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Education Update
While the end of May usually marks the end of the school year in Texas, winter weather challenges this year have resulted in June graduations across the state.  Congratulations to all the members of the Class of 2014, the largest projected graduating class in Texas history! Congratulations to all of the educators who contributed to the educational achievement of these students.
 
Across the State
 
School Bond Election Results
Initial school district bond election results indicate an overwhelming majority of bond referendums were approved by voters on May 10. Seventy-eight ISDs held school bond elections with eight-six propositions on those ballots. Of the $6.2B proposed to voters, 88.3% ($5,490,540,499) were approved. According to an analysis by TexasISD.com, this is above the historical rate of approval that has averaged 81.4% over the past seven years.
 
Congratulations to those school districts with successful bond elections, including some of the state’s largest school districts–Cypress-Fairbanks (the state’s third largest district), Northside (the state’s fourth largest district), Arlington, and Round Rock, as well as fast growth schools such as Dripping Springs, Hays Consolidated, and Frenship. Others around the state with successful results included (but certainly not limited to) Pflugerville, Greenville, Cameron and Gladewater. In the “Every Vote Matters” category, congratulations to Clifton where the bond proposal that included a new middle school passed by one vote.
 
The impact of these specific bond projects on communities, regions, and the state will contribute to the continued economic and educational well-being of Texas for years to come.
 
 
FGSC Report Responds to Comptroller Information on School Facilities Costs
The Fast Growth School Coalition (FGSC) has released a school facilities report entitled, “Texas Schools Aren’t Average”, a response to information that has been disseminated by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. 
 
While the Comptroller’s information averages the cost and sizes of school buildings across the state, “Texas Schools Aren’t Average” provides a more thoughtful description of potential cost differences that reflect:

  • Regional differences such as climate and soil type,
  • Construction considerations such as foundation types and local building codes, and
  • Input by local community members regarding the type of facility they want for their students.

 
The report consistently emphasizes that “in Texas, decisions regarding public education are made by local communities, and since local communities are all different, that means decisions about educational programs and school buildings are going to vary considerably across the State of Texas.”
 
Less than 10% of Texas ISDs are fast growth school districts. These fast growth districts account for almost 80% of the student growth in the state over the past five years.
 
View the FGSC Facilities Report
 
At the Texas Education Agency & the State Board of Education
Preliminary Statewide STAAR® Grades 3-8 Passing Rates Relatively Stable
Statewide passing rates for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) mathematics and reading tests in grades three through eight remained relatively stable for the third consecutive year, according to preliminary results released by TEA. The results reflect passing rates for the spring 2014 administration of STAAR and STAAR L.
 
Virtually all grades (3 through 8) recorded some improvement in mathematics over results from the previous school year. Fifth and eighth graders recorded the highest passing rate at 79% on the first administration of the test. The largest increase from the previous school year came in grade 6 – a jump of five percentage points. Grade 7 was the only grade level where math passing rates declined from 2012–2013.
 
Eighty-two percent of eighth-grade students passed the STAAR reading test on their first attempt. Sixth graders recorded the largest increase (six percentage points) over results from the previous school year. However, with the exception of grade 4, all other grades showed some slight decrease from 2012–2013.
 
STAAR writing tests were administered in grades 4 and 7. Initial passing rates in each of those grades have remained stable over the past three school years.  Students in fourth grade posted the highest passing rate of 73%, an increase of two percentage points over results from the previous school year.
 
Fifth graders posted the highest preliminary passing rate in STAAR science (73%). The eighth grade passing rate in science was 70%. Eighth graders also posted a 61% passing rate in social studies.
 
Comparison charts of statewide results and summary charts provide greater detail on all STAAR results. Note that TEA does not have district-level test results at this time. Those are available from local school districts and state charter schools. To review state-level reports on grades 3 through 8, visit the TEA website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/staar/rpt/sum/.
 
Texas Education Agency Launches School District Locator
TEA’s Information Technology Services has launched the new School District Locator (SDL) on the TEA Web site. The site provides basic information for Texas schools, including boundaries for each county, school district and education service center in map format.  School district information, district accountability ratings, enrollment and performance reports in text format are also available on the site.
 
Among the features are contact information for districts, trustees and staff, links to TEA school district reports, links to school district and Education Service Center Web sites and more.
 
 
TELL Survey Deadline Extended to June 6
TEA extended the deadline for the TELL survey to Friday, June 6. The Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning (TELL) Texas Survey is designed to gather information on how teachers and other educators view the teaching and learning conditions at their schools. The TELL Texas Survey is part of House Bill 2012 passed last year by the Texas Legislature, which requires the Texas Education Agency to develop an online teaching and learning conditions survey to be administered statewide biennially to teachers, principals, counselors and other school-based professional staff. The anonymous survey will provide data for schools and districts to use in improvement planning.
 
State, district, and school results will be posted on the TELL Texas website approximately five weeks after the close of the survey for schools that have at least 50% of educators and five staff members responding. A separate survey of school superintendents will occur later this year.
 
The TELL survey is one element of the new Teacher Evaluation and Support System. The new appraisal system will replace the current state-recommended instrument for evaluating teachers – the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS) – which has been in place since 1997.
 
Beginning in the fall of 2014, the new teacher appraisal system will be piloted in school districts and charters across the state.  These districts and charters will provide valuable feedback over the course of the next year. Observations and recommended revisions from these pilot districts will be utilized to strengthen the final appraisal system. The new state-recommended system will be offered to all districts statewide in the 2015-2016 school year. It is designed as an educator evaluation and support tool only. The decision to utilize this tool will remain a local decision. Any personnel decisions at the district and campus level will also remain local.
 
TEA secured a waiver from specific provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 2013 at the request of the state’s superintendents. The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is pushing all states to adopt teacher evaluation systems that utilize a value-add component. The State of Washington recently lost its waiver for failing to follow through on that provision. The waivers for three additional states have been placed on high-risk status by the USDE for similar circumstances.
 
For more information about the 2014 TELL Texas Survey, please visit www.telltexas.org.
 
To view complete details of the new Teacher Evaluation and Support System submitted by TEA to the USDE, visit http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=25769803880.
 
SBOE Proposes Rules for Continuing Education of School Board Trustees
The State Board of Education (SBOE) has proposed amendment to 19 TAC §61.1, concerning school district boards of trustees. The section specifies requirements for continuing education for school board trustees. The proposed amendment would require coverage of specific topics during local school district orientation and continuing education and would clarify the requirements of certain trainings.
 
The Texas Education Code (TEC), §11.159, Member Training and Orientation, requires the SBOE to provide a training course for school board trustees. Section 61.1 addresses this statutory requirement. School board trustee training under current SBOE rule includes a local school district orientation session, a basic orientation to the TEC, an annual team-building session with the local school board and the superintendent, and specified hours of continuing education based on identified needs. A member of the SBOE requested that the rule be updated after receiving feedback from local school board members and administrators.
 
The proposed amendment to 19 TAC §61.1 would add language requiring the local school district orientation session to include training on specific topics, establishing that the training must be at least three hours in length for each new board member, and clarifying that any sitting board member may attend or participate in the local district orientation. The proposed amendment would also add language addressing the minimum length of hours for the basic orientation to the TEC, including the timeframe during which the TEC orientation must be received by newly elected or appointed board members, and would clarify that the TEC orientation is open to any sitting board member who chooses to attend. In addition, the proposed amendment would specify that the annual team-building session include a review of the roles, rights, and responsibilities of a local board as outlined in the framework for governance leadership. The proposed amendment would also add the requirement that the announcement regarding completion of the annual required continuing education include a statement that the continuing education is a basic obligation and expectation of any sitting board member.
 
Comments on the proposal may be submitted to Cristina De La Fuente-Valadez, Rulemaking, Texas Education Agency, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701, (512) 475-1497. Comments may also be submitted electronically to rules@tea.state.tx.us or faxed to (512) 463-5337. A request for a public hearing on the proposed amendment submitted under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received by the commissioner of education not more than 14 calendar days after notice of the proposal has been published in the Texas Register.
 
TTIPS Waiver to Extend Cycle2 – Comments on Waiver
Although the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requested a waiver to extend the period of availability of School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds that were awarded for Cycle 2 SIG schools until September 2014, several local school districts have reported difficultly for many Cycle 2 Tier I and Tier II schools to expend their entire award during the period of availability due to a confluence of factors, including the delay in making some awards for implementation beginning in school year 2011–2012.  The USDE has invited states to submit a waiver request to extend the period of availability of the FY 2009 and 2010 funds to allow Tier I or Tier II schools with unexpended FY 2009 or 2010 funds to use those funds to continue to implement a SIG intervention model during the 2014-2015 school year, if the schools satisfy criteria developed by TEA.  TEA has, therefore, requested a waiver to USDE to extend the period of availability of the funds until September 30, 2015. Comments on the waiver request must be made by Wednesday, June 11, 2013.
 
 
TEA Announces Flexibility Initiative for Federal Grant Funds
On June 2, TEA announced a new initiative to improve public schools ability to operate effective programs to close gaps in student achievement through increased flexibility in federal grant program management. 
 
The TEA announcement stated, "In order to provide increased flexibility to federal grant subrecipients, TEA will implement policy changes that focus on:

  • Allowing more discretion at the local level.
  • Providing clear guidance with examples and models.
  • Removing barriers that are unnecessary and burdensome.
  • Improving performance and program outcomes.
  • Ensuring that grant funds are spent in accordance with program statute and regulations.
  • Strengthening accountability for federal dollars; minimizing waste, fraud, and abuse; and providing more transparency."

TEA will be announcing focus group meetings to gather feedback about the proposed policy changes. Also, TEA will be implementing a new web page in June 2014 that is dedicated to the flexibility initiative. 
 
State Board of Education
The State Board of Education will hold its next meeting on July 15-18. The agenda for that meeting has not been released. Monitor the SBOE website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=1156 for that posting.
 
During the recent party run-off elections, veteran SBOE member Pat Hardy was nominated to run for re-election in District 11 with 58.7% of the vote. Ms. Hardy was originally elected to the SBOE in November 2002 and re-elected in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
 
During her tenure on the SBOE, Ms. Hardy has served on all three of the SBOE’s standing committees. She currently serves as chair of the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund. She has also been a member of the Committee on Instruction and Committee on School Initiatives.  
 
In the Democratic party run-off election in District 13, Erika Beltran won the nomination over Andrea Hilburn with 66.5% of the votes. This seat is currently held by Mavis Knight who is retiring from the SBOE when her current term ends in January 2015.  Ms. Beltran faces a Libertarian candidate in the general election.
 
Ms. Beltran is a graduate of Williams College and earned a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. A former teacher, Ms. Beltran worked for five years with a national civil rights organization tracking federal education policy and advocating for the needs of low-income children and families.  She works for the Dallas-based nonprofit, Teaching Trust, where she directs a leadership development program for teachers.
 
Around the Capitol
Texas Senate Committee Takes Up Issues of Student Discipline
During a June 3 hearing, the Texas Senate Committee on Jurisprudence took up interim charges relating to SB 393 and SB 1114 that have reduced the use of misdemeanor ticketing as a law-enforcement tool on the campuses of Texas public schools. Chairman Royce West began the hearing noting some claimed that the passage of those bills tied the hands of law enforcement, West countered that was the intent of the legislation with the goal of keeping children in the classroom and out of the courthouse. A HillCo client hearing report of the Senate Committee June 3 hearing is available for all HillCo clients with a website account.  
 
Chapter 313 Reporting Deadlines & New Rules
Following the 83rd Legislative Session, the Comptroller's office updated the Chapter 313 Reporting Forms to reflect changes in statute and clarifications in program rules.
 
The Biennial Progress Report Form (Form 50-773A, PDF and Excel) has been recently updated to include improvements important to verifying data provided for the Biennial School District Cost Data Request (Form 50-287). Schools districts may request additional information in order to complete this form. 
 
Please note the upcoming reporting deadlines:
 
June 15, 2014

  • Deadline for school districts to send the Annual Eligibility Report Form (Form 50-772A) to the Comptroller's office.
  • Deadline for school districts to send the Biennial Progress Report Form (Form 50-773A, PDF and Excel) to the Comptroller’s office.

 
July 15, 2014

  • Deadline for school districts to send the Biennial School District Cost Data Request (Form 50-287, PDF and Excel) to the Comptroller's office.

 Amendments to Texas Administrative Code to be published May 30, 2014
 
These new rules (PDF) will be published May 30, 2014 in the Texas Register. They will be used as guidelines by the agency until the published rules are effective.
 
Sunset Staff Report Published for UIL
The Sunset Advisory Commission has published the staff report for the University Interscholastic League.

The Sunset Commission has scheduled a public hearing on these reports for June 24 and 25, 2014.  At that time public testimony will be taken.  An agenda specifying the meeting time, location, and the order of agencies scheduled for discussion will be available on the Sunset Advisory Commission website as soon as the meeting has been posted.