Pearson Loses Bulk of Texas Student Testing Contract

Okay, so we trade out one testing company for another....?  

On another matter, Senate Bill 1200 (by Larry Taylor) gets heard tomorrow in the House and it is related to recommending a new system for student assessment. The hearing begins at 2PM in E2.036.   The bill seeks recommendations to address "the purpose of a state accountability system and the public; support learning activities; recognize application of skills and knowledge; measure student educational growth toward mastery; and valuing critical thinking" (oddly worded). In addition, policy change seeks to promote community-based accountability, "parent and community involvement, and reflect the unique needs of each community." I'm considering testifying. 

-Angela

by Morgan Smith

May 18, 2015

Enlarge

For the first time in three decades, a new company is poised to develop and administer the state-required exams Texas students begin taking in the third grade. 

The state is in negotiations with Educational Testing Service, or ETS, to take over the bulk of the four-year, $340 million student assessment contract, the Texas Education Agency announced Monday. Company Vice President John Oswald said ETS is "privileged and honored" to land the work. Final contracts are still being negotiated.

The London-based Pearson Education has held the state's largest education-related contract — most recently, a five-year $468 million deal to provide state exams through 2015— since Texas began requiring state student assessments in the 1980s. Under the new agreement, the company would still develop the state's assessments designed for special needs and foreign students. That portion of the contract is worth about $60 million.  

As the Legislature moved to reduce the state’s standardized testing program in response to widespread outcry from parents and school leaders in 2013, the state's contract with Pearson became the focus of much criticism. Many lawmakers, including former Senate Education Committee Chairman and now Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, attacked what they viewed as the company's excessive influence in the policy-making process and called for called for greater scrutiny of testing contracts. 

In 2013, the state auditor concluded that the state education agency did not adequately oversee the contract with Pearson. At the time, Education Commissioner Michael Williams thanked the auditor's office for its recommendations, which he said would be put into effect immediately.

Disclosure: Pearson is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.

#TxLege #TxEd #STAAR

 The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Hispanic population on the rise [in Austin]

Unfortunately, this piece makes no mention of gentrification or the need for policies that make housing affordable.  As mentioned, we are also a "dual language education district," in AISD but our much-needed, highly qualified teachers also tend to find living in Austin beyond their reach.

For starters, here is a link to a policy guide from the American Planning Association on the kinds of steps we can take to address affordability and sustainability.

-Angela

Hispanic population on the rise

The Hispanic population has been the largest-growing segment of the
population in Austin for the past few years, and Southwest Austin is
seeing that growth in action, city of Austin Demographer Ryan Robinson
said.

He said a large number of middle-class Hispanic families are moving to
suburbs such as the Southwest Austin area south of Hwy. 71, west of
I-35, north of FM 1626 and east of FM 1826 rather than Central Austin.

“The overall level of residential segregation for middle-class and
upper-middle-class Hispanics is probably at an all-time low,” he said.

The Hispanic share of Austin City Council District 8, which includes
Oak Hill neighborhoods, grew from about 15 percent in 2000 to 18.5
percent in 2010, Robinson said.

“Now, probably one in five individuals [in District 8 is Hispanic.] …
And so I think that’s telling,” he said.

About 30 percent of Austin City Council District 5 in Southwest Austin
is Hispanic. In nearby districts 2 and 3, Hispanic populations are
greater than 60 percent, with large concentrations of Hispanic
residents east of I-35, Robinson said.

More and more Hispanic professionals are looking to Austin as a hub
for traditional Hispanic-owned businesses such as restaurants as well
as options in more high-growth industries such as technology, said
Mark Madrid, president and CEO of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce.

“We are still on the heels of recovery from the recession, so all this
is going to impact the Hispanic community, the children in our schools
and the cultivation of Hispanic leadership. … But it’s also going to
affect our economy,” Madrid said.

The future of Austin

Surveys show the majority of residents younger than age 18 in Austin
are Hispanic, Robinson said, noting that majority has remained the
case since about 2009.

“This growth has been nothing short of phenomenal,” Robinson said.

In the next 20 years the Hispanic population could go from being a
minority to being a plurality in Austin—not a majority, but close to
50 percent of the population, he said.

Strong schools are among factors drawing Hispanic residents to
Southwest Austin, but lack of affordable family housing may push
residents further outward, Robinson said.

“I think what we are experiencing is a collapse of affordability in
this city,” Robinson said. “As affordability becomes a bigger and
bigger issue, a bigger and bigger obstacle to living in the central
city, that is indeed affecting some of our working-class Hispanic
households,” he said.

Austin’s poverty rate for 2012-13 dropped by about 3 percentage points
because Austin is displacing its poorest residents to other areas, he
said. Robinson said he would not call Southwest Austin “affordable,”
citing high home prices in Circle C in District 8 as well as in
neighboring districts.

“I think the housing is [also] becoming more expensive in District 5,
and that’s going to be a challenge for not just Hispanic families, but
any young families.”

At a March 30 Austin ISD board of trustees meeting, trustee Paul
Saldaña pointed out that 15 years ago Latino students made up 45
percent of the school district’s student population—children who live
within AISD’s attendance zone.

“Today, Latino students make up 60 percent of our student population,
and limited English proficient students make up now almost 30 percent
of our student population,” Saldaña said.

Saldaña urged moving forward with a district self-assessment on
equity, diversity and inclusion during the March 30 meeting.

AISD is also in the process of rolling out an extension of its
dual-language program to middle schools, and some trustees have said
dual-language programs could help attract and retain families in the
district, which has seen significant enrollment declines for the past
three years.

Spanish is the first language of more than 90 percent of AISD’s 23,000
English Language Learners, or ELL, students, said Olivia Hernández,
bilingual director for AISD’s department of ELL.

AISD launched dual-language programs in 2010 in elementary schools.
Starting with the 2015-16 school year, four middle schools will add
dual-language, including Paredes Middle School at 10100 S. Mary Moore
Searight Drive. Schools were chosen based on several factors,
Hernández said.

“One of our challenges is to retain our bilingual teachers and recruit
more bilingual teachers,” she said.

As AISD is hiring teachers, the district is now looking for candidates
who have bilingual certification because they could potentially teach
some classes in Spanish, she said.

“We want to set the baseline in 2015-16,” she said.

It costs more money to educate ELL students, and AISD receives federal
and state funding to bridge that gap, she said.

Austin’s Hispanic population is not monolithic, as it includes
Mexican, Central American and South American influences among those in
the population, Madrid said.

In 2014 the GAHCC released its Hispanic Business Research Study data, he said.

“We have a projection through our study that there could be upwards of
50,000 Hispanic-owned businesses by 2020 in the [five-county] area,”
Madrid said.

In early 2015 the GAHCC launched Small Biz U, an educational event for
entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

Madrid said AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz is the district’s first
Latino superintendent, and there are three Hispanic Austin City
Council members.

“Things are changing,” Madrid said. “I think you see that pace
accelerated here. ... We want Austin to be a go-to place not only
because more people are moving here than any other place in the
country, but because there are opportunities here.”

Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 1980 - 2013

MAY 12, 2015

Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 1980 – 2013

BY RENEE STEPLER AND ANNA BROWN

• Key Charts
• Current Data
• Trend Data
• About the Data

There were 54 million Hispanics in the United States in 2013, comprising 17.1% of the total U.S. population. In 1980, with a population of 14.8 million, Hispanics made up just 6.5% of the total U.S. population. Read the accompanying report, “English Proficiency on the Rise Among Latinos.”

Click on the charts below to explore Hispanic population trends with an interactive version of the chart.

The Hispanic Population, by Nativity

1. Chart
2. Data
3. Embed

Source: For 1960 and 1970, see Passel and Cohn’s 2008 population projections. For 1980-2000, Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Decennial Census data. For 2006-2013 American Community Survey (IPUMS).

Since 1960, the nation’s Latino population has increased nearly ninefold, from 6.3 million then to 54.0 million by 2013. It is projected to grow to 119 million by 2060, according to the latest projections from the U.S. Census Bureau (2014). The foreign-born Latino population has increased by more than 20 times over the past half century, from less than 1 million in 1960 to 19 million today. On the other hand, while the U.S.-born Latino population has only increased sixfold over this time period, there are nearly 30 million more U.S.-born Latinos in the U.S. today (35.0 million) than there were in 1960 (5.5 million).

Continue here.

Academia Cuauhtli Graduation

KC, Consuelo’s eldest daughter provides a quick re-cap of their recent visit to Austin as part of the closing ceremony and graduation of children in our first, fourth-grade cohort—children that are moving on this coming fall to the fifth grade in Sanchez, Metz, and Zavala Elementary Schools in east Austin.  It was a real treat having Consuelo Kickbusch present to our children and parents—first on Friday evening and then again on Saturday. She is such a gifted speaker and person. 

Among the many special moments, a very touching one was when the children surrounded Consuelo Kickbusch and dedicated to her the song, "Aguila," a beautiful, very personal song that asks the eagle to take us on its winged flight throughout the universe in order to show us the road to our own hearts. She was very moved by this choreography of love and kindness, as were all of the rest of us watching on. Thanks to Rosa Tupina Yaotonalcuauhtli and Grupo Xochipilli for the beauty and joy they brought to these children's lives—as well as to our community as a whole. 

What a truly fulfilling and gratifying way to end the year in the presence of the community and that we as a community and AISD school district have collectively cultivated in and around the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Culture Center.


It was a real team effort. Thanks to everyone in Nuestro Grupo, the community-based organization that launched Academia Cuauhtli, for making this dream come true. 


Like us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AcademiaCuauhtli?fref=ts


The children are an inspiration, and their teachers,too! The genuine love and caring of our community is uplifting, as well!  


-Angela Valenzuela

Las Mujeres de la Caucus Chicana (Women of the Chicana Caucus)

Today might be a day to learn about Chicana Feminism.  Learn about Martha P. Cotera, referred to herein as the "Mother of Chicana Feminism" here.

Enjoy!


-Angela

REMINDER: Texas Faces the Future Distinguished Lecture - featuring Judge John K. Dietz, "School Finance, Constitutional Standards, Historical Perspective, and Present-Day Reality"

This day also marks TCEP's 10th Anniversary to which we shall also toast so consider joining us for this joyous occasion.

Please RSVP here so that we can get a head count.  Here's the actual link, too: http://goo.gl/forms/qdK7zc8sPp

Dr. Angela Valenzuela, Director

Texas Center for Education Policy

The University of Texas at Austin

Why Native Moms Will Rule the World: Happy Mother's Day

Beautiful reflection for Mother's Day. Powerful quotes:

Sometimes function, survival and beauty doesn’t get enough page views though.  If those things did get the attention they deserve, then we would focus on Native mothers 365 days a year—that’s what they provide for all of us: function, survival and beauty.  

If someone really wants to know what’s really important to Native communities, they’d just talk to the moms and the grandmas.

We can judge the health of Native nations by the health of our mothers and grandmothers; if Native mothers and grandmothers are not well, we are not well. 

Probably a truism everywhere.  Happy Mother's Day, everybody!

-Angela

Why Native Moms Will Rule the World: Happy Mother's Day

Gyasi Ross

5/8/15

“It seemed as if the spiritual and social tapestry they had created for centuries was unraveling. Everything lost that sacred balance. And ever since, we have been striving to return to the harmony we once had. It has been a difficult task.  The odds against us have been formidable. But despite everything that has happened to us, we have never given up and will never give up.”

Wilma Mankiller

Mankiller: A Chief and Her People

Native mothers simply don’t give up.  They can’t give up; not in their DNA. 

This time of year causes me to think about how much time Native publications spend writing about the things about which, they feel, Natives are supposed to be offended or angry.  Granted, that’s probably just a reflection of larger society’s focus on negative news.  Still, I don’t know if it’s good for Native people to buy into that ethic. 

Either way, it seems like us folks lucky enough to have a public voice needsomething kinda scandalous sounding or anger-inducing to generate page views.  “Such and such did this and that and it’s racist!”  I definitely find myself doing that from time to time; I see it a quite a bit elsewhere as well.  And while there are certainly developments that require a sharp response and things we have to work on, sometimes we sorta overlook that there are so many, many beautiful things to be thankful for within our communities.  Indeed, if those voices would simply visit our homelands or pay attention to Native communities they would see that there simply is not a ton of angry Native people looking for more reasons to be mad.  Our ceremonies, our languages and our societies have always focused on function, survival and beauty. 

Sometimes function, survival and beauty doesn’t get enough page views though.  If those things did get the attention they deserve, then we would focus on Native mothers 365 days a year—that’s what they provide for all of us: function, survival and beauty. 

If someone really wants to know what’s really important to Native communities, they’d just talk to the moms and the grandmas.

As Chief Mankiller said, Native moms are completely aware of the “formidable odds” against their precious Native children.  Hell, there were only two hundred and fifty thousand Native people in the year 1900—we were dying out in front of Native moms’ eyes.  There are historical accounts of Tribes that wanted to receive all the proceeds from signing Treaties—if any—within 10 years of signing because the members of those Tribes didn’t expect to be alive longer than 10 years.

I’m sure these were times that even shook Native mothers’ and grandmothers’ massive faith.  

'Mother and Child—Apsaroke' by Edward S. Curtis. Source: Library of Congress.

But they kept on in spite of those formidable odds.  Just like they keep on today.  They keep on in spite of some of their children losing faith—committing suicide, resorting to alcohol and drugs to escape.  They know that they have to keep it together.  They keep on in spite of oftentimes being victimized within their own communities—suffering domestic violence and sexual violence at epidemic rates and with those horrible crimes being unreported and unprosecuted because of the lingering stupidity of male privilege that many times justifies violence against our lifegivers. And while there are many memes and bumper stickers that profess almost a reverence for Native mothers and grandmothers, many times our actions still don’t show that.

“We have never given up and will never give up.”

We can judge the health of Native nations by the health of our mothers and grandmothers; if Native mothers and grandmothers are not well, we are not well.

Simple. 

Native Moms: Happy Mother’s Day.  Thank you for never giving up.  Thank you for continuing to believe in us even when we don’t deserve your faith and love.  We would have been literally extinct if not for your incredible faith and love.  Enjoy your weekend. 

Everyone Else: mom deserves a footrub. Play with her hair.  Don’t just send a card, spend some time. Pick her some flowers.  Don’t buy ‘em—pick ‘em. That’s the least that we could give in exchange for them keeping us together, wiping the sleep out of our eyes and braiding our hair for centuries. 

Native moms aren’t going anyplace—promise.  Their love and faith won’t allow them to; they’re gonna outlast all of us.  “We have never given up and will never give up.”  That’s why they WILL rule the world and WILL correct the imbalance going on right now.  It’s best to get on their good sides, so y’know, start by treating them right this Mother’s Day Weekend.

Love y’all.  

Gyasi Ross, Editor at Large
Blackfeet Nation/Suquamish Territories
NEW PROJECT "ISSKOOTSIK" (BEFORE HERE WAS HERE)
AUDIOBOOK AVAILABLE NOW at shop.krecs.com
Twitter: @BigIndianGyasi

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/05/08/why-native-moms-will-rule-world-happy-mothers-day-160312