http://www.theednews.org en-us http://www.theednews.org N/A [email protected] Sat, 10 Feb 2007 15:02:40 -0500 20 http://www.theednews.org/articles/6549/1/HISD-superintendent-agrees-to-put-job-on-the-line-annually/Page1.html The one-year contract ties superintendent's bonuses to HISD student test scoresHISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra has agreed to trade in three years of job security for a riskier one-year contract that holds him more accountable for student achievement. [email protected] (Houston Chronicle) Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/6549/1/HISD-superintendent-agrees-to-put-job-on-the-line-annually/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5658/1/Sorry-kids----tests-here-to-stay/Page1.html By Herald Editorial Staffcouldn’t believe our ears last week when reports surfaced that Education Commissioner David Driscoll, as staunch an MCAS supporter as ever there was, wanted to scrap the testing system. Turns out our doubts were well-founded. [email protected] (Boston Herald) Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5658/1/Sorry-kids----tests-here-to-stay/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5455/1/Spellings-gets-LA-opinion/Page1.html NORTH HILLS - The federal government's controversial program to make schools accountable for student achievement is working but could be improved, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said Monday during a visit to a San Fernando Valley campus.   [email protected] (Los Angeles Daily News) Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5455/1/Spellings-gets-LA-opinion/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5313/1/Measuring-up-Goal-of-debate-on-ending-the-dreaded-TAKS-test-must-be-replacing-it-with-a-better-accountability-measure/Page1.html The greatest scam is finally coming to an end!State elected officials appear poised to scrap the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills in favor of end-of-course exams in core high school subjects. The suspicion that might arise at such a move, perhaps out of a belief that ditching the high-stakes test could be a way to reduce state accountability on public education, apparently has been tempered by the low regard in which the TAKS is widely held. [email protected] (Houston Chronicle) Sat, 09 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5313/1/Measuring-up-Goal-of-debate-on-ending-the-dreaded-TAKS-test-must-be-replacing-it-with-a-better-accountability-measure/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5223/1/Faith-schools-top-perfect-league/Page1.html Church of England, Roman Catholic and Jewish schools make up 127 of the 209 primaries achieving "perfect" results, with all pupils reaching the expected standard for 11-year-olds in English, maths and science.The success of faith schools is underlined today in a league table of nearly 16,000 primaries published by the Government.Only one education authority in the country has achieved the Government's aim of an 85 per cent pass rate for 11-year-old students studying maths. [email protected] (Daily Telegraph (UK)) Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5223/1/Faith-schools-top-perfect-league/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5213/1/Revamping-TAKS-to-be-legislative-priority/Page1.html ...TAKS testing process "is not a code word for eliminating accountability."Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst agreed Wednesday with lawmakers who want to replace the TAKS test with end-of-course exams for high school students. [email protected] (Houston Chronicle) Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5213/1/Revamping-TAKS-to-be-legislative-priority/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5201/1/New-Merit-Award-nears-final-OK/Page1.html LANSING -- If you're a high school senior who didn't pass that pain-in-the-neck MEAP test to win the $2,500 Merit Award scholarship, you're about to get another chance. [email protected] (Booth Newspapers) Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5201/1/New-Merit-Award-nears-final-OK/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5198/1/School-Boundaries-Money-and-Race/Page1.html Jay MathewsMost education reporters think school boundary fights are boring. There are so many of them every year, and they all sound the same: Why does my kid have to take that long bus ride? What are you doing to our neighborhood school? Don't you know this will hurt the quality of education? [email protected] (Washington Post) Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5198/1/School-Boundaries-Money-and-Race/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5172/1/Schools-make-strides-in-ratings/Page1.html The number of students attending "excellent" schools in Colorado has jumped about 63 percent since 2001 when the state began rating public schools, but whether that means students are better educated remains unclear. [email protected] (Denver Post) Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5172/1/Schools-make-strides-in-ratings/Page1.html http://www.theednews.org/articles/5065/1/Legislators-get-out-your-No-2-pencils-and-cross-out-the-TAKS-exit-test/Page1.html Texas public schools might finally get a testing system that puts the emphasis where it should be — on student performance. High-stakes testing, using the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, causes schools to spend too much time teaching the test. In public schools, a student can be held back or denied a diploma based on that test. Even those students who earn high grades are denied graduation if they don't pass the exit TAKS. [email protected] (Austin American-Statesman) Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.theednews.org/articles/5065/1/Legislators-get-out-your-No-2-pencils-and-cross-out-the-TAKS-exit-test/Page1.html