Texas Education Agency

Texas Education Commissioner Campaigns For Reducing High-Stakes Exams

Ryan Poppe — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:34:42 +0000

State Education Commissioner Michael Williams has been campaigning over the weekend to reducing the number of high-stakes exams required for graduation.

At a business luncheon put on by the Texas Association of Businesses, Williams spoke about reducing the number of end-of-course exams from the current number of 15 tests.

TEA Disciplines Six Tutoring Agencies In Fraud Investigation

Joey Palacios — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:08:19 +0000

After a complaint from the San Antonio Independent School District, the Texas Education Agency has suspended or put on probation several tutoring agencies that may have committed fraud.

SAISD filed its complaint in February, claiming several tutoring agencies were falsely submitting names of students they may not have tutored for reimbursement of more than $280,000.

The TEA maintains a list of more than 100 tutoring companies that are entitled to receive school district funds as part of the No Child Left Behind Act and parents choose from that list.

New TEA Rating System: What Does It Mean To Be An "A" Student In An "F" School?

Ryan Poppe — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:55:11 +0000

State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte expressed her outrage and disappointment toward the Texas Education Agency commissioner and his re-vamped public schools rating system.

Van De Putte said Education Commissioner Michael Williams’ reason for changing the school rating system from language of "acceptable or unacceptable" to a report card system of an "A through F" is an insult.

Studying Bexar County School District Consolidation

David Martin Davies — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:25:10 +0000

One of the possible solutions for solving issues with school finance is consolidating school districts; HB 2542 would study possible Bexar County school district consolidation. Even though Gov. Perry is not swaying on Medicaid expansion, there is still hope that Texas will do something to get people care and the federal money that goes with it.

Schools Saved Thanks To TEA Decision To Suspend Academic Ratings

Joey Palacios and Paul Flahive — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:33:09 +0000

The Texas Education Agency has suspended issuing ratings for school districts this year as students get used to the new state exam. Three schools and one school district, who would have had their public school status revoked, have been given what amounts to a stay of execution because of the suspension.

The schools in question are:

How Premont ISD Beat The Odds And The TEA To Stay Open

David Martin Davies — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:13:42 +0000

Premont ISD has struggled with low attendance, low test scores and poor finances for years, but when a letter from the TEA came threatening to close the school, everyone knew that something must be done.