Bill of the Week: Down With Tests, Up With Standards?

Bipartisan starting point for school graduation reform

"...were 150 House votes for reforming the school graduation standards: He just didn't know what consensus reform looked like...."

Jan. 26, 2013 News Post by Richard Whittaker

Fuller Versus IDEA

Charter school group attacks academic's work, he rebuts

"...college. In fact, IDEA has increased the goal of college-readiness across the Rio Grande Valley. Schools in the region..."

Dec. 8, 2011 News Post by Richard Whittaker

Changing Course

AISD shifts to community-based model for prepping younger kids for college

"...to "academically acceptable" status, yet when the state tightened standards this year, Pearce slipped back. Allen went back up..."

Sept. 9, 2011 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

Naked City

"...The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board unanimously agreed to college-readiness standards that will be forwarded to Education Commis­sioner Robert..."

Feb. 1, 2008 News Feature

Is TEA Really Achieving?

Examining the latest Texas Education Agency claim of excellence

"...opt out of the (utterly non-compulsory) Common Core State Standards Initiative. He arguably only did that to justify his..."

March 1, 2010 News Post by Richard Whittaker

School Bill Put to the Test

Omnibus school bill doesn't make the grade, critics say

"...scores, Shapiro said. Instead, there will be two new standards: college readiness, gauged by end-of-course English and algebra tests,..."

March 13, 2009 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

Austin ISD's Partnership With IDEA

"...that 25% of students do not meet minimum academic standards. In the 2011 academic year, Allan Elementary, O. Henry..."

Feb. 6, 2012 Postmarks

TFN Report: Texas Scientists Support Evolution

Scientists overwhelmingly reject "creation science" and "intelligent design"

"...State Board of Education votes to adopt new curriculum standards for science education in Texas' public schools. In preparation..."

Nov. 21, 2008 News Feature by Lee Nichols

Headlines

"...Agency has touted its new college and career readiness standards, released Feb. 23, as exceeding the national minimums. Now..."

Feb. 26, 2010 News Feature

Bringing the Group to the Vision

As Pat Forgione prepares to say farewell, he looks back on his AISD decade

"...that stressed personal contact, Forgione still believes testing and standards are important. He believes it's just that the state's..."

Feb. 27, 2009 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

Naked City

"...toilets and requiring efficient irrigation systems and soil depth standards. "These measures will not only help Austin reduce its..."

April 20, 2007 News Feature

Naked City

Headlines and Happenings from Austin and Beyond

"...for bringing the city's sewer system up to EPA standards, he oversaw $200 million worth of work and contracts...."

Sept. 15, 2006 News Feature

Some Reforms Left Behind

Lege looks to account for school accountability

"...still ties the fate of schools to absolute testing standards, while creating a two-tier educational system. Now the two..."

April 3, 2009 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

What Follows Five Years of Failure at Mendez Middle School?

Making the grade

"...antidote, creating a space for students to master content standards while exercising their imaginations and critical thinking skills through..."

Aug. 31, 2018 News Feature by Austin Sanders

AISD Accountability: Good News and Bad

New rating system poses challenges for educators, stakeholders alike

"...Texas' 1,227 school districts and charters achieved the state's standards or reached alternative standards. Out of the remaining 121,..."

Aug. 15, 2014 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

STAAR Falls on Texas Schools

Academic assessment tests raises questions of fairness

"...as the TEA is phasing in the new STAAR standards over four years. The logic is that this allows..."

June 22, 2012 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

The Make It Movement Wants You to Learn a Trade and Love What You Do

Can skilled jobs and career education change Texas culture?

"...that all students be held to the same academic standards. All students got the same classes and were tested..."

Dec. 27, 2019 News Feature by Brant Bingamon

Fed School Funding

Teachers' unions say Race to the Top places too much emphasis on testing

"...to portray collaborative programs like the Common Core State Standards Initiative as steps toward a national curriculum, rather than..."

Jan. 22, 2010 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

A Declaration of Independence

Zavala Elementary and Principal Sean Fox are succeeding at going their own way

"...drawn from the state-issued Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards, but "the questions that I give them are more..."

May 9, 2014 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

Clouds Over Campus

With less funding, more competition, and a wavering vision, UT-Austin faces an uncertain future

"...courses, to bring incoming freshmen up to the minimum standards required to begin their undergraduate studies (basically, backfilling the..."

May 21, 2010 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

Educators Hate It, So Why Is Texas Keeping the STAAR Test Alive?

Behind efforts to eliminate the state test that stresses kids out and shuts schools down

"...over the years, expanded, and gotten harder with increased standards...."

May 23, 2025 News Feature by Brant Bingamon

The State Wants to Give More Schools F Ratings – To What End?

When TEA takes over

"...graduates, even though districts weren't warned about the new standards and, obviously, had no way to help these now-former..."

Aug. 4, 2023 News Feature by Brant Bingamon

Amid COVID-19 Spread, AISD Benchmarks Its Future

District changes dozens of its performance measures

"...(a dismal 26% of special ed students meet STAAR standards) and the difficulty of implementing a one-size-fits-all special education..."

Nov. 20, 2020 News Feature by Clara Ence Morse

Education: 'It's Time To Be Innovative'

Something everyone can agree on: digital classrooms

"...for a consortium of states to develop new assessment standards. (At an Austin Community College forum held at the..."

March 16, 2012 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

Wrapped and Ready

"...Christmas." Oh, there's plenty of the regular old drama standards and entertainment for the kids and family alike. But..."

Nov. 27, 1998 Screens Feature by Marjorie Baumgarten

Destination Unknown

"..."Walking In L.A.," all of which hold up as standards among the Eighties retro crowd and all of which..."

Nov. 13, 1998 Music Feature by Ken Lieck