Extra Credit

STAAR end of course exams won't have to count for 15 percent of grade

Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is deferring the requirement that new End-of-Course exams count as 15 percent of a student's final course grade, he said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

The modification of the requirement is for the 2011-2012 school year, Scott said. The end-of-course exams, known as EOCs, are part of the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) program being implemented this year.

"For this school year, the ultimate decision whether to include end-of-course exam scores as part of course grades will be determined locally by school districts and charter schools," Scott's statement said.

End-of-course exams are in these subjects: Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and U.S. history. Students in ninth grade will be the first to begin taking these exams. Students in grade 10 and higher will continue with the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

Read more in an article by the Texas Tribune here.

Jessamy Brown

Keller ISD official relieved about delay in inclusion of STAAR tests in final grades

After Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott announced today that the TEA would delay including STAAR end of course exam results in final grades for freshmen, Keller ISD Assistant Superintendent Deana Lopez said she was relieved.

The State Legislature had implemented a provision to require that EOC exams would count as 15 percent of a final grade. Earlier this week, State Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano), among others, asked Scott to delay the 15 percent grading component.

"I think that's a wise decision," Lopez said. "It's helpful to students, parents, teachers and districts because of all the kinks and problems."

Keller officials had discussed how the STAAR EOC tests would be incorporated into grades at the Feb. 9 board meeting. Lopez said the process had been very difficult because the flow of information from the TEA was "untimely and inconsistent."

Lawsuit between Carroll and Northwest schools dismissed, official says

An appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit between the Carroll and Northwest school districts over borders, a Northwest schools spokeswoman said Friday.

The move appears to end years of legal wrangling between administrators and their attorneys, who clashed over where the boundary should be set between Southlake-based Carroll schools and Northwest schools, based in far north Fort Worth.

The boundaries will remain unchanged, said Lesley Weaver, Northwest schools spokeswoman. She said district officials hope this ends the dispute.

“The appellate court dismissed it and the families who moved into Northwest ISD will remain in Northwest ISD,” Weaver said. “We are very pleased.”

Carroll school district spokeswoman Julie Thannum wrote in an email to the Star-Telegram that officials are waiting to review the ruling with their attorneys.

In a Thursday judgment from the Second District Court of Appeals in Fort Worth, Justice Lee Ann Dauphinot wrote:

"The court has considered the record on appeal in this case and holds that there was error in the trial court's judgment. We reverse the trial court's order denying Northwest Independent School District's plea to the jurisdiction and render judgment dismissing Carroll Independent School District's claims."

The court also ordered Carroll to pay the costs of the appeal.

The dispute centered on about 840 acres in Trophy Club and Southlake which includes commercial, undeveloped land and residential developments, including high-dollar homes in the Clariden Ranch development.

The disagreement stemmed from a separate boundary dispute between Tarrant and Denton counties. In 2004, state courts moved the county border north, and some 3,500 acres were added to Tarrant County.

Carroll school officials filed a lawsuit in 2005, asserting that their school district boundary should move, too, and be set at the new Tarrant-Denton line, adding the additional property and the students who live there to the district. Northwest officials argued that the disputed land was still their property.

While the matter was in court, students could attend school in either district. About 40 students who live in the disputed territory attend Carroll schools and officials will determine how to handle that matter, Thannum wrote.

Jessamy Brown

In Arlington, more money for language and literacy

Arlington schools are getting a tidy sum to boost student success in one of the ol' three R's.
The district announced today that it has been chosen to receive a $7 million Texas Literacy Initiative grant to improve reading skills among disadvantaged students from birth through age 12.
Using the grant, the district will partner with the Arlington Public Library, Early Childhood Intervention, area hospitals, Child Care Associates, Tarrant County Public Health Nurse Family Partnership, March of Dimes, Region XI Education Service Center and 14 child-care centers.
Schools that feed into Lamar and Sam Houston high schools will be targeted, officials said.

-Patrick M. Walker

Keller teacher/coach featured in documentary

The North Texas premiere of the documentary American Teacher featuring Trinity Springs Middle School teacher and coach Erik Benner will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 25 at Tarrant County College South, 5301 Campus Dr., Fort Worth.

The documentary, produced and directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth and narrated by Matt Damon, is based on the book Teachers Have it Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America’s Teacher. Benner is one of four teachers profiled in the documentary which focuses on the challenging work and low pay of American educators.

 

 

Record number of youth exhibiting at Tarrant County Junior Livestock Show

This year's Tarrant County Junior Livestock Show And Youth Fair has drawn a record number of young people, with 536 youth signed up to exhibit 1,229 livestock and youth fair projects, officials said.

"People want to get involved with something that is kid friendly and family friendly," said Show Secretary Darla Crouch-Reynolds.

The show is Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth. Livestock divisions are: cattle, equine, goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep and swine. Fair divisions are: welding, art, baked goods, crafts, decorated cakes, horticulture, leathercraft, photography, sewing/handwork and pee wee.

Here's a report on the show from the Star-Telegram.

By the numbers:

• 2012: $20,000 in scholarships to be awarded
• 2011: $18,000
• 2010: $11,250
• And, back in 1994: $400

• 2012: 536 exhibitors and 1,229 livestock and fair entries
• 2011: 490 exhibitors and 1,248 entries
• 2010: 456 exhibitors and 1,200 entries
• 2009: 447 exhibitors and 1,083 entries

Jessamy Brown

Source says 5 TCU football players failed drug test, not the 80+ rumored

Five football players from Texas Christian University failed a surprise drug test earlier this month, a source told Star-Telegram sports reporter Stefan Stevenson. Marijuana was the only drug detected and 86 players were cleared.

Arrest warrant affidavits connected to yesterday's drug sweep that netted more than a dozen TCU students quoted players as saying 60 to 82 players had failed the test.  Officials have not released which players failed. Tanner Brock, one of four players arrested in the bust, had told an undercover police officer that he had failed the drug test. In all, 18 people were arrested including 15 TCU students in connection to hand-to-hand drug deals across Fort Worth, police said.

Photo by Star-Telegram/Paul Moseley: TCU Chancellor Victor Boshini, Jr. speaking at a news conference about the drug bust Wednesday.

--Eva-Marie Ayala

Students ready goats at Junior Livestock Show in Fort Worth

Megan Wilson, a Keller High School sophomore, must feed her baby goat Clay using a bottle several times a day.

The two-week old kid's mother, a two-year-old doe named Dixie, got mastitis and won't nurse him anymore. And he didn't do well on formula. So he gets whole cows milk from the supermarket. Megan's sister Hannah, a Keller High senior, has been driving home from school at lunchtime for his noon feeding.

Megan, 15, and Hannah, 18, are members of the Southlake-based Texas Wranglers 4H club, who are exhibiting dairy wethers for the Tarrant County Junior Livestock Show, being held at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth.

The show has drawn a record 536 exhibitors from FFA and 4H clubs, said Darla Crouch-Reynolds, show secretary.

Read a Star-Telegram report about the show.

Jessamy Brown

 

Details of Fort Worth superintendent contract released

Longtime Fort Worth educator Walter Dansby was officially hired as the new schools superintendent Tuesday night. Details of his contract were released this afternoon, spelling out his compensation and duties.

Dansby will make $328,950, the same amount as former superintendent Melody Johnson, who announced her resignation from the district in May after nearly six years here. He also receives the monthly $600 car and $60 cellphone allowances she had.

In her contract, Johnson had received an annual bonus that paid for credits in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, worth $45,185.40 a year. Though she had spent much of her career in Texas, she had also spent time elsewhere and was previously superintendent of the Providence, RI., schools.

Dansby, who has spent 38 years in the Fort Worth school district, does not have that same credit built in his contract as he did not need to buy retirement credits in the state system. Instead if his evaluation meets or exceeds expectations, Dansby will receive an annual retention bonus of $10,000 to go toward a life insurance policy, annuity policy, mutual fund or any combination of the three.

The contract also notes that to date, Dansby has 101 unused vacation and personal days, which may be accrued in full. However, any further unused vacation or personal leave days accrued as superintendent are limited to a maximum of 33 days.

Here are the top base salaries for Texas superintendents in the 2010-11 school year, which does not include other perks, such as retirement benefits, bonuses or car allowances.

District            Superintendent            Salary

Beaumont        Carrol A. Thomas            $347,834

Alief                Louis B. Stoerner            $345,943

Dallas               Michael Hinojosa            $332,832

Fort Worth        Melody Johnson            $328,950

Spring Branch    Duncan F. Klussmann    $309,400

Houston            Terry Grier                    $300,000

North East        Richard Middleton          $297,105

Cypress-Fairbanks    David Anthony        $292,736

Plano                Douglas Otto                $291,717

Austin            Meria Carstarphen         $283,412

Source: Texas Education Agency

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Actress Irma Hall to speak to Fort Worth film and drama students

Texas native Irma Hall will address film and drama students participating in a workshop in Fort Worth next week, officials said Wednesday.

Hall has appeared in numerous films, including "The Ladykillers," "Patch Adams," "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and "Meet the Browns" and the TV series "Soul Food."

Hall will be the speaker at a luncheon at the 19th annual Film Institute sponsored by the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. The Feb. 25 event at the Colonial Country Club will cover acting training, fashion show production, film production, directing, camera operation, staging and lighting.

Hall and Tre Garrett, artistic director at Jubilee Theatre, will be given the organization's Rising Star Award, said Gwen Barbee, Film Institute Director.

The deadline to sign up is Feb. 22. The cost is $75 and includes continental breakfast and lunch. Call 817-572-3633 for details.

Jessamy Brown