped up a playoff spot by beating the Lady Rabbits of Atlanta last night.
Bowie County News 4.19.10
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill White has joined in the criticism of the State Board of Education for its version of new curriculum standards for history and other social studies classes.
Speaking to several hundred teachers, White attacked Gov. Rick Perry and his appointed chair of the education board as he called for a new direction in public education in the state.
Referring to the months of heated debate over the curriculum standards, White said, "Wouldn't it be great to have a governor who appointed a State Board of Education chair who understood that you ought to leave the curriculum to professionals?"
His reference was to a bloc of social conservative Republicans on the board, including chairwoman Gail Lowe, who have rejected many of the recommendations of teachers and academics who were appointed to write new curriculum standards for Texas schools – subject to board approval. Perry appointed Lowe as chairwoman in July.
The changes made by the board – many reflecting a more conservative and religious view of U.S. history – have aroused opposition from educators and lawmakers in Texas and other states.
The Democratic gubernatorial nominee said "We can't afford to go backwards in education."
The New Boston Lions will take on the Atlanta Rabbits Tuesday night in New Boston. First pitch is at 6:30pm on The Light ChristianTalk 1530 KLBW and 1530klbw.com.
Federal officials in Dallas have found that a group of black employees at a Paris, Texas, pipe factory were harassed with nooses, Confederate flags and death threats while white employees who refused to participate in the abuse were fired.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's finding, issued late last month, requires that the employees and their attorneys sit down with management of Turner Industries to reach a settlement on the matter. If that stalls, the employees have the option of filing a civil rights lawsuit.
The company, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says it investigated the employees' allegations and found no wrongdoing at the oilfield pipe fabrication plant.
Current and former employees, their lawyers from New York and Austin, and civil rights activists from Dallas announced the EEOC findings today at a news conference in downtown Dallas.
Bowie County News 4.14.10
The results are in: Former Maud Mayor Pat McCoy defeated Roger Grandbury the Republican Primary runoff for the Precinct 4 Bowie County Commissioners position. McCoy took 62% of the vote. In the only statewide runoff race Debra Lehramann defeated Rick Green. Lehrmann took 51.8% of the vote. According the Texas Secretary State’s Office, only 2.5% of eligible voters turned out for the runoff.
The New Boston Lions are now 5-1 in District 16 3A baseball action. The Lions defeated Mt. Vernon 10-7. Next up for the Lions, the Pittsburg Pirates in Pittsburg.
Bowie Count News 4.13.10
Today is Election Day again in the state of Texas. There is only statewide run off race. Place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court pits Rick Green against Debra Lehrmann. Locally there is a runoff in the Republican primary in the Precinct 4 County Commissioners race where former Maud Mayor Pat McCoy is facing Roger Granberry. Polls are open until 7pm this evening.
The Bowie County Commissioners Court appointed Commissioners appointed Bowie County Auditor William Tye as a nonvoting member to the Texarkana Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Advisor Board and placed Precinct 2 Commissioner John Addington as a voting board member.
Each agency in TIRZ has to have a voting and nonvoting member serving.
Bowie Count News 4/12/10
The Bowie County Commissioners Court will at 10am this morning at the Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston. The Commissioners will be looking into appointing voting and non-voting representatives to the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Advisory Board as well as consider entering into an inter-local cooperation agreement with the City of Texarkana.
The Wake Village City Council will meet this evening at the Wake Village City Hall beginning at 7 to appoint an election judge for the May 8th elections.
The Pleasant Grove School Board will meet at 5:30 to possibly cancel their May 8th school board election due to incumbents being unopposed.
The next generation of student testing in Bowie County and the state of Texas will be called the STAAR.
Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott said that the much-maligned Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills will be replaced with the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR.
The new testing system, which was mandated by the Legislature, will replace the TAKS beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. It includes 12 end-of-course exams in the four core subject areas in high school. This year's seventh graders will be the first class required to meet end-of-course testing requirements to graduate.
New tests also will be developed for students in third through eighth grade.
The new accountability system is still being developed. State ratings will be suspended in 2012 and the new rating system will debut in 2013, according to the Texas Education Agency.
What Will Texas Students Be Learning?
Texas high school students will have to learn about leading conservative groups from the 1980s and 1990s – but not about liberal or minority-rights groups – under U.S. history standards tentatively adopted by a politically divided State Board of Education on Friday.
The Republican majority on the board also gave a thumbs down to requiring history teachers and textbooks to provide coverage on the late Sen. Edward Kennedy and new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, as well as leading Hispanic civil-rights groups such as LULAC and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Led by the board's social-conservative bloc, Republicans left Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the nation's first black justice, on the list of important figures that will have to be covered in history classes.
