TAKS IS GIVING OUR SCHOOLS A ROADMAP TO SUCCESS
By Gayle Fallon

This opinion editorial received coverage in the Houston Chronicle (June 1, 2004, Page 19A), the Austin American Statesman (June 2, 2004, Page 13A) along with other daily and weekly papers.

With so many conflicting opinions, it’s probably not much of a surprise that the special session ended without a school bill. We hope our legislators come back for the next session focused not only on how to fund our schools, but on what we’re trying to fund.

Texas has met the challenge of change in public education and has established a solid track record of improvement - and we need to maintain our progress and the reform initiatives that have given Texas schools a roadmap to success. With everything on the table for consideration, the Texas Legislature needs to recognize what’s working and hold fast to programs and policies that are improving our schools.

It’s only been five years since the Legislature, after careful deliberation and public input, authorized TAKS at a cost of millions of dollars. Thanks to assessment tools like the TAKS test, accountability measures for schools have improved and our teachers have a fair and accurate way to gauge what students know. According to a 2004 statewide survey conducted by the Texas Education Reform Foundation, the majority of Texans support TAKS.

Despite pessimism by some, our 11th graders showed a 47 percent increase over 2003 and scored big with a passing rate that’s 23 points higher. Our 3rd grade TAKS reading scores improved from last year’s scores thanks to expanded emphasis on early childhood learning, literacy programs and federal initiatives like No Child Left Behind. And the good news goes beyond test scores. Texas ranks first on the reported adequacy of teacher resources. We have the highest proportion of children in public pre-school and the third lowest elementary class size. Further, we’ve given school districts even greater flexibility in alternative teacher certification programs so we can address the teacher shortage and get more qualified teachers into the classroom.

More than just keeping up, Texas has actually pulled ahead of the nation in several critical categories thanks to assessment, accountability and programs targeted to reach high-risk students. From 1990-2000, Texas showed the second largest improvement of 47 states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics.

When looking at students from similar families, Texas ranks first for improvement of NAEP scores. This rating is significant as a recent RAND study shows that the single most important factor in a student’s success at school is not per-pupil spending or even class size, but socioeconomic demographics. In Texas, high-risk, low-income students fare far better than similar students in Washington, DC, for example, because of high standards and programs designed to reach them early and often.

Thanks to high standards, accountability measures and assessment tools like the TAKS test, Texas has seen marked improvement in education. These initiatives are even more critical today than 20 years ago because the role of “teacher” has evolved and expanded dramatically. Today’s teachers must function as subject experts, guidance counselors, health advocates, technology wizards and sometimes even family mediators for whole classrooms of children. To ensure that scholastics maintain their place as a top priority, teachers and students need, and deserve, a clear roadmap to keep pace in a fast-changing world.

The Legislature should not back away from what’s working. Improvement in education is made possible because accountability measures and assessment dictate expectations. Teachers know what they need to accomplish and students understand what’s expected of them. Educational landmarks that give teachers and students something to shoot for help everyone keep moving in the right direction.

As the debate for funding education unfolds, Texas legislators must be mindful of our progress and maintain the clearly defined high standards, assessment and consistent expectations that are improving our schools and our state.

Gayle Fallon is a board member of the Texas Education Reform Caucus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the cause of education reform in Texas. Fallon is president of the Houston Federation of Teachers and has taught elementary, high school and alternative education.