TAKS PASSING SCORES MAY BE LOWERED (TEXAS)

AUSTIN -- Heeding warnings that tens of thousands of students could fail the new assessment test, the State Board of Education on Thursday tentatively adopted lower passing standards for all grades. The board voted 7-6 to phase in passing standards for the new Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. The number of correct questions required to pass would be lower for 2003, but would gradually become tougher over the following two years. However, the passing standards could change today when the board takes its final vote. Two members were absent from the vote Thursday, and one member said she intended to change her vote.

The board rejected calls from some school administrators and teachers to delay setting passing scores until after students take the initial TAKS next spring. Board member Alma Allen, D-Houston, said it's important that teachers and students know what levels they need to achieve. "We are not going to send students out to take the test not knowing what the expectations are for them in 2003," said Allen.

The board appeared ready to depart from the recommendations of a panel of educators who favored tougher passing standards. For example, the panel recommended that third-graders correctly answer 24 of 36 questions in order to pass. The board tentatively agreed to require them to answer only 20 of the questions, and raise the passing standard in subsequent years. According to field tests of the TAKS, 77 percent would pass at the panel's level. The passage rate would rise to 85 percent at the lower level. That translates to about 20,000 more third-graders who would pass and be promoted to the fourth grade. The new test is part of the Legislature's 1999 law designed to end social promotion. The law is being phased in, with this year's third-graders being the first elementary-level grade where passage is keyed to promotion.

This year's sophomores must pass the new test before they exit high school. Even with lower standards, field tests indicated that 40 percent of 10th graders would fail the math test and half would fail the science test. Board member Chase Untermeyer, R-Houston, favored a higher passing standard than the one tentatively set by the board. "The slightly weaker standard that the board in this preliminary vote adopted is not bad. It just gives a little bit more time for the districts to comply," said Untermeyer. The board also took a preliminary vote on a series of new social studies textbooks. The board voted 12-1 to accept the books, including some which have been rewritten to appease critics from the right and left.

Bowing to political pressure, publishers added more information about Hispanics and African-Americans. They also deleted some positive references to Islam and beefed up sections about Christianity. Board member Dan Montgomery, R-Fredericksburg, cast the dissenting vote. He said the board is only supposed to screen the books for factual errors and to make sure that they follow the state-mandated curriculum.

"This is nothing more than an attempt by the board to drive content against the Legislature's wishes," said Montgomery, a retired teacher and coach. Allen, a retired administrator with the Houston Independent School District, said she is very pleased with the books. "These social studies textbooks are the best I've seen in my 10 years on the board," said Allen. "They are inclusive in terms of diversity, in terms of gender, in terms of ethnic issues. I think we as Americans can be proud."

LOL. Parents are NOT going to allow standards to be set. If they were set, then students would actually have to start studying, do homework and make academics a priority over sports. NO WAY that is going to happen. Absolutely no way in a Democracy is that going to happen.

"Hey duuuuuuuude I passed! Public school is so cool man!"

Friends don't let their friends go to public schools. It's time to take our kids out.

It's time to take our kids out.

Hmmm. My calendar says that it's half-past.
How about:
Texas Crime Rate Plummets! hundreds of laws erased from books

It's time to take our kids out.

Some people can NOT take their children out of the public schools. That is the ideal, not reality. The standards need to be set WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE IT OR NOT. Then, if they don't want their children to meet the standards, take THEIR children out.

The reason why there was a high failure rate on the test is
because the test itself is bogus. Someone wrote a test they knew students could not pass... perhaps in the hope that the entire test will be eliminated.

As a senior entered in a junior chemistry class this year I had to take the science portion "benchmark" test. I'm probably the most qualified student in the school to take that test, having taken both AP Biology and AP Physics as well as the advanced chemisty I was enrolled in. This test was tough, even for me. The science portion relies ALOT on previous knowledge that most kids aren't likely to have. I later saw the scores and we had a 30% passing rate around the school, but even that was a trumped up number relying on how many kids passed their portion of the test, since each kid took one or two portions. The actual passing rates were around 15% per section.

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