Some teachers may get the ax because of TAKS…. But for how long?
- By Tuala Williams
- Published 02/22/2010
- Education
- Unrated
Tuala Williams
Tuala Williams is the general manager of African-American News&Issues.
For years, Texas teachers and their unions have fought the drive to tie evaluations and pay raises to Texas standardized testing. But last week, Houston Independent School District teachers lost their battle in a unanimous decision by school board trustees. “We want a quality teacher in every classroom, end of story, period,” said HISD Superintendent, Terry Grier.
Teachers whose test scores don’t make the grade can be fired. Teachers call it teaching to the test, or teaching to TAKS. Opponents fear teachers will become more consumed with getting their students to pass the test than they will with providing the quality education administrators demand.
In 2007, the HISD Board unanimously approved a resolution calling for the Legislature to replace the TAKS test in high school with comprehensive “end-of-course” exams. This issue became a matter of debate for the 2007 state legislature.
Lawmakers mandated the development of 12 end-of-course assessments and in the new 2009 legislative session, lawmakers mandated grade 3-8 assessments.
On Jan. 26, Commissioner of Education Robert Scott introduced the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR, aimed at replacing TAKS and meeting the demands of the two legislative sessions.
According to TEA, “The grade 3-8 STAAR tests in reading and mathematics, by law, must be linked from grade to grade to performance expectations for the English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessments.” Scott told school administrators at their Midwinter Conference in Austin the last TAKS-based school accountability ratings will be issued in 2011.
Ratings will be suspended in 2012 while a new accountability system is developed. The new state rating system will debut in 2013.
During the meeting, HISD officials did not address the new standardized test or if teachers will be evaluated according to it when it comes into effect. The board’s decision may be a positive for African-Americans and Hispanics who consistently have lower percentages of students who have met standards in critical areas.
Only 85 percent of African-Americans and Hispanics met reading standards as opposed to 97 percent of Whites. In writing, 89 percent of African-Americans and 88 percent of Hispanics met standards, as opposed to 97 percent of Whites. Blacks continue to suffer most in areas of math (66 percent) and science (64 percent) as compared to Whites (93 percent in math and 94 percent in science).
The percentages for economically disadvantaged students closely reflected minority passing rates. Of the 292 schools in the Houston school district, 38 were exemplary, 119 were recognized, 96 were acceptable and 13 were unacceptable.
Teachers whose test scores don’t make the grade can be fired. Teachers call it teaching to the test, or teaching to TAKS. Opponents fear teachers will become more consumed with getting their students to pass the test than they will with providing the quality education administrators demand.
In 2007, the HISD Board unanimously approved a resolution calling for the Legislature to replace the TAKS test in high school with comprehensive “end-of-course” exams. This issue became a matter of debate for the 2007 state legislature.
Lawmakers mandated the development of 12 end-of-course assessments and in the new 2009 legislative session, lawmakers mandated grade 3-8 assessments.
On Jan. 26, Commissioner of Education Robert Scott introduced the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR, aimed at replacing TAKS and meeting the demands of the two legislative sessions.
According to TEA, “The grade 3-8 STAAR tests in reading and mathematics, by law, must be linked from grade to grade to performance expectations for the English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessments.” Scott told school administrators at their Midwinter Conference in Austin the last TAKS-based school accountability ratings will be issued in 2011.
Ratings will be suspended in 2012 while a new accountability system is developed. The new state rating system will debut in 2013.
During the meeting, HISD officials did not address the new standardized test or if teachers will be evaluated according to it when it comes into effect. The board’s decision may be a positive for African-Americans and Hispanics who consistently have lower percentages of students who have met standards in critical areas.
Only 85 percent of African-Americans and Hispanics met reading standards as opposed to 97 percent of Whites. In writing, 89 percent of African-Americans and 88 percent of Hispanics met standards, as opposed to 97 percent of Whites. Blacks continue to suffer most in areas of math (66 percent) and science (64 percent) as compared to Whites (93 percent in math and 94 percent in science).
The percentages for economically disadvantaged students closely reflected minority passing rates. Of the 292 schools in the Houston school district, 38 were exemplary, 119 were recognized, 96 were acceptable and 13 were unacceptable.