From the Chron:
The much-maligned, high-stakes TAKS test would be eliminated, and more emphasis put on preparing high school students for college or a job, under legislation intended to dramatically change the way education progress is measured in Texas.
“We have counted on testing and testing only. And it’s caused a lot of angst in the schools,” Senate Public Education Chair Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said Wednesday about the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.
“We’ll still test, but we’re using other variables to give us the results that we need.”
Shapiro and House Public Education Chair Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, plan to file the school accountability legislation on Thursday. The changes — which would start in the 2011-12 school year — aim to gradually elevate Texas into the top 10 states when it comes to preparing students for college or equipping them with workforce skills.
