Saturday, June 16, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
PSJA: public school officials sold their votes for food, guns, clothing, gambling, entertainment, home improvement - including trips
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
And They Just Keep Falling...
Three more public officials from the Valley and a high ranking public school figure have been pinched by the FBI for extortion and bribery. This knocks up the total count to 11 on a 22 count indictment in a school district scheme the Feds have been investigating for over 2 years.
This all started back in 2005 when the FBI raided the P-SJ-A School District headquarters and the homes of certain P-SJ-A trustees and the superintendent. Six months later, former P-SJ-A trustee Guadalupe Jaime Santa Maria and a local contractor Alonso Cardenas Jr. were picked up by the FBI on bribery, extortion and mail fraud. Both men pleaded guilty to those charges.
Earlier this year, P-SJ-A trustee Roy Rodriguez was accused by the Feds for accepting money from McAllen architect José Lopez, and McAllen masonry contractor Pedro Armando Gutierrez in exchange for favorable, official votes and influence regarding PSJA schools construction contracts.
The latest line up includes:
* P-SJ-A ISD Superintendent Arturo Guajardo;
* P-SJ-A school board secretary-treasurer Roy Navarro;
* P-SJ-A school board member Rogelio "Roy" Rodriguez - he was picked up again and re-arrested;
* P-SJ-A school board member Vangie De Leon;
* De Leon's husband Richard De Leon;
* Donna school board president George Hernandez; and
* Arnulfo Olivarez, Harlingen insurance agent and former candidate for HD 38 State Representative.
According to News Channel 5, the FBI is asserting that their undercover agents attended unofficial meetings, where the public school officials sold their votes for food, guns, clothing, gambling, entertainment, home improvement - including trips to sporting events in San Antonio and Houston and six trips to Las Vegas.
As I've stated before; This it isn’t the first time nor will it be the last time a politico gets pinched for being greedy. I'm not sure if these arrests are more of an indictment on these public officials or an impeachment on how we do things down here in the Valley.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Dear Chuy Hinojosa, Florence Shapiro and distinguished Education Committee Members
Just give us (Education) the Lottery Proceeds as per original bill of sale. The Lottery was sold to us (the voters of the great State of Texas) as 100% of the proceeds were for Educating our youth.
What percentage of the Lottery proceeds (currently) are dedicated to the education of our youth?
Why is it, the wealth always steals from our children after acting like they were creating, “doing it for th kids” huge reservoirs of Avarice to siphon off.
Perry Craddick & Corporate Welfare in the name of WIA, ED Byrne Grant, and under the guise of helping the poor.
With the Education funding we should demand that the dedication of lottery money to the Education of our Children be adhered to as it was sold to Texas. The Lottery when legislated was for the Education of Texas Students. Finally, the Private Sector is funded under the WIA slush fund for Corporate Welfare Recipients under the Guise of a Welfare Reform or Welfare to Work / JOB generating program to help the poor. The rich are getting richer in the name of helping the poor. And one needs to always remember it is both parties dippin into the creative crony contractualism. Give it a title, write a grant and set up a front office with a computer and a sign; then get some brochures and a few token clients and funnel the Avarice in a shell game like manner and voila a new ranch or a new house maybe an agency hummer or King Ranch Pickup Truck with a magnetic sign. Give a few JOBS to your network affiliates and send the clients to perform community based work and get rich and richer doing it. Ask Mary Cano or Oscar Martinez to explain it in detail. Charmed I'm sure.
TFT LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE--FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2007
>(copyright 2007 Texas Federation of Teachers)
>
>Proposed State Budget Shortchanges Schools and Educators; Keep Up the Fight
>For House TRS Plan; House at a Standstill as Speaker Clings to Power
>
>Proposed Budget Shortchanges Public Schools, Education Employees: TFT
>President Linda Bridges put out a press statement today deploring the
>results of the House-Senate conference committee on the 2008-2009 budget.
>The state budget plan in House Bill 1 still must win the approval of
>majorities in both the House and Senate. As President Bridges' statement
>below explains, HB 1 in its current form does not deserve that approval:
>
>"Education and educators would be shortchanged badly in the budget proposed
>by House-Senate conferees this afternoon. Based on the information
>currently
>available, school funding would remain static, not even getting back to the
>level of state and local funding school districts had in 2002 in real
>terms, after you take inflation into account. The $850-a-year
>cost-of-living pay raise for teachers passed by the House last month would
>shrivel to about $425, according to the legislative budget staff. If paid
>out to all teachers across the board, this would amount to less than $25 a
>month after taxes and deductions--not even enough to cover the cost of
>rising average health-care premiums. And the conferees took pains today to
>say the money would not even have to be paid out across the board to all
>teachers.
>
>"Worst of all is what this budget proposal would do regarding TRS pension
>benefits. The bill would withhold an eminently affordable and exceedingly
>modest pension boost--a 13th check for TRS retirees--unless other
>legislation passes
>to impose new levies on all current school employees. The only way retirees
>would get a 13th check, under this scheme devised by Sen. Robert Duncan,
>would be if active school employees pay a higher contribution rate, taking
>roughly $50 million a year out of their pockets. This plan totally
>contradicts the House legislation passed unanimously on Wednesday that
>would provide a 13th check for retirees fully funded by the state, without
>imposing any new levies on active employees.
>
>"In short, school districts under this budget would regain none of the
>ground they have lost financially, teachers would get at best a measly pay
>raise of less than $25 a month that wouldn't even keep up with inflation,
>and 300,000 school support personnel would suffer an actual pay cut, as a
>result of the higher levies imposed on them for TRS with no compensating
>increase in pay. You have to give the
>conferees credit--it takes a certain ingenuity to come up with a plan this
>bad at a time when the state is sitting on a record-high budget surplus."
>
>Keep Up the Fight for House TRS Plan! At this writing members of the Texas
>House are standing firm in support of their unanimously approved plan for a
>13th check for TRS retirees, funded by an increase in the state
>contribution rate to 6.7 percent, with no new costs imposed on active
>school employees. Several Senate offices reported to us today that they are
>receiving a high volume of calls in support of this House version of SB
>1846--as well they should be. The Senate alternative proposed by Sen.
>Robert Duncan, Republican of Lubbock, is a thinly veiled attempt to shift
>state costs for TRS pensions onto active employees and their school
>districts.
>
>Duncan let slip the real agenda during floor debate on his plan,
>noting that increasing the TRS levy on active employees and requiring a
>contribution from school districts could "free up general revenue for other
>purposes." In other words, this scheme would allow the state to save money
>by shifting costs onto education employees and local taxpayers.
>
>Duncan's staff in response to callers today reportedly was claiming that
>the freshly hatched budget deal (see above) means that there's no money and
>no time left to provide this session for the 6.7-percent state contribution
>rate that the House proposes. But that's not so. The legislature has
>billions of dollars left to allocate right now, and it would take only a
>tiny fraction of that treasure--less than 1 percent of it, in fact--for the
>state to get to the 6.7-percent TRS contribution rate from the 6.58 percent
>already built into the budget. Even if the budget bill passes in its
>current form, the
>House plan for a fully state-paid 13th check with no new costs imposed on
>active employees could also still pass and become law with full force and
>effect, delivering a 13th check in September.
>
>The upshot is that you have an opportunity right now to shape the outcome
>of this TRS benefit fight in the critical remaining days before adjournment
>of the legislative session on Monday. Just send the letter on this issue to
>your state senator from the TFT Web site. If you don't know your state
>senator, you can find out quickly when you go to that Web letter.
>
>Speaker's Grip on Gavel Threatened: The Texas House came to a standstill at
>8 PM this evening, as Speaker of the House Tom Craddick shut off House
>members' microphones and called a three-hour recess to head off a
>rank-and-file revolt
>threatening to oust him from the speaker's chair. The Midland Republican is
>under heavy fire from both fellow Republicans and Democrats for what many
>consider his tyrannical rule of the House. Tonight he gave them new grist
>for their argument, by ruling that there is no appeal to the membership as
>a whole if he blocks the parliamentary procedure needed to oust him. His
>ruling, epitomizing the arbitrary, one-man rule of which Speaker Craddick
>stands accused, apparently has led to the resignation of the House
>parliamentarian in protest this evening. Like everyone else at the capitol,
>we are now waiting to see if the House will actually reconvene tonight.
>Keep an eye out for news of the latest developments in the daily TFT
>hotlines that will be published each of the next three days as the
>legislative session hurtles toward final adjournment.
Senate Committee on Education
Committee Information
| Chair Vice-Chair | Members: |
Friday, May 25, 2007
CCISD Compilation
Board of Trustees: Blogs, Photos, Videos and more on Technorati
| Kenedeno adds Israel Garcia to the CCISD Trustee... in CCISD 13 days ago · Authority: 6. http://ccisd-kenedeno-edu.blogspot.com ... technorati.com/tag/Board%20of%20Trustees - 20k - Supplemental Result - |
welder: Blogs, Photos, Videos and more on Technorati
| We seem to operate as though we are a rich... No one has claimed this blog. in CCISD 5 hours ago · Authority: 13 · http://ccisd-kenedeno-edu.blogspot.com ... technorati.com/tag/welder - 20k - |
truancy: Blogs, Photos, Videos and more on Technorati
| No one has claimed this blog. in CCISD 10 days ago · Authority: 13 · http://ccisd-kenedeno-edu.blogspot.com · Blog posts tagged truancy » ... technorati.com/tag/truancy - 20k - |
McHugh,: Blogs, Photos, Videos and more on Technorati
| Different "Graduation Plans" courtesy of... in CCISD 1 day ago · Authority: 12. http://ccisd-kenedeno-edu.blogspot.com. Blog posts tagged McHugh, » ... technorati.com/tag/McHugh, - 20k - Supplemental Result - |
acountability: Blogs, Photos, Videos and more on Technorati
| http://ccisd-kenedeno-edu.blogspot.com. More blog posts tagged acountability ». Visual Media. Audio. Click here. Advertise on Technorati ... technorati.com/tag/acountability - 20k - Supplemental Result - |
HB 557: Blogs, Photos, Videos and more on Technorati
Accountability: Good analogy from Texas Ed. in CCISD 80 days ago · 6 blogs link here. http://ccisd-kenedeno-edu.blogspot.com ...technorati.com/tag/HB%20557 - 15k - Supplemental Result -
Thursday, May 24, 2007
CCISD: TAKS (Most Correct Answer): “I didn't fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong”
CCISD: TAKS (Most Correct Answer): “I didn't fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong”
Need to read the Big Picture Click on Picture for Large Image
“The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.”
“Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child.”
Charles Handy
“The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.”
“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
Need to read the Big Picture Click on Picture for Large Image
“The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.”
| Too often students are given answers to remember, rather than problems to solve” | |
“Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child.”
Charles Handy
“The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.”
“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
Sunday, May 20, 2007
CCISD Trustee Lucy Rubio has said, "she disagrees with the selection process and would have preferred to use a scoring system instead".
Freedom of Information Request
This Publication request any and all communications including email and written correspondence from one week before Trustee Harry Williams resigned.
Must I formalize it on Monday?
Think I am bluffing?
You gotta ask yourself
Do you feel lucky?
Well Do ya?
Go ahead.........
You guys get the idea?
Now, don't go and seek the OAG's opinion as it will delay our children.
Just fess up and conduct business with honor and integrity and at least give us an appearance of due process. Not one black appointment. You guys are definitely walking on thin ice or maybe already fallen through but just don't know it. Such inadequacy is unacceptable.
CORPUS CHRISTI - CCISD school board members interviewed five candidates Friday to fill the board position vacated by Reverend Harry Williams.
The school board said it will set another meeting to discuss the finalists, and will possibly make a decision then, but still no word on when that would be.
Williams served the school board for more than seven years before resigning last month.
Nick Adame
"Do not be a disservice to our community and choose because this guy is my friend or this guy is my business associate," Dr. Nick Adame said. "I don't want to hear that. I want to hear that we're going to choose somebody because they're going to do right for the community."
Last week, the board narrowed the list of 20 candidates to fiveKenedeno:
Where is the criteria the process for "narrowing the list"?
The process the CCISD Board used is unethical and unfair. Every single applicant took the time to fill out an application, and the thought process for the letter of interest and update of their resume and references. For all intensive purposes this CCISD Board just threw that work product into the trash can while opting for business partners, friends cronies and industry allies.
It is not about the 5 selected it is about how the 5 were selected. It is not about Barrera or Prezas or Bill Clark or Lucy Rubio.
It is about a change of policy where policy is defined by processes of the past. Lucy is the only one with the guts to make the motion, "for the board to scrap the current process and start over. There was no second to the motion." Are there others in that room who agree with her, but politically, they are bound & gagged. The current process is in conflict with current policy. The current process is now a civil rights issue. Is that what CCISD wanted, another Cisneros v CCISD?
We have 19 Candidates who deserve Equal Opportunity and fair consideration. It is called due process.
1. Herbert Cromwell Arbuckle, III Retired Teacher
2. Rolando G. Barrera Insurance Agent
3. Tony C. Diaz, Ed.D. Retired CCISD Administrator
4. Victor Frazier, Ed.D. Minister and University Instructor
5. Cezar Galindo Business Owner and College Instructor
6. Marsha Lynn Grace Professor of Education
7. Coretta Graham Lawyer
8. Helen Gurley, Ph.D. Educator, Director of Academics
9. Patricia Harris Educator
10. Robert Elliott Jones Pastor and Business Manager
11. Deborah W. Johnson Retired Firefighter
12. Bradford Lee Kisner Director of Music and Fine Arts
13. Verna Faye Portis Retired CCISD Administrator
14. Raul R. Prezas, Ed.D. College Professor
15. Norman Haden Ransleben Certified Public Accountant
16. Woodrow Mac Sanders Medical Social Worker
17. Ronald G. Sepulveda Athletic Aquatic Superintendent
18. George Wetzel Retired Public School Administrator/Consultant
19. Goldie Lamarr Wooten Retired Educator
We elect you guys to represent the district with honor & integrity
But before trustees interviewed the first candidate, trustee Lucy Rubio motioned for the board to scrap the current process and start over. There was no second to the motion.
Rubio has said she disagrees with the selection process and would have preferred to use a scoring system instead.
CCISD Trustees: Pick and choose Policy Making with malice. Shame on YOU.
CORPUS CHRISTI - CCISD school board members have decided not to change their policy which forbids seniors who fail the TAKS from graduating.
One parent we spoke with Thursday said the policy didn't make sense, because while students who fail the TAKS test during the school year aren't allowed to take part in graduation ceremonies. The same doesn't hold true for summer school grads. They're allowed to participate in summer graduation ceremonies without knowing whether they passed the test.
The decision didn't sit well with some parents and students.
School board member Lucy Rubio had hoped to amend the policy, and allow seniors who failed the TAKS to at least walk in with their class during may commencement. But other school board members didn't agree.
"I have a feeling it's going to be too late for this year, I think it's something that we should look at [next school year]," said board member Dwayne Hargis. But Rubio wanted to talk about it at Friday's meeting.
"I didn't have a second motion so why are we still discussing it, unless someone will second it, so we can have a discussion," she told the board.
CCISD superintendent Scott Elliff didn't want to change the policy because graduation invitations had been printed, and school officials would need more time to review any changes. It was upsetting news for Carrie Bass who was at the meeting.
Her daughter Cassandra, who's an honor student, won't be graduating this may after failing the TAKS a fifth time.
"It's disappointing, it's very disappointing. I was hoping for that second motion," Bass said. Like Rubio, she worries seniors who don't get to graduate with their class this May, may end up dropping out of school.
"If we are in the business of being there for our students we're not listening...I'm disappointed, because I don't want to have any student, just give up. I think we're there to support them, we're there to encourage them, and obviously it didn't happen today," Rubio said.
In the meantime, CCISD has released the schedule for next weekend's high school graduations on Saturday and Sunday at the American Bank Center Arena.
- Carroll High School - 10 a.m., Saturday, May 26
- Ray High School - 1 p.m., Saturday, May 26
- Moody High School - 4 p.m., Saturday, May 26
- King High School - 1 p.m., Sunday, May 27
- Miller High School - 4 p.m., Sunday, May 27
Students who earned their GED diplomas from the Adult Learning Center, will receive their diplomas next Tuesday, May 22nd, in a ceremony at the Selena Auditorium.
Online Reporter: Roxanne Carrillo
--
Posted By The Advocate to CCISD at 5/20/2007 02:34:00 AM
--
Kenedeno & Associates
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Parkdale Bank: According to Gambi Gamboa, "John Longoria, Carol Scott and Dwayne Hargis already have chosen and will officially choose Roland Barrera
Parkdale Bank: According to Gambi Gamboa, "John Longoria, Carol Scott and Dwayne Hargis already have chosen and will officially choose Roland Barrera as soon as Fri
After analyzing the recent events surrounding the resignation of CCISD Board Trustee Harry Williams (1 of 3 at large district positions); one thing IS clear. That one thing is Due Process (or lack of it). Immediately one's memory of search firm fiascos and the CCISD Board tool of choice, the Interim Superintendent buffer / scapegoat. The process was elaborate and ethical reasons or rule were claimed as the reason for the process.
Well, why such a rush fellas?
Why is the CCISD board in such a hurry to fill this position?
A Superintendent position and a Trustee position; one we wine, dine and lodge and the other we announce for applications for a month or so and "narrow the list down" from 20 to 5 in most expedient fashion. Now, making a long story short we have 20 candidates who invested their creative, intellectual and professional abilities into a work product they hope will be scrutinized by the Board and be successfully competitive. A good letter of interest comes only from the heart. The application is at times tedious but at least it is more objective than the TAKS. Updating one's resume and with a list of references most meaningful to the position and all of this for 15 to get thrown in the trash can and the 5 resumes remaining are to place on public display
full story here
"I'll be as hardy of mind as I am of body. I'll be a straight-shooter and a square-dealer. My family name will be sacred My word will be as good as any contract. I'll remember the Alamo. I'll stick by my friends. And I'll eat more chicken-fried steak."
After analyzing the recent events surrounding the resignation of CCISD Board Trustee Harry Williams (1 of 3 at large district positions); one thing IS clear. That one thing is Due Process (or lack of it). Immediately one's memory of search firm fiascos and the CCISD Board tool of choice, the Interim Superintendent buffer / scapegoat. The process was elaborate and ethical reasons or rule were claimed as the reason for the process.
Well, why such a rush fellas?
Why is the CCISD board in such a hurry to fill this position?
A Superintendent position and a Trustee position; one we wine, dine and lodge and the other we announce for applications for a month or so and "narrow the list down" from 20 to 5 in most expedient fashion. Now, making a long story short we have 20 candidates who invested their creative, intellectual and professional abilities into a work product they hope will be scrutinized by the Board and be successfully competitive. A good letter of interest comes only from the heart. The application is at times tedious but at least it is more objective than the TAKS. Updating one's resume and with a list of references most meaningful to the position and all of this for 15 to get thrown in the trash can and the 5 resumes remaining are to place on public display
full story here
"I'll be as hardy of mind as I am of body. I'll be a straight-shooter and a square-dealer. My family name will be sacred My word will be as good as any contract. I'll remember the Alamo. I'll stick by my friends. And I'll eat more chicken-fried steak."
Monday, May 7, 2007
The Age of Winchell: Irma Rangel Legacy : Relating to the establishment of a law school at Texas A&I University.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Carlos Truan | Hugo Berlanga | Henry Cuellar | Edwards, Al | Todd Hunter | Luci0 : The Primrose Path & Rangel Law School @ Texas A&I University.
Or posture for another agenda?
Who at that time wanted a Pharmacy College?
Celanese, King Ranch, URI?
Now we have this unorthodox legislation for an Engineering School @ TAMUCC?
This is a Developing Medical Community with the ability to become the finest in the world. Medical Nanotechnology is already here, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ are already here.
The Political Faction at TAMUCC will find their equilibrium eventually. An engineering school @ CCSU / TAMUCC is obtuse to the medical assets we have accumulated and the Philanthropy already well rooted in South Texas.
Irma Rangel Legislation was for the establishment of a law school at Texas A & I
The Age of Winchell: Irma Rangel Legacy : Relating to the establishment of a law school at Texas A&I University.
Hugo Berlanga | Henry Cuellar | Edwards, Al | Todd Hunter | Eddie Lucio
Carlos Truan | Hugo Berlanga | Henry Cuellar | Edwards, Al | Todd Hunter | Luci0 : The Primrose Path & Rangel Law School @ Texas A&I University.
Or posture for another agenda?
Who at that time wanted a Pharmacy College?
Celanese, King Ranch, URI?
Now we have this unorthodox legislation for an Engineering School @ TAMUCC?
This is a Developing Medical Community with the ability to become the finest in the world. Medical Nanotechnology is already here, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ are already here.
The Political Faction at TAMUCC will find their equilibrium eventually. An engineering school @ CCSU / TAMUCC is obtuse to the medical assets we have accumulated and the Philanthropy already well rooted in South Texas.
Irma Rangel Legislation was for the establishment of a law school at Texas A & I
The Age of Winchell: Irma Rangel Legacy : Relating to the establishment of a law school at Texas A&I University.
Hugo Berlanga | Henry Cuellar | Edwards, Al | Todd Hunter | Eddie Lucio
| Legislative Session: 71(R) | Council Document: 71R 1835 MHT-D |
|
| Last Action: | 02/28/1989 S Reported favorably w/o amendments |
| Caption Version: | Introduced |
| Caption Text: | Relating to the establishment of a law school at Texas A&I University. |
| Author: | Truan |
| Subjects: | Education--Higher-- General (I0231) TEXAS A&I UNIVERSITY (U2467) |
| Companion: | HB 1630 by Rangel, Identical |
| Senate Committee: | Education | |
| Status: | Out of committee | |
| Vote: | Ayes=9 Nays=1 Present Not Voting=0 Absent=1 | |
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
CCISD's Scott Eliff Tells the Emperor he is Naked, "There's nothing exciting about getting ready for the TAKS test."
The Editorial Board recently interviewed Scott Elliff, finalist for superintendent of the Corpus Christi Independent School District. He is expected to be hired at tonight's board meeting. Elliff was accompanied by Louis Garza, board president. The comments have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Question: What do you bring to the position of superintendent?
 | |
 | |
|
Question: Knowing the district as you do, what needs to be worked on first?
Elliff: I think we've gotten a good start in the last two years on some important pieces that need to be finished. The district before 2003, when we had a curriculum audit, had no written curriculum for any of our subject areas. After several false starts, over a period of six months, with 400 teachers under the leadership of our staff, we were able to create curriculum guides for all of our core content areas, Pre-K through 12, English, math, science and social studies. The district had tried on two occasions to buy curriculums from other districts, because it was felt we wouldn't be able to do it. But our teachers showed it could be done.
What this really is, is the road map for what our teachers are supposed to teach in the classrooms in order for our kids to be successful. Without that, what the district essentially was doing was to give teachers a textbook and a list of objectives and say, "Good luck."
Now, 53 curriculum guides in core content areas have been developed; they are comprehensive.
The second big challenge is finding highly qualified teachers, particularly in mathematics and science. Starting with next year's freshman class, all students will have to take four years of math and science, in addition to four years of English, in order to graduate. That's going to put a press on us to be able to find the teachers to staff those classes.
Our district is only as good as our lowest-performing school. Right now, for a variety of reasons, Miller is our biggest challenge. We're taking some dramatic steps, some of which are required by law. We are reconstituting staff at the school. That is a big challenge for us. We know what we need to do. We know about strong instructional leadership, clear focus on mission, safety and security.
But there are things that impede the ability for those things to work. One is will. If you don't have the will to make changes, that's one. The other is sustainability. As a district, we've had considerable turnover. It's been difficult to keep people in key positions long enough for major reforms to take hold.
We've chosen to focus on a few things and keep doing them long enough that we believe they will make a difference. One is working on this curriculum and being relentless about our expectations that people will actually use the road map for instruction. The second is the relationship we have with the Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform (based in Kentucky) and what is called "Working on the Work." The curriculum guides are about what we're teaching. "Working on the Work" is about how we teach. We're in the third year of that program. Keeping some things in place long enough for them to take root is going to help us.
Question: You talk about the "will" to change. Do you have a mandate for change?
Elliff: There is a real sense of urgency to get some things fixed in terms of our academic performance, improving our graduation rate and getting our kids ready to go to college. I guess you can call that a mandate for change.
Our board hasn't established a set of goals yet. I have ideas and have articulated those to the board about things I think we need to be doing to be a world-class school district. But we all have to be on the same page about what that looks like. I had a conversation with a parent from Ray about whether I would be able to make tough decisions. Clearly, some things we need to change are going to make people feel uncomfortable; they are going to require people to think differently about what their roles are.
When it comes to making tough decisions, I'm trusting in the fact that the support I've gotten has been because people have seen who I am, and who we at the central office are, and they know we have their best interests at heart.
I'll give you an example of what needs to change. Our parental involvement and parent education program is all over the map. We don't have an organized, coherent strategy. We have people working very hard, but not in a way that is connected. A part of that is because we have people assigned out to every campus who have no connection to the whole. That's a support function that ought to be provided by the district and not left to chance. That's going to make people uncomfortable when we centralize that work.
Question: Are you going to have the autonomy to make decisions?
Elliff: Conversations I've had with board members lead me to believe that's the direction in which we'll be moving, particularly when it comes to personnel decisions. I've made it known that when it comes to selecting assistant principals and other posts, I don't see that as being within the realm of the board.
If the board is going to hold me accountable, then I need to be able to have people in key leadership positions who I believe can move forward with me as the leader of their team. That will require a change in policy. There's a policy that previous boards adopted that required certain positions to be taken to the board for action.
Question: Will you ask for that policy to be changed?
Elliff: I will.
Question: The school board approved the hiring of a Miller football coach the other night, so football coaches apparently are on the list of positions that require board approval.
Elliff: Yes, and assistant superintendents, executive directors, directors, athletic coordinators, principals and assistant principals are on that list. In some school districts, it's in the superintendent's contract that the board employs the superintendent, but the superintendent employs all other people.
Question: Is that what you're seeking?
Elliff: No. But, the existing policy reaches too far into the organization. I think there would be consent of the board on some positions, but I don't think the board needs to be voting on assistant principals or a football coach.
Louis Garza: I can't remember that we ever said "no" to any recommendation brought by the staff.
Question: Well, it doesn't work that way. What happens is that a trial balloon is floated and if the superintendent decides he doesn't have enough votes, the name is withdrawn. We know that goes on. We're advocating that you (Elliff) have the accountability so you can state your objectives and provide a report card to the community.
Elliff: Let me say something about that (accountability). If the state tells you you're doing a good job, they give you a label and that's the label you report out. I've come to believe parents aren't as gratified by "exemplary" and "recognized" as we are. I want us to develop - with input from the community to tell us what they're looking for - into a world-class system. There isn't anything that should keep us from being as highly regarded as a Plano or an Aldine (near Houston) or a Northside (in San Antonio.)
Question: Not long ago we had a debate in this community about dropouts. What would you do about dropouts?
Elliff: The district does not have a well-coordinated strategy to prevent dropouts. One thing in the next 100 days would be to bring that together and probably have a lot of activity working out of Coles High School. Coles is truly to be a center of options.
Question: Will we need to close more schools?
Elliff: I think we're going to take a serious look at facilities across the district. This may mean consolidating or replacing some aging facilities. We know because of the growth (on the Southside) that we're going to need a couple of elementary schools there sooner rather than later. There's going to have to be a question put to the community about how we do that.
Question: What do you see as impediments to your success?
Elliff: Low expectations. People have high hopes, but low expectations for our district. There is no reason we can't have a great system of schools. I'm not saying that money is the answer, but we're kind of static in terms of funding from the state. We don't get any less money than we got in 2005, but we don't get any more, either. That's going to present challenges.
If all we talk about is TAKS scores, then I think the focus on TAKS scores as an end in itself begins to eat away at the soul of what our organization is supposed to be about. There's nothing exciting about getting ready for the TAKS test.
Nick Jimenez is editorial page editor of the Caller-Times. Phone: 886-3787; e-mail: HYPERLINK mailto:jimenezn@caller.com jimenezn@caller.com.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Constitutional guarantees and procedural safeguards ~to be represented by counsel
Juvenile Rights in Delinquency Proceedings
The Constitutional guarantees and procedural safeguards in place for the accused juvenile are essentially the same as for an adult defendant, except that all matters in Juvenile Court are tried before the Court, without a jury. In a delinquency proceeding, the juvenile has the following rights: (1) to know the nature of the allegations against the juvenile; (2) to be represented by counsel; (3) to have a speedy trial; (4) to confront witnesses against him; (5) to cross-examine witnesses against him; (6) to obtain witnesses or tangible evidence by compulsory process; (7) to introduce evidence on his own behalf; (8) to refrain from testifying against himself; (9) to have the State of Indiana by the Prosecuting Attorney prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the delinquent act charged. The child and the parent must be informed of these rights at the Detention Hearing or the Initial Hearing, whichever occurs first. The Juvenile Court can appoint an attorney (Public Defender) to represent the juvenile, without any cost to the juvenile, if the juvenile desires one. If the court does give the juvenile a Public Defender, at the time of disposition the court may require the parents to reimburse the county for all or part of the costs for legal representation. A juvenile can waive his right to an attorney if that waiver is joined by his/her custodial parent, guardian, or custodian. The juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian must have no adverse interest, and a meaningful consultation must be afforded before a waiver is effective. There are no jury trials in Juvenile Court and the juvenile has no jury trial rights. All trials (Factfinding Hearings) are conducted by the Judge, who makes the ultimate determination of whether a delinquent act has been committed, as well as the appropriate punishment.
The Constitutional guarantees and procedural safeguards in place for the accused juvenile are essentially the same as for an adult defendant, except that all matters in Juvenile Court are tried before the Court, without a jury. In a delinquency proceeding, the juvenile has the following rights: (1) to know the nature of the allegations against the juvenile; (2) to be represented by counsel; (3) to have a speedy trial; (4) to confront witnesses against him; (5) to cross-examine witnesses against him; (6) to obtain witnesses or tangible evidence by compulsory process; (7) to introduce evidence on his own behalf; (8) to refrain from testifying against himself; (9) to have the State of Indiana by the Prosecuting Attorney prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the delinquent act charged. The child and the parent must be informed of these rights at the Detention Hearing or the Initial Hearing, whichever occurs first. The Juvenile Court can appoint an attorney (Public Defender) to represent the juvenile, without any cost to the juvenile, if the juvenile desires one. If the court does give the juvenile a Public Defender, at the time of disposition the court may require the parents to reimburse the county for all or part of the costs for legal representation. A juvenile can waive his right to an attorney if that waiver is joined by his/her custodial parent, guardian, or custodian. The juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian must have no adverse interest, and a meaningful consultation must be afforded before a waiver is effective. There are no jury trials in Juvenile Court and the juvenile has no jury trial rights. All trials (Factfinding Hearings) are conducted by the Judge, who makes the ultimate determination of whether a delinquent act has been committed, as well as the appropriate punishment.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Students will be selected based on a number of criteria,
Determining a Higher Education Readiness Component for TAKS A Research Proposal
Table of Contents
I. Introduction and Overview of Proposal
II. College Readiness Component Proposal
III. Higher Education Focus Group
IV. Follow-up Study
V. Conclusion Introduction
Background Information The Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) convened a committee in the fall of 2000 to provide guidance and to make suggestions for the implementation of the college readiness component of the new statewide testing program, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), as mandated by Senate Bill 103. The intent of the legislation is to use performance on the test to assess not only a student’s level of academic preparation for graduation from a Texas public high school but also the student’s readiness to enroll in an institution of higher learning. The Higher Education Readiness Component Task Force met four times during the 2000–2001 academic year. Through extensive discussion, review of educator survey results received from Texas institutions of higher education, and analysis of placement tests and freshman curriculum data collected from a representative sample of two- and four-year colleges and universities, the committee identified a number of challenges in establishing the link between performance on TAKS and readiness for college-level work. • There is little, if any, agreement as to what constitutes readiness for college and success in college or on college-level work. However, the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) represents a state standard for college readiness. • There are many different opportunities for students to receive post-high school instruction, including but not limited to public colleges and universities, private colleges and universities, junior colleges, and community colleges. • The level of instructional rigor and the diversity of course offerings vary among institutions of higher learning in the state of Texas. Page 2 2 During its May 1, 2001, meeting, the task force reviewed proposals for assessing college readiness using TAKS. The committee agreed that an amalgamated proposal incorporating elements of several suggested options would be the most beneficial for determining a TAKS college readiness component. Overview of College Readiness Component Proposal The college readiness component proposal includes research investigations that will be used to determine a college readiness scale score for the exit level TAKS. The research design includes a modified contrasting groups methodology study and a data correlation study of performance on TAKS in relation to performance on the TASP test, the ACT assessment, and the SAT I. The proposal and implementation guidelines are outlined below. The academic rigor and broad content range of the new TAKS assessment suggest that it will be a stronger potential indicator of success on college-level work than is the current testing program, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). Consequently, a strong relationship between performance on TAKS and performance on post-high school work is anticipated. The goal of the proposed research is to investigate this relationship. A sample of 2,000 second semester college freshmen (1,000 per subject area in English language arts and mathematics) will be administered the TAKS assessment during the spring of 2003. This sample will represent both two- and four- year public college students and will be as racially and demographically balanced as possible. The sample will not include students enrolled in developmental education courses. Using a modified contrasting groups methodology, the performance of this group, who have demonstrated a measure of college readiness by their continued matriculation, will be compared to the performance of Texas public high school juniors who take the same test in April 2003 . The second segment of this proposal will correlate TASP, ACT, and SAT I test result data with data from TAKS testing for the same student population. Legislation establishing the TASP test was passed in 1987 and is located in section 51.306 of the Texas Education Code. The test is designed to ensure that students attending public institutions of higher learning in Texas have the academic skills necessary to perform college-level work. TASP test results are used by public two- and four-year colleges and universities to make placement decisions and to determine developmental education needs. In addition to their reliance on the TASP test, Texas public colleges and universities have a long tradition of incorporating national college entrance examination results into their admission and placement decisions. Although the ACT and SAT I are just two measures among many that colleges and universities use to assess student preparation, these tests are used extensively and have an established reputation for providing reliable data about student readiness for college. The research design calls for TASP, ACT, and SAT I results for Texas students who are public high school juniors in the spring of 2003 and those who are juniors in the spring of 2004 to be correlated with the corresponding TAKS Grade 11 exit level results from the spring 2003 and 2004 test administrations. TAKS and TASP, TAKS and ACT, and TAKS and SAT I expectancy tables will be established via regression methodology, and correlations will be determined. Other correlations among the tests will also be explored including test item and performance objective analyses. Page 3 3 Data collection and analysis for the contrasting groups study will be completed during the fall of 2003; data collection and analysis for the performance data correlation study will be completed in fall 2003 for those juniors who take the TAKS in spring 2003 and have taken the TASP, ACT, or SAT I by the following fall. These data will be provided to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for use in establishing, prior to the spring 2004 exit level TAKS administration, a scale score that indicates readiness for enrollment in an institution of higher education. College Readiness Component Proposal Contrasting Groups Methodology The more rigorous exit level TAKS will have a broader content range than the current exit level TAAS and should therefore be a stronger potential indicator of success on college-level work. Consequently, a strong relationship between performance on TAKS and performance on post- high school work is anticipated. The goal of this proposed research is to investigate this relationship. The spring 2003 TAKS testing instrument will be the primary data collection device for the first segment of the study. A representative sample of second semester college freshmen will respond to the same testing instrument that is used for the exit level TAKS program in the spring of 2003. Test results for the two populations will be compared using a modified contrasting groups methodology. The research design being proposed is taken from “standard setting” methodology and is a modification of the area of work typically referred to as “contrasting groups” (Berk, 1976; Zieky & Livingston, 1977). In the contrasting groups design, two populations of students are identified, those seen as “masters” and those seen as “novices.” Both of these populations of students are given the same assessment instrument, and their performance is compared. A clear and empirical relationship is determined which shows how the masters compared to the novices on the assessment. The point where the two populations diverge is taken as the “optimal” cut score on the instrument that would most often classify the masters and the novices correctly. For purposes of the current research, the assessment instrument will be the exit level versions of TAKS in English language arts and mathematics. The high school population will be first time TAKS test takers (all students in Grade 11) in the spring of 2003. The college population will be comprised of a sample of second semester freshmen at public two- and four-year postsecondary institutions in Texas. Page 4 4 Analysis of the results will yield two different distributions of raw scores for each TAKS subject, one each for the high school and college populations. These distributions will be on the same assessment (TAKS) and can be directly compared as indicated in the figure below. Figure 1. Example of Contrasting Groups Results The advantages of such a research design are numerous. First, no definition of success needs to be identified. The comparisons are empirical, based on the performance of the two groups of examinees. Second, the sample selected for the college population should include a wide range of returning freshmen with diverse background characteristics. Third, there are no psychometric or statistical manipulations necessary. The test is given to two groups, and the results show how they compare. A sample of 1,000 students per subject area is the suggested minimum for the study in order to ensure reliable data. Distributions of test scores based on fewer students may be too unstable to warrant reliable conclusions regarding comparability of performance between high school and college-level test takers on TAKS. Students will be selected based on a number of criteria, including enrollment in college level courses, socioeconomic background, ethnicity, and gender. Upper-level administrative personnel will be contacted to promote student and institutional participation. In addition, incentives, possibly including monetary compensation, may be provided to encourage student cooperation. The confidentiality of the test instrument will be maintained by administering the test to the college sample on the same schedule or after the TAKS exit level high school exams are administered. Whenever possible, college and university testing centers will be utilized to ensure consistency and test security. NCS Pearson, TEA’s contractor for the current TAAS program and for the development of the TAKS program, will be involved in the development and administration of the contrasting groups research design. Working in conjunction with TEA, NCS Pearson will design a survey form to be completed by each college student participating in the research. This survey will ask for information about the student that will provide the link between the student answer documents and the student background information. NCS Pearson will not collect personal, confidential, or proprietary information from college students; the link between test scores and background information will be independent of identifiable student names or numbers. For example, NCS High School Population College Population TAKS Score Scale Page 5 5 Pearson could provide a scannable answer sheet such that one side of the document collects all of the relevant background information while the other side collects student responses. This document could be “pre-gridded” with college number and with the student name blank. Only the school official would know the identity of the student taking the test and for whom the background characteristics are being provided. In such a way, strict confidentiality of student information can be maintained. NCS Pearson will provide a final report on the contrasting groups study to TEA. This report will include a description of the participating schools, a comparison of performance between the high school and college populations, and commentary regarding anything discovered during the research that was unanticipated or of additional interest. TEA will forward this information to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for use in determining what scale score on TAKS might best indicate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher learning. TASP, ACT, SAT I, and TAKS Performance Data Correlation Study The second component of the research proposal looks at college readiness using TAKS scores in relation to performance on the TASP test and to performance on national standardized college entrance exams. Currently, students who attend public institutions of higher learning in Texas must take the TASP test unless they are exempted based on their ACT, SAT I, or TAAS scores. Colleges and universities use TASP test results to make placement decisions and to determine developmental education needs. Of the 189,766 students who took the TASP test between September 1998 and August 1999, slightly more than half (99,101) were in the 15–19 age group. Approximately 61% of the 184,144 students who graduated from Texas public high schools in 1999 chose to take the ACT and/or the SAT I. The 113,807 individuals who took these exams represent a surprisingly broad spectrum of students. The majority of four-year Texas colleges and universities, as well as many junior and two-year colleges, require that prospective students take the ACT or SAT I. Although these tests are just one measure among many that colleges and universities use to assess student preparation, the ACT and SAT I have an established reputation among college personnel and are routinely used for both admission and placement purposes. The proposed research study will look at the TASP, ACT, and SAT I score results for Texas public high school students who take these tests in the spring, summer, and fall of 2003 and compare them to the spring 2003 Grade 11 exit level TAKS scores for the same student population. In addition, student test results from the spring 2004 Grade 11 exit level TAKS administration will be compared to TASP, ACT, and SAT I scores from the spring, summer and fall administrations of these tests. One methodology proposed for determining correlations between TAKS scores and TASP, ACT, and SAT I achievement is to create TAKS/TASP, TAKS/ACT, and TAKS/SAT I expectancy tables and perform regression analyses or, equivalently, contingency table analyses to establish predicted TASP, ACT, and SAT I scores from given TAKS scale scores. Glasnapp and Poggio (1996) used this same methodology in establishing cut score equivalents for the current Grade 10 exit level TAAS test and the TASP test. For each TAKS score, the analysis would indicate the Page 6 6 percentage of students with that score who also achieved a specified score on one of the other tests (TASP, ACT, or SAT I). TEA will coordinate the TAKS/ACT and TAKS/SAT I studies, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will coordinate the TAKS/TASP analysis. Other statistical correlations will also be explored. Because the ACT and TASP are more content- based than the SAT I, subject area score correlations may be examined. Regression analyses will help to determine how predictive student performance on TAKS will be in relation to TASP, ACT, and SAT I results, particularly in the subject areas of mathematics and reading skills. A study designed to compare TASP test items to TAKS test items will be incorporated as an ancillary activity to provide a more thorough understanding of content variations between the TASP and the TAKS. This investigation may also include a comparison of ACT assessment standards to TAKS exit level student expectations to enhance interpretation of the ACT/TAKS correlation study data. Data from the correlation study will be compiled by TEA and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board staff and will be used by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to determine a college readiness scale score prior to the spring 2004 administration of the Grade 11 exit level TAKS. Higher Education Focus Group A focus group made up primarily of representatives from two- and four- year Texas public institutions of higher learning, as well as some representatives from private higher education institutions and public high schools in Texas, will be convened by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency during the 2002 spring semester to give feedback to the Higher Education Readiness Component Task Force regarding the implications of the TAKS higher education component plan for colleges and universities. The group will also be asked to provide insight about performance expectations for entering college freshmen and will serve as a link to the higher education community, providing college and university personnel with ongoing updates regarding the development and implementation of the TAKS higher education component. Follow-up Study of College Readiness Indicators An ancillary demographic study of the relationship between performance on TAKS and performance in college will provide valuable follow-up information about how successfully Texas public high school students are making the transition from high school to college. College readiness and success indicators such as course selection, placement, program rigor, grades, and retention rates will be correlated with TAKS performance results to furnish additional information about the relationship between TAKS scores and college readiness. Student Assessment will work with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the TEA Public Education Liaison Information Office to obtain college student performance data. The study will begin in the fall of 2004 when the first group of TAKS graduates enters college. Page 7 7 Conclusion The Higher Education Readiness Component Task Force is charged with providing guidance and making suggestions for the implementation of the higher education readiness component of TAKS as mandated by Senate Bill 103. The committee has proposed a research study to determine a higher education readiness score for the exit level TAKS examination. The research design includes a contrasting groups analysis of college student performance compared to high school student performance on the TAKS, as well as a TASP/TAKS, ACT/TAKS, and SAT I/TAKS performance data correlation study. The Student Assessment Division at TEA will be responsible for managing the research process with the Higher Education Readiness Component Task Force and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board providing assistance as needed. Data collection will begin with the 2003 TAKS administration. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will establish, prior to the spring 2004 exit level TAKS administration, a scale score indicating readiness for enrollment in an institution of higher education. Students who achieve this score will be exempt from the requirements of TASP. A follow-up study will be initiated in the fall of 2004 for the purpose of obtaining additional information about the relationship between TAKS scores and college success measures indicative of academic preparation for college. Since a scale score indicating higher education readiness will not be established until the spring of 2004, some avenue must be provided for those students who are sophomores in 2003 to qualify to register for dual credit courses using their TAKS results without taking TASP or an alternative test. After the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has established a higher education readiness scale score for the spring 2004 TAKS administration, it will be necessary to provide a permanent way for students to qualify for dual credit courses before their junior year begins. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will establish a temporary qualifying score on TAKS that will allow sophomores in 2003 to gain permission to register for dual credit courses and a permanent means for sophomores in 2004 and thereafter to get permission to register for dual credit courses using their TAKS results. Page 8 8 References Contrasting Groups Study Berk, R. A. (1976). Determination of optimal cutting scores in criterion-referenced measurement. Journal of Experimental Education, 15, 4–9. Zieky, M, J., & Livingston, S. A. (1977). Manual for setting standards on the basic skills assessment tests. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. TASP/ACT/SAT I and TAKS Performance Data Correlation Study Glasnapp, D., & Poggio, J. (1996). Examining Equivalents for the TAAS and TASP. The University of Kansas: Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and National Evaluation Systems, Inc. (2000). TASP Technical Summary 1998–1999. Texas Education Agency, Division of Performance Reporting. (2000). Snapshot 2000. Texas Education Agency, Division of Performance Reporting. (2000). Results of College Admissions Testing in Texas for 1998–99.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction and Overview of Proposal
II. College Readiness Component Proposal
III. Higher Education Focus Group
IV. Follow-up Study
V. Conclusion Introduction
Background Information The Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) convened a committee in the fall of 2000 to provide guidance and to make suggestions for the implementation of the college readiness component of the new statewide testing program, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), as mandated by Senate Bill 103. The intent of the legislation is to use performance on the test to assess not only a student’s level of academic preparation for graduation from a Texas public high school but also the student’s readiness to enroll in an institution of higher learning. The Higher Education Readiness Component Task Force met four times during the 2000–2001 academic year. Through extensive discussion, review of educator survey results received from Texas institutions of higher education, and analysis of placement tests and freshman curriculum data collected from a representative sample of two- and four-year colleges and universities, the committee identified a number of challenges in establishing the link between performance on TAKS and readiness for college-level work. • There is little, if any, agreement as to what constitutes readiness for college and success in college or on college-level work. However, the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) represents a state standard for college readiness. • There are many different opportunities for students to receive post-high school instruction, including but not limited to public colleges and universities, private colleges and universities, junior colleges, and community colleges. • The level of instructional rigor and the diversity of course offerings vary among institutions of higher learning in the state of Texas. Page 2 2 During its May 1, 2001, meeting, the task force reviewed proposals for assessing college readiness using TAKS. The committee agreed that an amalgamated proposal incorporating elements of several suggested options would be the most beneficial for determining a TAKS college readiness component. Overview of College Readiness Component Proposal The college readiness component proposal includes research investigations that will be used to determine a college readiness scale score for the exit level TAKS. The research design includes a modified contrasting groups methodology study and a data correlation study of performance on TAKS in relation to performance on the TASP test, the ACT assessment, and the SAT I. The proposal and implementation guidelines are outlined below. The academic rigor and broad content range of the new TAKS assessment suggest that it will be a stronger potential indicator of success on college-level work than is the current testing program, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). Consequently, a strong relationship between performance on TAKS and performance on post-high school work is anticipated. The goal of the proposed research is to investigate this relationship. A sample of 2,000 second semester college freshmen (1,000 per subject area in English language arts and mathematics) will be administered the TAKS assessment during the spring of 2003. This sample will represent both two- and four- year public college students and will be as racially and demographically balanced as possible. The sample will not include students enrolled in developmental education courses. Using a modified contrasting groups methodology, the performance of this group, who have demonstrated a measure of college readiness by their continued matriculation, will be compared to the performance of Texas public high school juniors who take the same test in April 2003 . The second segment of this proposal will correlate TASP, ACT, and SAT I test result data with data from TAKS testing for the same student population. Legislation establishing the TASP test was passed in 1987 and is located in section 51.306 of the Texas Education Code. The test is designed to ensure that students attending public institutions of higher learning in Texas have the academic skills necessary to perform college-level work. TASP test results are used by public two- and four-year colleges and universities to make placement decisions and to determine developmental education needs. In addition to their reliance on the TASP test, Texas public colleges and universities have a long tradition of incorporating national college entrance examination results into their admission and placement decisions. Although the ACT and SAT I are just two measures among many that colleges and universities use to assess student preparation, these tests are used extensively and have an established reputation for providing reliable data about student readiness for college. The research design calls for TASP, ACT, and SAT I results for Texas students who are public high school juniors in the spring of 2003 and those who are juniors in the spring of 2004 to be correlated with the corresponding TAKS Grade 11 exit level results from the spring 2003 and 2004 test administrations. TAKS and TASP, TAKS and ACT, and TAKS and SAT I expectancy tables will be established via regression methodology, and correlations will be determined. Other correlations among the tests will also be explored including test item and performance objective analyses. Page 3 3 Data collection and analysis for the contrasting groups study will be completed during the fall of 2003; data collection and analysis for the performance data correlation study will be completed in fall 2003 for those juniors who take the TAKS in spring 2003 and have taken the TASP, ACT, or SAT I by the following fall. These data will be provided to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for use in establishing, prior to the spring 2004 exit level TAKS administration, a scale score that indicates readiness for enrollment in an institution of higher education. College Readiness Component Proposal Contrasting Groups Methodology The more rigorous exit level TAKS will have a broader content range than the current exit level TAAS and should therefore be a stronger potential indicator of success on college-level work. Consequently, a strong relationship between performance on TAKS and performance on post- high school work is anticipated. The goal of this proposed research is to investigate this relationship. The spring 2003 TAKS testing instrument will be the primary data collection device for the first segment of the study. A representative sample of second semester college freshmen will respond to the same testing instrument that is used for the exit level TAKS program in the spring of 2003. Test results for the two populations will be compared using a modified contrasting groups methodology. The research design being proposed is taken from “standard setting” methodology and is a modification of the area of work typically referred to as “contrasting groups” (Berk, 1976; Zieky & Livingston, 1977). In the contrasting groups design, two populations of students are identified, those seen as “masters” and those seen as “novices.” Both of these populations of students are given the same assessment instrument, and their performance is compared. A clear and empirical relationship is determined which shows how the masters compared to the novices on the assessment. The point where the two populations diverge is taken as the “optimal” cut score on the instrument that would most often classify the masters and the novices correctly. For purposes of the current research, the assessment instrument will be the exit level versions of TAKS in English language arts and mathematics. The high school population will be first time TAKS test takers (all students in Grade 11) in the spring of 2003. The college population will be comprised of a sample of second semester freshmen at public two- and four-year postsecondary institutions in Texas. Page 4 4 Analysis of the results will yield two different distributions of raw scores for each TAKS subject, one each for the high school and college populations. These distributions will be on the same assessment (TAKS) and can be directly compared as indicated in the figure below. Figure 1. Example of Contrasting Groups Results The advantages of such a research design are numerous. First, no definition of success needs to be identified. The comparisons are empirical, based on the performance of the two groups of examinees. Second, the sample selected for the college population should include a wide range of returning freshmen with diverse background characteristics. Third, there are no psychometric or statistical manipulations necessary. The test is given to two groups, and the results show how they compare. A sample of 1,000 students per subject area is the suggested minimum for the study in order to ensure reliable data. Distributions of test scores based on fewer students may be too unstable to warrant reliable conclusions regarding comparability of performance between high school and college-level test takers on TAKS. Students will be selected based on a number of criteria, including enrollment in college level courses, socioeconomic background, ethnicity, and gender. Upper-level administrative personnel will be contacted to promote student and institutional participation. In addition, incentives, possibly including monetary compensation, may be provided to encourage student cooperation. The confidentiality of the test instrument will be maintained by administering the test to the college sample on the same schedule or after the TAKS exit level high school exams are administered. Whenever possible, college and university testing centers will be utilized to ensure consistency and test security. NCS Pearson, TEA’s contractor for the current TAAS program and for the development of the TAKS program, will be involved in the development and administration of the contrasting groups research design. Working in conjunction with TEA, NCS Pearson will design a survey form to be completed by each college student participating in the research. This survey will ask for information about the student that will provide the link between the student answer documents and the student background information. NCS Pearson will not collect personal, confidential, or proprietary information from college students; the link between test scores and background information will be independent of identifiable student names or numbers. For example, NCS High School Population College Population TAKS Score Scale Page 5 5 Pearson could provide a scannable answer sheet such that one side of the document collects all of the relevant background information while the other side collects student responses. This document could be “pre-gridded” with college number and with the student name blank. Only the school official would know the identity of the student taking the test and for whom the background characteristics are being provided. In such a way, strict confidentiality of student information can be maintained. NCS Pearson will provide a final report on the contrasting groups study to TEA. This report will include a description of the participating schools, a comparison of performance between the high school and college populations, and commentary regarding anything discovered during the research that was unanticipated or of additional interest. TEA will forward this information to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for use in determining what scale score on TAKS might best indicate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher learning. TASP, ACT, SAT I, and TAKS Performance Data Correlation Study The second component of the research proposal looks at college readiness using TAKS scores in relation to performance on the TASP test and to performance on national standardized college entrance exams. Currently, students who attend public institutions of higher learning in Texas must take the TASP test unless they are exempted based on their ACT, SAT I, or TAAS scores. Colleges and universities use TASP test results to make placement decisions and to determine developmental education needs. Of the 189,766 students who took the TASP test between September 1998 and August 1999, slightly more than half (99,101) were in the 15–19 age group. Approximately 61% of the 184,144 students who graduated from Texas public high schools in 1999 chose to take the ACT and/or the SAT I. The 113,807 individuals who took these exams represent a surprisingly broad spectrum of students. The majority of four-year Texas colleges and universities, as well as many junior and two-year colleges, require that prospective students take the ACT or SAT I. Although these tests are just one measure among many that colleges and universities use to assess student preparation, the ACT and SAT I have an established reputation among college personnel and are routinely used for both admission and placement purposes. The proposed research study will look at the TASP, ACT, and SAT I score results for Texas public high school students who take these tests in the spring, summer, and fall of 2003 and compare them to the spring 2003 Grade 11 exit level TAKS scores for the same student population. In addition, student test results from the spring 2004 Grade 11 exit level TAKS administration will be compared to TASP, ACT, and SAT I scores from the spring, summer and fall administrations of these tests. One methodology proposed for determining correlations between TAKS scores and TASP, ACT, and SAT I achievement is to create TAKS/TASP, TAKS/ACT, and TAKS/SAT I expectancy tables and perform regression analyses or, equivalently, contingency table analyses to establish predicted TASP, ACT, and SAT I scores from given TAKS scale scores. Glasnapp and Poggio (1996) used this same methodology in establishing cut score equivalents for the current Grade 10 exit level TAAS test and the TASP test. For each TAKS score, the analysis would indicate the Page 6 6 percentage of students with that score who also achieved a specified score on one of the other tests (TASP, ACT, or SAT I). TEA will coordinate the TAKS/ACT and TAKS/SAT I studies, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will coordinate the TAKS/TASP analysis. Other statistical correlations will also be explored. Because the ACT and TASP are more content- based than the SAT I, subject area score correlations may be examined. Regression analyses will help to determine how predictive student performance on TAKS will be in relation to TASP, ACT, and SAT I results, particularly in the subject areas of mathematics and reading skills. A study designed to compare TASP test items to TAKS test items will be incorporated as an ancillary activity to provide a more thorough understanding of content variations between the TASP and the TAKS. This investigation may also include a comparison of ACT assessment standards to TAKS exit level student expectations to enhance interpretation of the ACT/TAKS correlation study data. Data from the correlation study will be compiled by TEA and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board staff and will be used by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to determine a college readiness scale score prior to the spring 2004 administration of the Grade 11 exit level TAKS. Higher Education Focus Group A focus group made up primarily of representatives from two- and four- year Texas public institutions of higher learning, as well as some representatives from private higher education institutions and public high schools in Texas, will be convened by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency during the 2002 spring semester to give feedback to the Higher Education Readiness Component Task Force regarding the implications of the TAKS higher education component plan for colleges and universities. The group will also be asked to provide insight about performance expectations for entering college freshmen and will serve as a link to the higher education community, providing college and university personnel with ongoing updates regarding the development and implementation of the TAKS higher education component. Follow-up Study of College Readiness Indicators An ancillary demographic study of the relationship between performance on TAKS and performance in college will provide valuable follow-up information about how successfully Texas public high school students are making the transition from high school to college. College readiness and success indicators such as course selection, placement, program rigor, grades, and retention rates will be correlated with TAKS performance results to furnish additional information about the relationship between TAKS scores and college readiness. Student Assessment will work with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the TEA Public Education Liaison Information Office to obtain college student performance data. The study will begin in the fall of 2004 when the first group of TAKS graduates enters college. Page 7 7 Conclusion The Higher Education Readiness Component Task Force is charged with providing guidance and making suggestions for the implementation of the higher education readiness component of TAKS as mandated by Senate Bill 103. The committee has proposed a research study to determine a higher education readiness score for the exit level TAKS examination. The research design includes a contrasting groups analysis of college student performance compared to high school student performance on the TAKS, as well as a TASP/TAKS, ACT/TAKS, and SAT I/TAKS performance data correlation study. The Student Assessment Division at TEA will be responsible for managing the research process with the Higher Education Readiness Component Task Force and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board providing assistance as needed. Data collection will begin with the 2003 TAKS administration. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will establish, prior to the spring 2004 exit level TAKS administration, a scale score indicating readiness for enrollment in an institution of higher education. Students who achieve this score will be exempt from the requirements of TASP. A follow-up study will be initiated in the fall of 2004 for the purpose of obtaining additional information about the relationship between TAKS scores and college success measures indicative of academic preparation for college. Since a scale score indicating higher education readiness will not be established until the spring of 2004, some avenue must be provided for those students who are sophomores in 2003 to qualify to register for dual credit courses using their TAKS results without taking TASP or an alternative test. After the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has established a higher education readiness scale score for the spring 2004 TAKS administration, it will be necessary to provide a permanent way for students to qualify for dual credit courses before their junior year begins. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will establish a temporary qualifying score on TAKS that will allow sophomores in 2003 to gain permission to register for dual credit courses and a permanent means for sophomores in 2004 and thereafter to get permission to register for dual credit courses using their TAKS results. Page 8 8 References Contrasting Groups Study Berk, R. A. (1976). Determination of optimal cutting scores in criterion-referenced measurement. Journal of Experimental Education, 15, 4–9. Zieky, M, J., & Livingston, S. A. (1977). Manual for setting standards on the basic skills assessment tests. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. TASP/ACT/SAT I and TAKS Performance Data Correlation Study Glasnapp, D., & Poggio, J. (1996). Examining Equivalents for the TAAS and TASP. The University of Kansas: Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and National Evaluation Systems, Inc. (2000). TASP Technical Summary 1998–1999. Texas Education Agency, Division of Performance Reporting. (2000). Snapshot 2000. Texas Education Agency, Division of Performance Reporting. (2000). Results of College Admissions Testing in Texas for 1998–99.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Amendment A & B for Parent Contributing to non attendace
Amendment a § 25.093. PARENT CONTRIBUTING TO NONATTENDANCE. (a) [If] When a warning is issued as required by Section 25.095(a), and the parent recalcitrantly or with criminal negligence fails to require the child to attend school as required by law, and the child has absences for the amount of time specified under Section 25.094, the parent commits an offense. Amendment b § 25.093. PARENT CONTRIBUTING TO NONATTENDANCE. (a) If a warning is issued as required by Section 25.095(a), the parent recalcitrantly or with criminal negligence fails to require the child to attend school as required by law, and the child has absences for the amount of time specified under Section 25.094, the parent commits an offense.
§ 25.095. WARNING NOTICES. A school district shall notify a student's parent if the student has been absent from school, without excuse under Section 25.087, on three days or parts of days within a four-week period.
The notice must:
(1) inform the parent that:
(A) it is the Administrator's duty to immediately inform the parent of the student's irregular school attendance as they would inform the Parent of any serious injury or violation of law and require parental recognition in writing. (B) it is the Attendance Officer's duty to regulate school attendance and refer student's with irregular attendance patterns to the Principal(C) it is the parent's duty to be accessible to school administration and require the student to attend school;
(D) the parent is subject to prosecution under Section 25.093; and(E) if a parent did not receive anotice under Subsection (a) or (b) and
(2) the school district fails to demonstrate the due diligence in providing notice it is an affirmative defense to the prosecution under Section 25.093
(2) request a conference between school officials and the parent to discuss the absences. (3)It is an affirmative defense to
the prosecution under Section 25.093 if
(A) A Parent whose child is in
attendance at the beginning
of the school day and (B) The parent is cooperative
with the school administration
(c) In this section, "parent"
includes a person standing
in parental relation. (4) Be mailed by Certified Mail
return receipt requested.
§ 25.095. WARNING NOTICES. A school district shall notify a student's parent if the student has been absent from school, without excuse under Section 25.087, on three days or parts of days within a four-week period.
The notice must:
(1) inform the parent that:
(A) it is the Administrator's duty to immediately inform the parent of the student's irregular school attendance as they would inform the Parent of any serious injury or violation of law and require parental recognition in writing. (B) it is the Attendance Officer's duty to regulate school attendance and refer student's with irregular attendance patterns to the Principal(C) it is the parent's duty to be accessible to school administration and require the student to attend school;
(D) the parent is subject to prosecution under Section 25.093; and(E) if a parent did not receive anotice under Subsection (a) or (b) and
(2) the school district fails to demonstrate the due diligence in providing notice it is an affirmative defense to the prosecution under Section 25.093
(2) request a conference between school officials and the parent to discuss the absences. (3)It is an affirmative defense to
the prosecution under Section 25.093 if
(A) A Parent whose child is in
attendance at the beginning
of the school day and (B) The parent is cooperative
with the school administration
(c) In this section, "parent"
includes a person standing
in parental relation. (4) Be mailed by Certified Mail
return receipt requested.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
