Latest news with #HB4
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bill to scrap the STAAR test fails in the Texas Legislature
AUSTIN, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – A bill aimed at scrapping the STAAR exam, co-authored by State Representative Brooks Landgraf, has failed in the Texas Legislature this session. House Bill 4 would have State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test for three shorter tests given throughout the school year. Rep. Langraf released a statement saying, in part, 'As I've reported, the bill I co-authored to scrap the STAAR was passed overwhelmingly here in the Texas House of Representatives. Then we sent the bill—HB 4—to the Texas Senate. Rather than vote up-or-down on the good bill we sent to them, the Senate amended HB 4. Rather than scrap STAAR, the Senate amendments would have just created STAAR 2.0. Lipstick on a pig. This is an old trick that's been done before, and as a member of the conference committee, I wouldn't go along with it. I think it would've been insulting to our students, teachers and taxpayers to change the name the test and pretend like we got rid of STAAR. After desperately trying to get the Senate to go back to the original bill that would have actually scrapped STAAR, they dug in and refused. In this case, not passing the bill would be better than lying to the people of Texas about scrapping STAAR. With the legislative session adjourning Monday, this all means HB 4 is dead. HB 4 (as passed by the House) would have been great for Texas students, teachers and taxpayers. It would have also been good politics for any lawmaker who helped pass it. I won't give up the fight to scrap STAAR, and neither should you. But we will have some more work to do.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Senate approves ending STAAR test, sends bill back to House for approval
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas Senate approved legislation Tuesday night aimed at revising the state's school accountability system and replacing the standardized test with a version meant to reduce anxiety for students. House Bill 4 will now head back to its originating chamber for final approval before going to the Governor's desk. The Senate's version of the bill, authored by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R – Houston, would prohibit school districts from suing the state to block the A-F accountability ratings in which schools are evaluated. In 2023, more than 100 school districts sued the Texas Education Agency to stop the release of the ratings over anticipated changes in how the scores would be calculated. The bill would also authorize state interventions in school districts that do not comply with the accountability statutes. 'What gets measured gets fixed, but you can't fix what you can't measure,' Bettencourt said in a news release. 'HB 4 ensures accountability ratings are released clearly, fairly, and with purpose to measure performance, report results and help schools improve.' One of the biggest elements of the bill is ending the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR test. There have been complaints on both sides of the aisle that the STAAR test is forcing schools to teach kids for the test and not teaching them the curriculum, on top of creating high anxiety on students taking the exam. Instead, schools would switch to a three-test model that is spaced throughout the year. Students would take a national norm-referenced assessment at the beginning of the year, middle of the year, and the end of the year. It will give teachers immediate results on testing to see how students are progressing throughout the year. The current STAAR testing model does not provide testing results until the summer when students are out of school away from their teachers. Educators have complained the results come too late to help a student improve while they are in the classroom. Unlike the version the House passed earlier this month, the Senate's version would eliminate the STAAR test in the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. The STAAR elimination and replacement would be phased-in over the next three years, giving time to run pilot programs and train teachers. The House will have to approve the changes before it can go to the Governor's desk for signature. Sen. Bettencourt was asked if the House members who worked on the original bill were happy with the changes. Bettencourt said they like the new version. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bills targeting library operations die in Alabama Legislature
Books in the young adult section of the Ozark - Dale County Library on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 in Ozark, Ala. Two bills -- one that could have subjected librarians to obscenity prosecutions and one that would have allow city or county governments to remove library board members failed to move in the Alabama Legislature's recently-concluded 2025 regular session. (Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector) The battles over library content continue throughout Alabama. But two bills that could have affected how libraries operate failed to move in the Legislature's 2025 session. One measure, HB 4, would have applied state obscenity laws to public libraries and their employees if there were materials judged to be obscene in the children's section. The other, SB 6, would have allowed cities and counties to terminate members of the library boards without cause. The battles over library books began in Alabama in 2023, after a parent using the Autauga-Prattville Library complained about a book in the children's section that had inclusive pronouns. Similar fights have erupted all over the state. Supporters of restrictions say they are trying to get obscene material out of children's sections of the library. Critics say those restrictions target books with LGBTQ+ characters and themes and not necessarily obscene books. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Our devoted and beleaguered librarians will not have to worry about being handcuffed and jailed for refusing to censor books under House Bill 4, the 'Jail the Librarians bill,' which never made it out of its House Committee,' said Read Freely Alabama, a group that opposes new library restrictions, in a statement shortly after the 2025 legislative session ended. 'Furthermore, the bill which would have politicized our library boards even more (SB 6) once again died before making it to the Senate floor.' Multiple messages seeking comment were left with Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, the sponsor of HB 4, and Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, the sponsor of SB 6. Amy Minton, a member of the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) Board and an advocate of additional restrictions on library content, said in an interview that she was 'a little surprised that people get so upset about the obscenity or sexually explicit materials.' 'If they don't have it in the library, why do they get so upset about them being asked to be moved, whether through a law or policy?' she said. HB 4 would have amended the state's obscenity laws to make public libraries and librarians criminally liable for making materials that are sexually explicit or harmful to minors available. The legislation would have allowed residents served by the library to file a notice with the staff that they believe there are sexually explicit or inappropriate materials found in sections of the library dedicated to minors. Libraries would then have to relocate the materials to the adult section or remove them entirely. They can also notify the public that they have determined the item is in the appropriate section, which any resident can then challenge. Noncompliance would have subjected librarians to prosecution under Alabama obscenity laws, which can be as severe as a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $30,000 fine. SB 6 would have mandated that library board members be appointed to a four-year term and that members could be removed from the board with a two-thirds of the members of the governing body, either the city or county, agree by vote. The House Judiciary Committee never considered HB 4. SB 6 got approval from the Senate County and Municipal Government Committee, which Elliott chairs, but did not come to a vote on the Senate floor. Mooney's obscenity bill was approved further along in the 2024 session, receiving approval from members of the House and even getting approved in the Senate Children and Youth Health Committee before it stalled in the Senate. Elliott's legislation was approved in the Senate and the House County and Municipal Government Committee where it remained as the session ended. Advocates of restrictions have succeeded in convincing the Alabama Public Library Service, the state agency that oversees local library funding, to impose policy changes that favor more restrictions. In March, the APLS Board suspended funding to the Fairhope Public Library in Baldwin County while also voting to have Pack terminated after Minton made a motion. Supporters of the library raised money to replace the lost funding and defended the library at city council and APLS meetings. Alabama GOP chair John Wahl, who currently serves as chair of the APLS Board, said at a meeting earlier this month that members are waiting for the Fairhope Public Library to complete its review of the books that parents challenged before resuming funding to the library. 'We know that the fight isn't over. As we speak, a stacked and extreme Alabama Public Library Service board continues its assault on libraries, stripping funding from those who will not cave to their demands,' Read Freely Alabama said in the statement. 'And even today, as this session closes, opposing forces are already crafting legislation for a chosen representative to prefile, and are regrouping to continue their assault on our freedoms and beloved public institutions at the next legislative session.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas House passes bill to replace STAAR exam with new testing system
AUSTIN, Texas - A major shift in student testing could be coming to Texas classrooms. Lawmakers in the state House have overwhelmingly passed a bill that would eliminate the STAAR exam and replace it with a new assessment system aimed at reducing testing pressure and giving teachers faster feedback. House Bill 4, sponsored by Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado), would end the use of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) — the standardized test used since 2012 for students in grades three through 11. In its place, students would take three shorter tests spread throughout the school year. The bill passed the House on a 143–1 vote. "What we found is when you have assessments and accountability without a focus on instruction, you simply have high-stakes testing," Buckley said during floor discussion. Supporters say the new tests would provide results within 24 hours, allowing teachers to immediately identify areas where students need help. The assessments would also be designed to allow comparisons between Texas students and their peers in other states and countries. Opposition to STAAR has grown among educators and parents, especially in large districts like Houston ISD, where critics argue that the current testing system creates unnecessary stress without improving outcomes. Rep. Jolanda Jones (D-Houston) questioned how the bill would affect districts like HISD, which is currently under control of the Texas Education Agency, and subject to increased testing oversight. "How will HB4 help or hurt HISD given that it's currently under TEA control and subject to constant testing and reporting demands?" Jones asked. Buckley responded that the bill would create a uniform standard across Texas, regardless of local governance models or interventions. What's next The bill now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers are divided over the timeline. According to the Texas Tribune, while the House calls for the new system to begin this fall, the Senate has proposed delaying implementation until 2028. The Source Fox 26 gathered information from the 2025 Texas Legislative Session.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In wake of new law, EKU swaps ‘diversity,' ‘inclusion' for ‘viewpoint neutrality'
Students walk on Eastern Kentucky University's campus in Richmond, May 14, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) RICHMOND — With approval of its governing board, Eastern Kentucky University became the first in the state to formally adopt policies that bring it into compliance with a Republican-backed state law banning diversity, equity and inclusion practices at Kentucky public universities. In its Wednesday meeting, the EKU Board of Regents passed a policy to uphold viewpoint neutrality and a resolution showing EKU plans to comply with the recently passed House Bill 4. The board also approved removing words such as 'diverse' from its strategic goals. No board members voted against the measures in a voice vote. Kentucky public universities have been reviewing HB 4 since its passage by the Republican-controlled General Assembly earlier this year. GOP caucuses in the House and Senate easily had the votes to override Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of the law, which he said 'is about hate.' In his veto message, the governor wrote, 'Acting like racism and discrimination no longer exist or that hundreds of years of inequality have been somehow overcome and there is a level playing field is disingenuous.' He also said the law would prevent universities and colleges from investigating allegations of bias except in limited circumstances. EKU's board members had little discussion on the new policies before they cast votes. Regent Laura Babbage asked questions about how the university will still support students from a variety of backgrounds. She added that she hoped as an institution, EKU 'believes that we have responsibility to our brothers and sisters, regardless of their race, creed, beliefs or whatever the case might be.' 'I'm not speaking for the board. I'm speaking for Laura Babbage, but I am just saying that that is an essential part of who I am,' she said. 'And so as we have issues that come before us that perhaps need a voice, I will, in fact, be that voice.' EKU President David McFaddin said in response to Babbage that supporting all students would remain a focus of the administration. 'Student success will continue to be our focus. Supporting students — every student — in every way that we can will continue to be a part of the institution,' he said. The newly adopted university policy — titled 'Institutional Viewpoint Neutrality' — says that EKU 'does not discriminate against individuals or groups based on their social or political viewpoints and values the contributions of all community members to robust dialogue and the free exchange of viewpoints to contribute to an intellectually diverse campus community.' The university may not require anyone to 'endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, promotion, admission or graduation.' Directing the state's public universities to adopt such viewpoint neutrality policies was a tenet of HB 4. The university policy says that the EKU president has the only authority to issue official statements on behalf of the university, and may designate someone else to issue statements as needed. The board chair has a similar authority to issue official statements of the board. The president and board chair are prohibited from issuing official statements 'on political, social or cultural matters that are not directly related to the operations, mission or legal obligations of the University.' The policy says that any violation 'will be handled through the normal University processes.' The board also approved changes to the university's strategic goals, removing a reference to supporting 'EKU's diverse learners' and replacing the word 'inclusivity' with 'respect.' The changes also remove 'Inclusion' as a guiding value of the university, which was defined as 'Community engagement, Diversity of people and perspectives, Professional growth, Hospitality, Celebration' and replaces it with 'Opportunity,' defined as 'Community Engagement, Multiple Perspectives and Lived Experiences, Professional Growth, Hospitality, Celebration.' The resolution approved by the board says EKU will follow the state law. An EKU spokesperson previously told the Kentucky Lantern the university planned to comply with the law. The bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, said in a statement after filing the legislation that it sought 'to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, and ensure that our university campuses are free from the failed and misguided DEI policies that have proven only to make higher education less attainable for Kentuckians.' In a statement ahead of Wednesday's board meeting, Decker said the law ended 'discriminatory and wasteful practices on our public postsecondary campuses.' Decker added that the law ensures Kentucky public colleges 'provide equal treatment to all of their students and judge students on their individual merits, not on their race, color, or creed.' 'These are institutions of learning and must focus on improving the quality of education on their campuses and increasing enrollment among all Kentuckians,' Decker said. HB 4 directs the governing boards of Kentucky's public universities to enact a policy by June 30 to meet requirements under the law such as not restricting scholarship eligibility criteria on the basis of religion, race, sex, color or national origin and not requiring or encouraging students to complete courses 'of which the primary purpose is to indoctrinate participants with a discriminatory concept.' Next year on July 1, each institution must begin submitting annual certification to the Council on Postsecondary Education to verify the institution has not spent money to support DEI programs. The law largely had support from Republicans in both the state House and Senate throughout the legislative session earlier this year. It comes on the heels of Republicans nationwide aiming to rollback DEI programs. President Donald Trump has taken actions against such programs, including issuing an executive order early in his second term aimed at curbing DEI in private sector businesses. More recently, Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Education to overhaul university and college accreditation programs to root out DEI standards. Before the General Assembly passed the law, Kentucky college students held protests against the legislation on their campuses, including EKU. Students also voiced opposition in committee hearings and protests at the Capitol. 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