The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
Following the Connecticut school shooting, Attorney General Greg Abbott has warned 78 out-of-compliance Texas school districts that his office expects them to immediately update their safety plans in accordance with state law. Full Story
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State leaders are preparing to push for legislation to expand the choices available for Texas' nearly 5 million public school students. Meanwhile, some local districts are already pursuing similar reforms within their own systems. Full Story
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Business leaders said Wednesday that they would support modifications to the new student assessment system implemented this spring — and put forth a plan that provides multiple pathways to high school graduation. Full Story
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Two Texas charter schools are each eligible to receive just less than $30 million in federal Race to the Top money. Idea Public Schools and Harmony Science Academy were among 16 winners chosen from 61 finalists from across the nation. Full Story
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If the new graduation numbers released by the U.S. Department of Education are correct — that 86 percent of Texas students graduated high school in four years in the 2010-2011 school year — we all certainly have something to celebrate. But they're probably not correct. Full Story
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On November 8, the Tribune and the University of Texas at Austin's Texas Politics Project asked four experts on state health, water, transportation and education policy to preview the fights over those issues in the 83rd session. Full Story
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At our Hot Seat conversation at Trinity University in San Antonio, state Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, and state Sen.-elect Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, sparred about public education, health care and other issues in play in the upcoming 83rd session. Full Story
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Imagine a government as accountable to voters for its performance as football coaches are to the ire of fans and boosters. Full Story
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In the wake of a cheating scandal in the El Paso school district, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams announced Thursday that he's stripping authority from the district's board and installing a new board of managers. Full Story
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Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams on Friday announced that he would defer a rule that requires state end-of-course exams count for 15 percent of high school students' final grades. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has come out in favor of allowing school districts to choose whether to implement a rule requiring that new state assessments count for 15 percent of high school students' final grades. Full Story
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While skeptics say reporting requirements for state graduation rates contain too many loopholes, other education policy experts say Texas deserves credit for implementing innovative programs to keep students in school. Full Story
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Between a legal challenge and a proposed bill, the usage of radio frequency ID cards — which can track the whereabouts of students while on campus — is coming under increasing pressure. Full Story
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A few Texas school districts and charters are finalists for funds through a new version of the Obama administration's Race to the Top program. Texas had refused to participate in the program at the state level in 2010, citing concerns over federal intrusion into Texas classrooms. Full Story
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According to new U.S. Department of Education data, Texas has the fourth-highest graduation rate in the nation. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, incoming state Reps. Cecil Bell Jr., Giovanni Capriglione and Mary Gonzalez talked about school finance, standardized testing and the prospect of school choice legislation in the 83rd Session. Full Story
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Chapter 313, a provision of the state's tax code that allows school districts to use tax cuts to lure large corporations, will expire unless lawmakers act to renew it next year. Full Story
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Since 1984, Texas has faced six lawsuits over public school funding. Over the years, a chorus of conservative voices has posed another fix for the school finance problem: Why not just change the duties under the state Constitution? Full Story
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The massive trial involving more than two-thirds of the state's school districts and most of its charter schools has been under way for two weeks now — and while the evidence will continue to pour in until January, the arguments of all seven parties, including the state, have taken shape. Full Story
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To track attendance and avoid losing state funding, some school districts have begun electronically monitoring students' whereabouts. Two San Antonio schools have added electronic chips to student ID cards, while some in Austin have issued students phones with GPS systems. Full Story
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