02.20.06
Posted in News at 1:12 am by Paloma Cruz
State’s schools may waive goodbye to summer early
64 districts have already asked to get classes going in early August
– reported by the Houston Chronicle
The number of days some students get for summer break are dwindling as numerous Houston area school districts seek waivers to start the school year before the current state-mandated week of Aug. 21.
Already, 64 school districts in the state have asked for a waiver to start school in early August. Three school districts received clearance to start school Aug. 7 despite efforts by some legislators to push back start dates until after Labor Day.
Many school districts cite the need to complete semester testing before the Christmas holidays as the reason to start school early. But those opposed to an early start point to higher electric bills in August and the effect it would have on the summer teen work force.
The Houston school district decided last week to seek a waiver to begin classes Aug. 14.
[snip]
The 5,000-student Sheldon Independent School District in east Harris County is one of four Houston area schools that won approval for an Aug. 10 start.
[snip]
Starting school on Aug. 10 — a Thursday — also gives the 15,400 students in Pearland and their teachers two days to transition from a summer schedule to a school schedule before a full week of instruction kicks in, Ivy said.
For the 2005-06 school year, the TEA — the state agency that oversees the 1,037 public school districts — granted 745 waivers to start school before Aug. 21, mainly because the date fell on a Sunday, Radcliffe said.
[snip]
Aside from Sheldon and Pearland, the school bells will ring the morning of Aug. 10 in Deer Park and Katy.
The Clear Creek school district has not asked for a waiver but plans to once the school board decides on a school calendar. The district is contemplating starting school either Aug. 10 or Aug. 14. A public hearing to discuss next year’s school calendar is set for Feb. 28.
The Brazosport and Santa Fe school districts also have asked for a waiver, though their requests are pending.
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02.19.06
Posted in News at 11:20 am by Paloma Cruz
I think this story is funny, and indicative of other lesser-known stories about how many teachers may not be up to date on the technology needed to connect with their students.
These teachers couldn’t win Grand Theft Auto
– reported by the KTRK ABC Channel 13
When the principal of Blair Elementary School needed someone to instruct teachers in the use of PlayStations, she turned to the experts — the students.
The school purchased 23 PlayStations last month to use with educational games for third- through fifth-graders. But not all the teachers took to the video games — one became so flustered that she didn’t want use them in class, principal Sharon Sand said.
So on Wednesday, students gave advice on plugging in the machines, using the software and navigating the buttons. Not all the teachers needed the help, but many did.
“They’re illiterate when it comes to this,” Sand said.
[snip]
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Posted in News at 1:05 am by Paloma Cruz
TX company fined $80,000 in test score error
– reported by KTRK ABC Channel 13
A Texas company that scored state assessment tests returned incorrect results for 355 students and will be fined $80,000, education officials said.
Scores in 51 districts statewide were adjusted to correct the errors, which testing contractor Harcourt Assessment Inc. blamed on a processing mistake, said state Education Commissioner Betty Sternberg on Friday.
[snip]
Of the students affected, 20 may have to be retested if their results dropped enough to jeopardize their chances to graduate, Sternberg said.
The errors will not affect progress reports for the federal No Child Left Behind law, officials said.
[snip]
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Posted in News at 12:20 am by Paloma Cruz
More seniors passed at least one AP test last year
– reported by the Houston Chronicle
The percentage of public high school seniors passing at least one Advanced Placement test increased in nearly every state last year, but racial gaps remained, the College Board reported Tuesday.
More students took AP exams, more students passed them, and average scores were steady from 2004 to 2005.
[snip]
In the nation’s public schools, 14.1 percent of the class of 2005 passed at least one AP test, up from 13.2 percent a year before. In 2000, 10.2 percent of high school seniors passed a test. Texas trailed the national average with 13.7 percent of last year’s graduates passing one or more AP exams.
In the Houston Independent School District, students sat for a record 7,189 AP exams last spring, scoring high enough to earn college credit on half of those tests.
The increase in AP participation among HISD students is due mainly to the Spanish-language exam, which tests fluency. About 650 HISD students passed that exam last year, more than any other AP test.
HISD has struggled to get students to take, and pass, AP exams in core classes, particularly math and science. Only 52 HISD students passed the AP chemistry exam last year and 296 passed calculus tests, for example.
HISD has launched several initiatives in recent years aimed at boosting the numbers. The number of Houston’s juniors and seniors enrolled in AP classes increased 28 percent last year.
Nationally, the number of students passing at least one test increased by nearly 120,000 from 2000 to 2005. But black students continued to take the exams at lower rates than Anglo students, and their overall scores remained a level behind Anglos last year.
Black students make up 13.4 percent of the U.S. student population, but only 6.4 percent of the students taking AP exams. The percentage of Anglo and Latino students taking the tests more closely mirrored their numbers in the classroom.
[snip]
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02.18.06
Posted in News at 12:02 am by Paloma Cruz
West Texas A&M University goes wireless
– reported by KTRK ABC Channel 13
[snip]
The university joined the wireless revolution Tuesday with a network named for the school’s mascot and the new freedom to roam around the Canyon campus.
The university unveiled its system at a ceremony at the Hastings Electronic Learning Center before a crowd of at least 50 people. In addition to the learning center, the wireless network is available at buildings housing the student union, library and arena, said Bill Pulliam, chief information officer. Pulliam said the areas will be called Buff Roam Zones.
[snip]
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02.17.06
Posted in News at 1:48 pm by Paloma Cruz
Full-day pre-K ‘crucial,’ Saavedra says
In his annual address, the HISD chief emphasizes readying the poor to go to college
– reported by the Houston Chronicle
Houston ISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra’s plan for creating a “college-bound culture” starts with enrolling all of the city’s youngest pupils from poor families in daylong pre-kindergarten classes, he announced at Tuesday’s annual State of the Schools address.
That $5 million plan is among several of Saavedra’s new initiatives aimed at preparing the Houston Independent School District’s 210,000 students for higher education.
[snip]
The cornerstone to creating that college-bound culture will be extending full-day pre-kindergarten to all 15,821 low-income 4-year-olds who qualify for the program. Currently, 6,800 of those children are in half-day classes.
HISD expects to pay for the extra classtime with federal money earmarked for helping students from low-income families catch up with their peers. It was not clear Tuesday whether other programs currently funded with that money — such as after-school tutoring — might have to be cut.
HISD will also launch a program that will require middle school pupils to develop long-term plans to help them make the transition to college. Parents of young children will be trained on how to prepare them for college, and high school seniors will be taught college preparatory skills.
Saavedra also announced the creation of a science lab school at which elementary teachers can sharpen their skills and a fine-arts fundraising effort to increase the offerings in the arts.
[snip]
HISD will expand its teachers incentive-pay program to add bonuses for high-performing math and science teachers who agree to broadcast their lessons to students at other Houston schools via the Internet and other technology.
[snip]
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02.16.06
Posted in News at 11:38 pm by Paloma Cruz
Group to call for superintendent’s resignation
– reported by KHOU CBS Channel 11
A group says it will stage a rally Thursday calling for La Marque Independent School District Superintendent Adrain Johnson to resign.
Trustees are scheduled to discuss Johnson’s contract at a meeting Thursday night.
For months, the loosely affiliated group of taxpayers has leveled charges of inadequate education, racial discrimination and misplaced budgetary values against Johnson and his administration. For the five years he has headed La Marque schools, student test scores have plummeted and teachers are not getting the salary increases necessary to stay competitive, group members argue.
[snip]
What: La Marque school board meeting.
When: Rally 5:30 p.m.; meeting 7 p.m.
Where: Administration building, 1727 Bayou Road.
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Posted in News at 7:28 am by Paloma Cruz
Some news sources covering the tactics and plans HISD is putting into place to ensure that cheating is… decreased on the TAKS test.
TAKS booklets under lock, key — and cameras
HISD tightens security to thwart test cheaters and preserve integrity
– reported by the Houston Chronicle
Test booklets will be kept under tighter watch, answer sheets will be collected earlier in the day, and most teachers won’t administer the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills to their own students under new test security measures announced Wednesday by HISD leaders.
With TAKS testing starting Tuesday for roughly 125,000 Houston Independent School District children and 2.8 million statewide, HISD officials are hoping to curb some of the cheating problems that have plagued the district in the past.
[snip]
The testing is all the more important this year because of a new teacher merit-pay system that promises bonuses of $3,000 or more for teachers whose students perform well on the TAKS and other tests. Principals have bonuses of up to $6,000 riding on test scores that are also used to determine each campus’ state and federal accountability ratings.
[snip]
Questions or concerns about TAKS security can be e-mailed to testsecurity@tea.state.tx.us.
TAKS test security to be tight at HISD campuses
– reported by KTRK ABC Channel 13
[snip]
The new measures were put in place after an investigation uncovered cheating at four schools in 2004. TAKS testing for students in third through eleventh grades begins Tuesday.
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Posted in News at 7:25 am by Paloma Cruz
Found at the Houston Chronicle’s ON THE CALENDAR:
Saturday
GEMS event: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Girls Enjoying Math and Science will be at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, One Hermann Circle, to learn more about mathematics and science and how these disciplines can be applied to future careers. Tickets are $9. Visit www.hmns.org or call 713-639-4629.
By the way, Saturday means day after tomorrow, February 18th, 2006.
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02.15.06
Posted in News at 7:14 am by Paloma Cruz
El Hispano News Launches Parent Institute
– reported by HispanicAd.com
El Hispano News in Dallas/Forth Worth, in collaboration with the Dallas Independent School District will launch a series of parent institutes this year. The initiative will be called “Parents Step Ahead” and will be held throughout the Dallas area in predominantly Hispanic communities. The seminars will aim in preparing and educating parents on the numerous challenges that plague our youth. The program will empower parents to become better educators and role models.
[snip]
The “Parents Step Ahead” program will consist of three parent institutes which will be open to public participation and will provide access to the highest authority figures in parenting and early education to local parents that are starving for such assistance, in all, to parents that want to be “a parent step ahead” of their children’s education and development. Each Institute will include a complimentary breakfast; welcome address, breakout sessions and or small closing lunch.
[snip]
The first of its kind for the Hispanic community, the Institute promises to be an eye opening and motivational experience for all parents wishing to stay “A Step Ahead” of their child’s education and success.
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