STAAR Passing Rates Flat Under Higher Standards
Passing rates on the statewide standardized exam known as STAAR have barely changed among fifth- and eighth-graders, newly released testing results show. Full Story
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Kiah Collier
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Kiah Collier was a reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative initiative from 2020 through 2023. She previously worked at the Tribune as a reporter and associate editor, covering energy and the environment through the lens of state government and politics. Kiah has reported for numerous other publications across Texas since 2010, including the Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle. Her beats also have included government and politics, public education and business. Kiah’s work has been honored with numerous prizes, including a George Foster Peabody Award, a Gerald Loeb Award, the Knight-Risser Prize for Western Environmental Journalism, the National Edward R. Murrow Award for best investigation and the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award. A seventh-generation Texan, she grew up in the Austin area and graduated with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in journalism and philosophy.
Past Contributions
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Cornyn Files Bill to Speed Texas Hurricane Study
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has filed legislation to expedite a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study that will determine how best to protect the Houston region from a devastating hurricane. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, at the Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 20, 2014.]()
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Report: Texas Industrial Plants Spewing Pollutants Illegally
Hundreds of industrial facilities across Texas are illegally spewing millions of pounds of toxic pollutants into the air each year when they break down or perform maintenance, according to a new report. Full Story
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Teacher Group Sues Over Plan to Tie Educator Evaluations to Tests
A teacher group filed a lawsuit Wednesday in an attempt to block the state from implementing a controversial system that for the first time ties assessments of educators to student performance on standardized tests. Full Story
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Texans in Congress Largely Silent on Hurricane Protection
With a price tag sure to reach into the billions, building seawalls and floodgates to protect Houston and Galveston from a killer storm will almost certainly require a massive infusion of federal money, state officials agree. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, held a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 2015.]()
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New Education Chief Overhauls Top of Agency
Three of the five key hires announced Thursday by Education Commissioner Mike Morath have extensive charter school experience, and only two appear to have solid Texas ties — something teacher groups and traditional public schools were quick to point out. Full Story
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Lawmakers Promise Fix for Teacher Health Care Plan
A special panel of state lawmakers On Wednesday began trying to figure out how to address skyrocketing premiums for teachers under state-run health insurance plans. Full Story
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Lawmakers Pledge Support for Hurricane Plan
Meeting for only the second time in two years, a panel of Texas lawmakers pledged financial and political support to efforts at developing a plan to protect the Houston-Galveston region from a devastating storm surge. Full Story
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![The beginning of the seawall on the western edge of Galveston, Feb 14, 2016.]()
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Slow Path for GED Alternatives in Texas
The State Board of Education took more steps this week toward allowing two new companies to begin administering high school equivalency tests in Texas, but the pace is frustrating adult education advocates. Full Story
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Vista Ridge Pipeline Opponents Win Small Victory
A controversial plan for a 142-mile pipeline to carry water to San Antonio suffered a small defeat this week when the state water development agency staff said it wasn't eligible for an $885 million low-interest construction loan. Full Story
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![A map of the proposed pipeline that will deliver 16 billion gallons of water annually from underneath Burleson County to San Antonio, about 140 miles away.]()
Credit: San Antonio Water System