This month's featured partner
The Texas Association of Secondary School Principals is an association formed by and for over 5000 campus administrators. Established in 1922, its purpose is to build an active network of educators that want to take responsibility for the quality of school leadership. TASSP focuses on the need for collaboration between all stakeholders in education while using as its foundation a very effective volunteer force that provides a statewide knowledge base and informed leadership. TASSP.org |
|
Sustaining Sponsors
Sponsors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here is the good news for February 2009. |
|
"Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither justice nor freedom can be permanently maintained..." - James A. Garfield
|
|
Texas tops national average for AP exams
Source: Texas Education Agency
Texas exceeded the national average in the percentage of students who took at least one Advanced Placement exam during high school.
Information released by the College Board, which administers the AP program, found that 27.5 percent of Texas public school students in the Class of 2008 took at least one AP exam while in high school, compared to 25 percent for the nation.
Universities often award course credit to students who earn a score of 3, 4 or 5 on an AP test so a strong performance on these exams can save Texas students thousands of dollars in college tuition costs.
|
District on Texas Border Wins Broad Prize
Source: www.edweek.org
By Dakarai I. Aarons
The Brownsville, Texas, school district was named the winner of the 2008 Broad Prize for Urban Education last week for its progress with an overwhelmingly poor student population.
The Los Angeles-based Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation gives the award annually to a city school district that has made notable strides in improving achievement, especially in closing gaps between students of different racial and ethnic groups. Districts cannot apply or be nominated for the award; 100 urban districts are selected each year by the foundation for eligibility based on their demographics.
|
Texas public schools on Blue Ribbon honor roll
Source: Texas Education Agency
 Serving as models for schools across the nation, 26 Texas public schools selected as 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) were honored at the Texas Association of School Administrators Midwinter Conference. Also recognized were 26 Texas schools that have been nominated for 2009 Blue Ribbon School honors.
The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes outstanding public and private schools that help students excel academically and that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap. For the past 26 years, this prestigious program has honored more than 5,800 of America's most successful elementary, middle and high schools, including almost 500 Texas schools.
Click here to see a list of Texas schools selected and nominated for a Blue Ribbon.
press release |
Communities in Schools: Positive Support Source: Texas Education Agency
 Communities In Schools (CIS) of Texas, a best practices dropout prevention program, annually provides positive support that helps keep almost 90,000 at-risk students in school, a new study found.
The report titled Evaluation of Communities In Schools (CIS) of Texas conducted by ICF International of Fairfax, Va. found that "For middle and high school students, CIS was clearly making a difference. It was common to hear students express how CIS helped them with their attitudes and behaviors both within and outside of school. As a result of CIS, students indicated they were fighting less with parents and peers, making better decisions, taking more responsibility for their actions and accepting the consequences of their actions, doing better in school on homework, grades and even tests and that they understood why going to school was important."
press release |
"Be Proud" fact #4 - Texas says districts are good stewards of tax dollar
More than 97 percent of Texas school districts earned a Superior Rating or Above Standard Rating on the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) for the 2005-06 school year. This rating system considers 21 performance indicators and was instituted by the Texas Legislature to
measure the financial performance of Texas school districts. 
Visit our eStore online to order your free posters today! www.fotps.org/store (small shipping charges apply)
|
|
Test your TAKS readiness The following question is taken from the 11th grade TAKS test.
A certain atom has a nucleus containing six protons and eight neutrons and has six electrons orbiting the nucleus. This atom is a form of the element -
A. silicon
B. carbon
C. magnesium
D. calcium
answer: B. carbon |
|
Bumper stickers now available!
At only $1.00 each, why not buy one for every public education graduate you know?
|
Our Mission The mission of Friends of Texas Public Schools, the leading voice of optimism and hope for our public school family, is to ensure positive and constructive conversation about public schools by educating Texans through honest communication, productive dialogue, and relentless encouragement.
Please share our optimism for public education, pass us along to others.
Friends of Texas Public Schools
Scott Milder, President & Chief Executive
P.O. Box 3526
Harker Heights, Texas 76548
Phone: 214-497-6411
|
|
Visit www.facebook.com and search Friends of Texas Public Schools to join the Group
| |
|
|
|
