- On Monday, the Texas House preliminarily passed a bill that would end STAAR Testing in the state’s public schools. In a near unanimous vote, lawmakers approved House Bill 4, which would instead have Texas public school students take three shorter state assessments. House lawmakers say the change would mean better tracking of student progress. Rep. Gina Hinojosa, and Austin Democrat, says HB 4 does education accountability the right way.
“It is actually useful information because it gives teachers real time feedback on the progress of their students as opposed to the STAAR, which doesn’t give you results until kids have left for the summer.”
Under the legislation, students would take a beginning-of-year assessment in October, a mid-year assessment in January or February, and an end-of-year assessment in May. Results of the tests would be available within 24 hours after they were started. The bill needs one more procedural vote in the Texas House before it heads to the state Senate for consideration.
- The Greenville City Council could designate some funds to help local charitable groups better serve those in need during times of dangerously cold temperatures. The Greenville Herald Banner reports the city council this evening will likely approve an $8,000 allocation to the Greenville Homeless Task Force. That’s the coalition that operates the Community Warming Shelter at Wesley United Methodist Church. The city funds could be sued to purchase bedding and storage supplies. This evening’s meeting of the Greenville City Council is set for 6 p.m. at the Greenville Municipal Building at 2821 Washington St.
