Latest news with #TexasStateBoardofEducation
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SBOE welcomes new members for first meeting of 2025
Feb. 7—AUSTIN — The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) approved processes for instructional materials review, welcomed newly elected members and selected leadership for board committees at its first meeting of the year Jan. 28-31. A preliminary list of instructional materials was presented for the board's consideration under the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) cycle 2025. The board approved proposed changes to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 67, Subchapter B and Subchapter C, which further clarify: — Procedures and policies for eligibility, appointment, training and duties for IMRA reviewers. — Guidance on public comment related to instructional materials. — Guidelines for the selection and local adoption of instructional materials by school systems. In addition, the application window is now open for quality and suitability reviewers to support the 2025 IMRA cycle. Texas residents are encouraged to apply as suitability reviewers, while those with expertise in K — 12 mathematics, K — 6 English Language Arts (ELAR), and K — 6 Spanish Language Arts (SLAR) are encouraged to apply as quality reviewers of instructional materials. Reviewers play a critical role in ensuring the quality and suitability of materials for Texas students and educators. Interested individuals can apply at The deadline to apply is Feb. 24. In other action, the SBOE welcomed its newly sworn-in members who took the oath of office in a ceremony officiated by Gov. Greg Abbott. The newly sworn-in members are: — Gustavo Reveles (District 1) — Marisa B. Perez-Diaz (District 3) — Staci Childs (District 4) — Tom Maynard (District 10) — Brandon Hall (District 11) — Pam Little (District 12) — Tiffany Clark (District 13) — Aaron Kinsey (District 15) As part of the first regular meeting after the election and qualification of new members, the SBOE confirmed its officers for the new term. Pam Little was re-elected to serve another term as Vice Chair and Will Hickman was elected to serve as Secretary. New chairs were also selected for the board's committees: — Audrey Young will lead the Committee on Instruction. — Tom Maynard will lead the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund. — LJ Francis will lead the Committee on School Initiatives. The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools designees from Texas were honored. The board also signed a resolution to designate February 2025 as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, recognizing the 1.35 million Texas secondary students enrolled in one or more CTE courses across 1,200 school systems. These programs give students the opportunity to gain academic, technical and employability skills necessary for career readiness. The board would also like to thank the Brazoswood High School P.M. Jazz Band from the Brazoswood Independent School District for their outstanding performance during Friday's session. Announcements Nominations are now open for the 2025 Student Heroes Award. The SBOE encourages students, teachers, administrators and community members to nominate any Texas public school students who exemplify the core value of selfless service. The deadline to submit a nomination is April 25, 2025. To nominate a student visit The SBOE's next regular meeting is scheduled for the week of April 8, 2025.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
National test scores show Texas students still lag in math and reading
Texas' fourth- and eighth-grade students' overall reading and math scores dropped in 2024, though Texas children learning English and Black fourth-graders ranked near the top of the country in some of those areas, according to national test results released on Wednesday. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, tests a sample of fourth- and eighth-grade public school students every two years, measuring how children across different states perform in core subjects. Nearly 240,000 students took the exam nationwide, with Texas students making up roughly 5% of the test takers. Unlike the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, better known as the STAAR test, the NAEP exam — often referred to as the Nation's Report Card — does not track student progress on subject standards set by the Texas State Board of Education. A decline in math scores continued for many Texas students who took the NAEP test last year. Texas' lower-income students scored worse than their wealthier peers in reading and math. The state's Black and Hispanic students also lagged behind white students. Texas' overall eighth-grade math scores plummeted by 4 points, continuing a decline dating back to 2011, according to a Texas Tribune data analysis. Math scores nationwide have also collapsed over a similar period. Texas' fourth-grade math scores, on the other hand, climbed by 2 points and rose six spots in national rankings. In reading, fourth-grade students in Texas experienced a 2-point drop in scores compared to 2022, while eighth-grade reading scores decreased by 3 points. No state in the country saw gains on the reading exam in either grade compared to the 2022 results, according to the exam's governing board. 'These results highlight the continued challenges our students face in literacy and numeracy and should sound the alarm for school leaders and policymakers alike,' Gabe Grantham, an education policy adviser for Texas 2036, said in a statement. 'While we are encouraged by slight gains in fourth-grade math, the overall picture is clear — Texas students need more support from both schools and the state to build strong reading and math foundations.' The nationwide test results have raised significant worries among public education advocates across the country about the profound difficulty in helping students rebound from learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the picture wasn't completely bleak in Texas. Texas students learning English ranked among the top five in the nation in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math, respectively, compared to their peers, according to a snapshot of data from the Texas Education Agency. In addition, Black fourth graders in Texas led the way in math scores when compared to other Black students in the same grade across the country. Asian students who took the fourth-grade math exam ranked second among their counterparts, as did low-income fourth-grade students. Disclosure: Texas 2036 has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
