In a shift for a state that has shunned other federal education initiatives, Texas will participate in an Obama administration early learning program.
83rd Legislative Session
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Public Education
Schools Get Military Gear Through Federal Program
At least 10 Texas school districts have received armored plating, tactical vests, military vehicles, rifles, pistols and rounds of ammunition through a federal military surplus program.
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Health care
Video: Davis Tells ABC News About Her Abortion
In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wendy Davis talks about her “difficult decision” to have an abortion in 1996, when doctors told her the baby had severe brain abnormalities.
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Public Education
Education Commissioner: “The System Needs to Catch Up”
UPDATED: Asked why the state had delayed a transition away from lower passing standards on state exams, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams told state lawmakers Tuesday that classroom instruction had failed to meet the rigor demanded by the new tests.
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Public Education
In Texas, Efforts to Raise Teacher Certification Standards Falter
For-profit teacher certification companies are flourishing in Texas. But as the industry grows, so do questions about the state’s ability to control the quality of training the programs provide.
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Public Education
Charter Schools Push Back Against New State Law’s Measure on Closures
In December, the Texas Education Agency moved to shutter six charter school operators under a new law. Nearly 10 months later, three of those schools remain open — fighting a process they say is overly simplistic.
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Falling Behind
As Teacher Pay Lags, Attrition, Class Size Grow
Stacked up against other states, Texas public schools could win the best-bang-for-your-buck competition. The state spends less than most others, and its students perform better than many. But the commitment to fiscal restraint has come with its own burdens for teachers.
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Falling Behind
Academic Gains Slowing; No Consensus on Why
Over the last decade, Texas students have made steady progress on a number of academic measures. But in recent years, that improvement has begun to stall.
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Admitting Privileges
Timeline: Years of Tension in the UT System
We have updated our timeline on the conflict between the University of Texas System, the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Legislature to include the latest developments, including a new investigation into UT-Austin’s admissions process.
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Public Education
Battle Brewing Over Teacher Evaluation Rules
A new state policy that ties teacher evaluations to student performance on standardized tests is drawing criticism from a range of sources. It is likely to be a topic of discussion Wednesday at a Texas House Public Education Committee hearing.