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April 2008 |
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Eighth-grade students continue to raise the bar! 
Eighth-grade students, who have benefited their entire academic career from the Texas Student Success Initiative, raised the bar on the reading Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) with 92 percent passing the test.
Fifty-one percent of the eighth-grade students earned the prestigious Commended Performance status. These students correctly answered 44 or more of the 48 test questions. Last year 42 percent of the eight graders earned a Commended status, while 89 percent passed the reading exam in 2007. Eighth-graders in Houston ISD improved by 5 percentage points over the previous exam.
This marks the first year that students must pass the eighth-grade reading test in order to be promoted.
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FOTPS recieves highest honors
The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) recently honored Friends of Texas Public Schools cofounders Leslie and Scott Milder as the 2008 recipients of their Judy Coyle Texas Liberty Award at their annual state convention on March 28th in Austin. This award is ATPE's highest honor, which is named after ATPE founding member Judy Coyle and is given to recognize outstanding service to public education.
ATPE is a member-owned, member-governed professional association. With more than 111,000 members, ATPE is the leading educators' association in the state and the largest independent association for public school educators in the nation. To learn more about ATPE please visit www.atpe.org. |
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Texas schools lead the nation in providing meals to children
Ninety-nine percent of Texas schools participate in the national School Breakfast Program, ranking Texas 7th best in the country, according to a report recently released by the national Food Research and Action Center. The report, School Breakfast Scorecard 2007, also finds that more than a million low-income Texas children are eating breakfast at school. Despite its relative success compared to other states, there is room for expansion. For every 100 low-income children that participated in the School Lunch Program in Texas, only 53 also ate breakfast. Studies show that a good breakfast is essential to do well in school, but that children from low-income families are more likely to go to school on an empty stomach. Click here for data broken down by school district.
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MetLife Surveys the American Teacher
Source: The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, 2006: Expectations and Experiences
This report is the twenty-third in a series of surveys sponsored annually by MetLife since 1984. This MetLife Survey addresses topics including mentoring, career expectations and experiences, and teachers' attitudes toward school culture and atmosphere. It also shares perspectives on the seriousness of a teacher shortage in the near future and analyzes key issues impacting long-term teacher satisfaction.
Here is one example from the survey findings.
Teachers and principals share common views on recruitment and retention strategies.
· Three of the four top strategies for teacher recruitment and retention recommended by teachers are similar to those of principals, including providing a decent salary (teachers, 92%; principals, 88%), providing increased financial support for the school system (teachers, 84%; principals, 84%) and providing more respect for teachers in today's society (teachers, 82%; principals, 79%).
access full survey |
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Plans underway for 4th Annual Friends of Texas Public Schools Friend of the Year Event
The Friend of the Year Committee, Chaired by Board Member Blake Powell, has begun planning for the 2008 Friend of the Year event to be hosted this fall. The Friend of the Year event is a celebration and awards reception in which our organization honors a Texan who has demonstrated a legacy of support for public education.
At present, the Friend of the Year Committee is accepting nominations for the 2008 honoree. Past recipients include, Tom Frost, Senior Chairman of Frost Bank, Charles Butt, Senior Chairman of H-E-B and Michael Boone, Founding Partner of Haynes & Boone. If you are interested in making a nomination please email Cindy Randle at randlec@cfbisd.edu.
In addition to celebrating a Friend of Public Education, the Friend of the Year event provides an opportunity for our business, education, and local government communities to come together to celebrate the success of public education. "The momentum for change lies within the synergy that only occurs when these three groups engage one another. What better way to start that dialogue than through a celebration," stated Scott Milder, Friends President and CEO.
Friends Executive Director, Brandie Cleaver, says "We are excited about the upcoming event. Last year we had a terrific program and great event support. We got to know many Friends and made some new ones in San Antonio. Everyone enjoyed themselves, we met our fundraising goal, and shared our message of public schools success. Thanks to everyone who attended and supported the event. The committee is hard at work to identify and select our 2008 honoree and will accept nominations until May 19, 2007." |
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Who's a Dropout? 
article published in the Los Angeles Times April 6, 2008
For too long, high schools and states have played hide-the-dropout, artificially inflating their graduation rates. In many places, a teenager practically has to show up at the principal's office and shout "I'm a dropout!" to get counted as one. Considering that the dropout rate is, even by sunny estimates, distressingly high, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is right to plan a standardized method of reporting nationwide. The public won't demand change when it cannot clearly see the problem.
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This month's featured sponsor
501 Post is a nationally acclaimed high-end creative editorial boutique, specializing in advertising agency commercial postproduction for national and international broadcast needs. Likewise, for long form clients such as independent films and features for theatrical release. Our services are available in both Standard Definition and High Definition. Although our technical capabilities indeed run the gambit and are each state of the art, we're mostly sought out and known for the creative instincts our editors and artist bring to a given project. No doubt, we're blessed to have some of the greatest talent in the industry. It's now safe to sip your coffee, you're at 501 Post.
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Myth of the month
Source: "Debunking Seven Myths About Public Education" byMolly A. Hunter and Matthew Samberg
Myth #7: International Test Scores Predict Future Success
The focus of U.S. policymakers on test scores is moving in the opposite direction of other nations. Educators from high-scoring nations in Asia recognize that test scores measure only limited learning and not the skills students need to be successful. As Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the minister of Education from top-scoring Singapore has said: "There are some parts of the intellect that we are not able to test well - like creativity, curiosity, a sense of adventure, ambition."
Xu Ziwang, one of Goldman Sachs's first mainland Chinese partners, told the New York Times about the job performance of top Chinese university graduates: ''There's a price for 12 years of prep for an exam, and that's to always think there's a narrow, right answer. If you give precise instructions, they do well. If you define a task broadly, they get lost and ask for help.'' Many educators in the U.S. agree: too much emphasis on test scores and "right answers" is actually having a detrimental effect on American education.
more myths
* National Assessment of Educational Progress |
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Test your TAKS readiness The following question is taken from the 11th grade TAKS test.
An empty cup was tightly covered with plastic wrap, and a few grains of salt were sprinkled on top of the plastic. When a tuning fork was struck and placed slightly above the plastic wrap, the salt began to move. Which characteristic of waves does the movement of the salt best demonstrate?
A. Echo formation
B. Diffraction
C. Resonance
D. Specular reflection
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Breaking down the dollar
Nine cents of every education dollar is spent on an instructional aide who supports the teacher in delivering instruction and to district-purchased instructional supplies.
To see how one full dollar is spent on education, read Tracking the Education Dollar by clicking here. |
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Had a PROUD experience? 
"I was truly thankful for the generosity that Leslie presented to us on that night during our Customer Care class through the Region 10 Service Center. I am thankful for the certificate, the t-shirt, and the membership. Leslie's generosity will never be forgotten. People did ask me where I got the PROUD shirt and what it means. I enjoyed explaining it to them and sharing the Friends of Texas Public Schools website with them. Once again thanks for the kindness and customer care. Friends of Texas Public School is awesome!!"
La'Taisha Stinnette
3rd Grade Teacher
Shugart Elementary, Garland ISD order yours
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Remember to forward to coworkers, friends and family!
Friends of Texas Public Schools
Scott Milder, President & Chief Executive
P.O. Box 3526
Harker Heights, Texas 76548
Phone: 214-497-6411
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