By Ericka Mellon
The Houston Chronicle
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.
Reporter Kolten Parker
contributed to this story.
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