The latest public education news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas is a leader in early dyslexia identification in schools and a pioneer in teacher training and public awareness, but the state’s schools still have a long way to go, lawmakers and advocates said Wednesday at a Capitol Hill hearing. Full Story
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Citing past rulings and politics, experts and insiders are predicting the Texas Supreme Court will rule in the latest school finance appeal early next year, with some predicting a summertime special legislative session. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: New questions are raised on zero-tolerance discipline policies, a $50 million contest is launched to revamp high schools and an interview with Kay Wijekumar of Texas A&M University. Full Story
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UPDATED: An Irving teenager who was arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school said Wednesday that "it's really sad" that a teacher got the wrong impression about the clock. He added that he would probably transfer schools. Full Story
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The Texas State University System is experimenting with massive open online courses to allow students to arrive on campus with a full year of credit at minimal cost. Full Story
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At our 9/4 conversation, Austin Mayor Steve Adler and San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor talked about the importance of early childhood education — and who should fund it. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: A study suggests taking band class improves students' cognitive skills, comparing student achievement data across states remains difficult and an interview with Melissa Wetzel of the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story
“Money isn’t pixie dust” when it comes to improving public schools, lawyers for the state of Texas told the state Supreme Court on Tuesday, arguing an appeal in what has been described as the most far-reaching school finance case in state history. Full Story
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As Texas prepares to argue a school finance appeal before the state Supreme Court, districts still are grappling with staffing cuts, swelling class sizes and flat test scores exacerbated by the 2011 budget cuts. Full Story
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A four-year, $37 million state program to improve physical education at high-poverty middle schools failed to reduce obesity rates, according to a study by the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: A study finds amount of homework assigned doesn't fit students' grade level, school gardens teach students about healthy habits and an interview with Dennis Davis of the University of Texas at San Antonio. Full Story
The Texas Supreme Court is about to hear the latest challenge to the state's financing of public schools. Maybe they'll throw it out, but history says otherwise: This almost always means changes in school policy and increases in taxes. Full Story
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If school district leaders can’t fix failing schools, the state may strip their authority under a new law effective Sept. 1. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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When the state's new truancy law takes effect Sept. 1, students will no longer potentially face criminal sanctions for skipping school. But there are new directives for public schools and the courts. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: Public playgrounds experiment with giving kids free range, Head Start benefits proving difficult to demonstrate and an interview with Daniel R. Taber of the University of Texas. Full Story
Lawmakers have pumped millions into financial aid for low-income residents and are phasing out programs with less strict income requirements. Is the middle class is being left out? This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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Texas A&M is partnering with an Irving company and a nonprofit corporation to add 3,400 beds' worth of housing near campus. School officials estimate it could generate hundreds of millions of dollars. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: The NSA holds a free summer camp on cyber warfare, requests for flexibility on counting English language learners are getting different responses and an interview with Jacqueline R. Stillisano of Texas A&M's Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture. Full Story
The public school population in Texas has grown dramatically, and in a way some might find surprising: Most of the growth has come in the numbers of economically disadvantaged students. Full Story
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You can peek at the state’s near future in the latest numbers from the Texas Education Agency: 51.8 percent Hispanic, 29.4 percent Anglo, 12.7 percent African-American, 3.7 percent Asian. Full Story
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