Extra Credit

De Zavala Elementary launches revamped lunch menu with healthy, tasty food

Students wearing chef hats and dark blue aprons guided two dignitaries visiting De Zavala Elementary School on Wednesday to prepare a healthy snack with yogurt.

Reading step-by-step directions, the students helped Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price make "Price's Red White and Blue Parfait," featuring layers of yogurt and fruit.

To make a treat named for Fort Worth schools superintendent Walter Dansby, dubbed "Dansby's Delight," students worked with Fort Worth schools district operations chief Art Cavazos.

The event was part of a program celebrating the Food for Thought menu launch, a pilot project at De Zavala Elementary to revamp cafeteria menu offerings to include more healthy fare. It's a joint program of the city of Fort Worth and Fort Worth schools. The Dannon Company, which has a plant in Fort Worth, sponsored the program and donated yogurt to use in menu recipes.

Here's Thursday's Star-Telegram story.(R: Student Melissa Carmone eats lunch. ST photo, Ron T. Ennis)

"We’ve been pushing health for the last two and a half years," said Hector Martinez, De Zavala principal. "Ultimately we want to look at the results of healthier choices and how they lead to better attitudes, better behavior and better academics."  

(R: Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price/ ST Photo Ron T. Ennis).

Here are the recipes for the Food for Thought treats:

Price's Red White and Blue Parfait

6 oz. Dannon nonfat vanilla yogurt
4 strawberries, sliced
1 T blueberries
2 T blackberries
2 T Raisin Bran cereal
In a glass, layer strawberries, then 3 oz. of the yogurt, then add the blackberries. Add remaining 3 oz. of yogurt, then add blueberries. Top with crushed cereal.

Dansby's Delight

6 oz. Dannon nonfat vanilla yogurt
4 strawberries, sliced
1 banana, sliced
2 T Honey Nut Cheerios
In a glass place half the strawberry slices, then layer half of the banana slices, add 1 T of the cereal. Add the remaining yogurt, banana slices and strawberry slices. Top with cereal.

Jessamy Brown

First elected in 1983, Fort Worth ISD trustee TA Sims files for May 11 election

Tuesday update
The last incumbent with a seat up for election on May 11 has filed. No opponents have filed.

On Tuesday, Dr. Theophlous Aron (T.A.) Sims Sr., a pharmacist, filed paperwork seeking another term representing the board's district 4. Sims, 72, was first elected to the board in 1983.

Monday update:
Dr. Carlos Vasquez has filed for the upcoming Fort Worth school board election, scheduled for May 11.  Vasquez, 45, who listed his occupation as an educator, is seeking another term as the board's district 1 representative.

All incumbents except Dr. Theophlous Aron (T.A.) Sims Sr. have filed to retain their seats on the board. And Sims, in a telephone interview on Monday with the Star-Telegram, confirmed that he intends to run for another term in district 4. He expects to file paperwork this week.

The board of education trustees are elected by voters in each of nine districts and serve as single member district representatives. Trustees serve four year terms and are not paid for their service.

Friday update:

Trustee Norman Robbins, 65, has filed for the May 11 election. Robbins, a senior community relations manager, is seeking another term to represent the board's district 7.

So for those keeping track, incumbents in districts 7, 8 and 9 have filed this week.

Original Post:

Two Fort Worth schools trustees on Wednesday filed paperwork to seek another term on the board.

By mid-afternoon on Wednesday, the opening of the campaign filing season for municipal and school board elections, Juan Rangel, 65, a marketing/management consultant, filed in district 9 and Joe Ralph (J.R.) Martinez, 46, a realtor, filed for district 8.

The Fort Worth school board has nine single member districts. Districts, 1, 4, 7, 8 and 9 are up for election on May 11. Members serve four years.

We'll add more trustee filings as they are posted on the school district's website.

Jessamy Brown

Fort Worth schools leaders to get orientation on new student records system

Fort Worth schools officials have created "Focus Leadership Teams" at each campus to help with the transition to a new student information system.

Schools trustees agreed to go forward with a new system to replace the current Connects system. The aim is to have the new system by Florida-based Focus School Software in place by the fall for the 2013-2014 school year, according to a news release on the school district's website. The teams are scheduled to attend an orientation session and an online webinar in February.

Schools officials agreed to change vendors after a series of problems with the Connects student data software system that produced inaccurate transcripts, incomplete grade reports and incorrect attendance records.

The Connects system, by Tyler Technologies, was launched in 2010 and reports soon after began emerging of problems including inaccurate student schedules and disappearing grades.

The Focus system was chosen after "district stakeholders and end-users spent several months interviewing, visiting and evaluating products submitted by top vendors," the release said. The school district also worked with the Center for Educational Leadership and Technology on the project.

Jessamy Brown

Ninth grade passing rates on STAAR tests rise after second attempt

UPDATE:

Ninth graders who failed the STAAR end-of-course standardized tests in their initial go around did better during retakes, the Texas Education Agency announced.

Here's a link to an Associated Press report.

An excerpt: "Students who retook those tests as 10th-graders this year saw their scores in all subject areas improve dramatically, according to Education Commissioner Michael Williams.

The English I writing passing rate jumped from 54.4 percent last spring to 72.6 percent after retesting. English I reading jumped from 67.7 percent to 81.2 percent; world geography climbed to 84.8 percent from 79.7 percent; and 91 percent of students passed biology exams, up from 86.4 percent."

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/01/29/4584930/twice-is-a-charm-ninth-graders.html#storylink=cpy

And here's Tuesday's news release from the Texas Education Agency.

ORIGINAL POST:

The majority of Texas students who took the state’s new standardized exams last year passed it, results show.

Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams released results Tuesday from elementary and middle schoolers who took the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests in spring 2012.

In a news release, Williams said the passing rates for most of the tests were 70 percent or higher. Third and fourth graders posted passing rates of 68 percent on the math test.

And eighth graders posted a 59 percent passing rate on the social studies test. Education officials attributed that to new curriculum content and use of more primary sources in test questions. Eighth graders posted the highest passing percentage on the tests, with 80 percent passing the reading exam.

The new tests are designed to be harder than the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exam. That program is being phased out. (r: 9th grader works in STAAR end of course remedial class in June 2012. ST/Ron Jenkins)

Students took STAAR tests in the same subjects that were tested on the TAKS. For grades 3 through 8, students must take tests in math and reading. Students are also tested in writing at grades 4 and 7, science at grades 5 and 8, and social studies at grade 8.

“I recognize there has been a lot of anxiety surrounding STAAR tests, but I believe these are encouraging passing rates for the first year of a new more rigorous test,” Williams said in a statement. “Clearly, we still have work to do, but I remain optimistic that passing rates will rise this spring in the second administration of the STAAR, just as they have traditionally done in the second year of a new testing program.”

Several greater Tarrant County school districts, including Fort Worth, Mansfield, Arlington and Grapevine-Colleyville, did not release scores for their students on Tuesday. Some officials said administrators want to share the scores with school trustees before releasing the data.

Fort Worth schools officials received the last of their scores from the state on Saturday, said Clint Bond, a spokesman.

“They haven’t been reviewed or analyzed. We just got some of them. The superintendent hasn’t seen them and the board hasn’t seen them,” Bond said.

This year, exam results will be used to create accountability performance ratings for school districts and campuses. No ratings were issued in 2012 as the state made the transition to the new test.

High school students must get a passing average on 15 end-of-course STAAR tests to graduate. There are three exams each in math, science, social studies, reading and writing. This year, ninth and 10th graders took the tests. Other students continue to take the TAKS. Williams has suspended a requirement that the scores count as 15 percent of the course grade.

Jessamy Brown

PBS' Independent Lens to spotlight Texas education board fight over textbooks

UPDATE

"The Revisionaries" documentary is available for viewing online at the PBS Video website through Feb. 27.

On KERA, here are showtimes to watch or record:

• Today: 10 p.m.
• Wednesday: 8 a.m., 2 p.m., 7 p.m.
• Thursday: 12 a.m., 2 a.m.
• Saturday: 11 a.m.

ORIGIONAL POST

The Texas board of education's rancorous debate over textbook standards will be the focus of a TV documentary on PBS this week. Check out the preview:

Watch Witness a Texas Showdown Over Teaching Standards on PBS. See more from Independent Lens.

 

In North Texas, KERA-13 has scheduled the episode of Independent Lens to first air at 10 p.m. on Tuesday night. (By the way, the state school board meets in Austin on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Here's the agenda).

A key player in The Revisionaries is former board president Don McLeroy, described as a "dentist, Sunday school teacher, and avowed young-earth creationist" and the 15-member state board's adoption of new science and history curriculum standards in 2010.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy weighs in here.

The show's backers say that the state board's action is important because decisions about Texas textbooks have a nationwide effect.

"Texas is one of the nation's largest textbook markets because it is one of the few where the state decides what books schools can buy rather than leaving it up to local districts, which means publishers that get their books approved can count on millions of dollars in sales. Further, publishers craft their standard textbooks based on the requirements of the biggest buyers. As a result, the Texas board has the power to shape the textbooks that children around the country read for years to come," according to a post on the PBS website.

But the extent of Texas' influence on publishing has been the subject of debate. The executive director of the Association of American Publishers' school division, Jay Diskey, told the Star-Telegram that the idea that Texas standards will be forced on other states is "really an urban myth in the year 2010."

Former Star-Telegram reporter Traci Shurley wrote on March 20, 2010: "Over the past 15 years, he said, most states have asked or required publishers to align textbooks with their own state standards. Also, digital publishing has allowed the industry to customize books, not only by state but also by district."

Jessamy Brown

Mirabeau B. Lamar Day was a coup for schools

If you can read this post, Texans, thank Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas. 

He championed the Education Act, passed on Jan. 26, 1839, which set the foundation for Texas public schools. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas later designated the date as Mirabeau B. Lamar Day.

Though the 1836 Texas Constitution called for "a general system of education," nothing happened until the Georgia-born Lamar was elected in late 1838 on a vow to get Texas schools up and running.

Texas was cash-strapped but land rich, so Lamar decided to use public domain lands (and their value) to endow education. Each county got three leagues (more than 13,000 acres each) for public schools, and 50 leagues were designated to fund higher education in the new republic.

County schools had received more than 4 million acres of land by the time the State  of Texas switched to a different school funding mechanism.

_Shirley Jinkins

 

Keller, Arlington, N. Crowley school activity sponsors win UIL excellence award

Three area folks who sponsor school music, sports and academic activities are among 16 Texans honored with the UILs Sponsor Excellence Award.

The award recognizes "outstanding sponsors who enable students to develop and refine their extracurricular talents to the highest degree possible within the educational system," according to an announcement on Thursday from the University Interscholastic League in Austin.

Winners get a trophy and $1,000.

2012 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award winners from greater Tarrant County and the write ups about them from UIL's Leaguer publication.

Leigh Ann McClure, Keller Central High School
"For the past 30 years, Leigh Ann McClure has been involved in UIL Solo Ensemble Contest and sight-reading contest. Over the past six years, McClure has lead eight Keller Central High students to a Texas State Solo-Ensemble “Outstanding Performers” rating."

Kay Owens, Arlington Martin High School
"Arlington Martin High School’s music department has reached success in many areas because of Kay Owens’ dedication as a UIL Music sponsor. Owens has been a concert & sight-reading contest and solo-ensemble festival sponsor for 20 years. Each year she directs seven choirs in UIL participation."

Tommy Brakel, North Crowley High School
"Tommy Brakel has served as a boys basketball coach for 19 years and an athletic coordinator for 12 years. Brakel coached North Crowley to a boys basketball state championship in 2008 and he has coached 54 student-athletes who went on to participate in collegiate athletics."

Jessamy Brown

 

New university union at the University of North Texas gains state approval

The University of North Texas in Denton will move forward with plans to expand and renovate the campus University Union. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the project today, according to a news release.

Construction is expected to begin in June. The project is expected to be completed in June 2015.

The expansion and renovation of the University Union will more than double the amount of student organization space provided in the current union, and will provide double the space for student lounges and art galleries.

The new union also will provide more food service and entertainment space, auditorium and meeting space, a larger bookstore, state-of-the-art technology and sustainable design.

Students approved a fee increase last spring to help fund the project.

-Diane Smith

Schools can still sign up to take tours of Stock Show in coming weeks

There are still spaces available for student groups from area schools to take tours at the Fort Worth Stock and Rodeo.

On Wednesday, about 800 students -- all Fort Worth school district second graders -- took tours of the Stock Show, led by teens in high school FFA chapters. The two-hour tours included sights in the barns, a demonstration in the milking parlor, a magic show and visit to the petting zoo. (r: FFA member Lacie DeRojas, of Dawson High School, leads a tour for kids from Dolores Huerta Elementary in Fort Worth).

Classes that want to go through the tours during the second and third week of the Stock Show can call the office at 817-877-2410 to sign up. School buses park free and admission to tour groups is also free, said David Kercheval, who organizes the tours.

Jessamy Brown

Fort Worth students to watch presidential inauguration speech, hold mini ball next week

The presidential inauguration is on Monday but school's out because it's also a federal holiday in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Students at Harlean Beal Elementary School in Fort Worth will observe the inauguration on Friday, Jan. 25, with a Let's Celebrate America! day.

Students in prekindergarten through fifth grade will visit learning stations throughout the campus. The daylong event was planned by former Harlean Beal special education teacher Jackie Taylor, according to a school district news release.

Among the activities during the day, students are expected to watch a recording of President Barack Obama's inaugural speech, participate in a mini-inaugural ball, learn about Air Force One and have a cupcake reception.

After watching the speech, students will stand and recite their Student Pledge of Success.

The name of the school was changed in 1996 from Forest Hill Elementary to honor retired principal Harlean Berry Beal. The principal is Alfreida Colvin.

Jessamy Brown