By Ericka Mellon | Houston Chronicle
February 6, 2013
AUSTIN - Texas lawmakers may not be united on upping public
school funding, but a flurry of recently filed bills shows they have heard
pleas from parents and educators to reduce testing and ease graduation
requirements.
In a sign that lawmakers are listening, senators on
Wednesday passed their first bill of the session, to end the mandate that
students' grades be tied to their scores on state exams. On the same day, the
leader of the House Public
Education Committee filed an omnibus bill with bipartisan
support that would reduce high-stakes testing and give students more options
for coursework.
Parents and superintendents say they are optimistic about
changes this year, while some business leaders worry the state will continue to
produce graduates unprepared for college or the workforce.
"We are definitely being heard," said Susan Kellner,
an organizer of Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment, a parent
group that supports less testing.
The group's first victory came Wednesday when the Senate
voted to eliminate the rule that state exams count for 15 percent of high
school students' final grades.
The House is likely to follow suit, with similar bills
already filed and Gov. Rick Perry expressing
support for leaving the grading decision up to local school districts.
The omnibus bill filed Wednesday by the House's education
leader, Rep. Jimmie Don
Aycock, would end the grading mandate, as well as cut the number of
mandatory high school exams from 15 to five. The widely feared algebra II exam
would be optional, and students could take a greater variety of courses to meet
graduation requirements.
The bill also would end a three-tiered diploma system that
prevents students on the easiest plan from entering four-year universities.
"I think it is a major step in the right direction with
regard to testing and accountability," Brian Woods,
superintendent of the Northside
school district in San Antonio, said of Aycock's bill.
The proposed changes come just a year after Texas launched
its new, harder testing system, approved by lawmakers several years ago.
Results show that 35 percent of this year's sophomores still have not passed at
least one of the exams, putting them off track for graduation.
"I think lawmakers are listening," said H.D. Chambers,
superintendent of the Alief school district in Houston. "I think the moms
have obviously gotten their attention because those are the people whose
children's education are at stake."
Lower expectations?
Chambers said he can support five end-of-course exams,
though he prefers three - in reading, writing and algebra I.
"I do not believe that every student in the state of
Texas needs to demonstrate mastery of algebra II," he said.
Chambers said he is particularly pleased that bills in the
House and Senate would give students more course options rather than having to
follow a prescribed plan of four years of traditional math and science classes.
Students instead could graduate with "endorsements" in areas such as
business, arts and humanities, or public service careers.
Business groups, however, are worrying aloud that state
lawmakers may lower expectations for students. For example, the new House bill
would require students to pass a test in sophomore English to graduate, instead
of the tougher 11th-grade class.
"The way to improve college readiness is not to reduce
expectations," said Drew
Scheberle, a senior vice president at the Austin
Chamber of Commerce.
Keeping accountability
Texas Education Commissioner Michael
Williams, a Perry appointee, likewise has urged lawmakers not to
retreat from school accountability, noting that elementary and middle school
students did well on the first round of the new tests last spring.
While lawmakers seem to agree generally that high school
graduation requirements need to be more flexible, they are far from consensus
on specifics.
"The details of that will make the next 110 days
interesting," said Ellen
Williams, an Austin lobbyist who specializes in education.
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