Dear friends and supporters,

I hope you have enjoyed wonderful family time this summer. My husband and I took our three boys to Maine in June and had a very active, fun-filled vacation with my brother’s family from Atlanta. Acadia National Park is gorgeous and one can’t help but be filled with awe at what our Creator has done!

There is a lot to tell you since the State Board has not met since February. During these past months I have been busy working on education issues, especially during the legislative session and as a member of the Commission for College Ready Texas, but it will be nice to meet as a full Board again. We do not know who our new SBOE chairman will be. Please pray for Gov. Perry to have wisdom as he makes this important decision. I am delighted that Robert Scott, Chief Deputy Commissioner of Education, will be actively involved in the meetings. He is a fine person and a true leader in education.

Here is a description of some of the items that are on the July agenda for our 3-day meeting. To see a complete copy, go to the Texas Education Agency website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us. The agenda is posted under “State Board of Education and Commissioner” (on the left). After that screen appears, click on “Meeting Schedule and Agendas” (on the right).

We have so much to cover this month that the agenda has been divided into two days: Wednesday and Thursday.

1.    Commission for a College Ready Texas (CCRT) Update: This item provides the committee the opportunity to hear information on the activities of the newly formed Commission for a College Ready Texas (CCRT). SBOE member, Barbara Cargill, is a member of the CCRT and will present this item. Cyndie Schmeiser, president of the education division of ACT Inc., and Eric Rolfthus from Edvance Research, Inc. have been invited to make a presentation to the board. (Being appointed by the governor to this commission was an honor and it has been a privilege to work with many fine people from across our state. We have met three times already in Austin and in Houston and will meet two more times this summer in Dallas and San Antonio. September meetings will occur in Harlingen and in Austin. The public is welcome to come and give input. See the dates below under “Other Happenings”. At our Commission meetings we have already heard from several experts. I have invited two of them to come and give their presentations to the State Board as well. Cyndie Schmieser’s presentation was very informative, and I felt the SBOE would benefit greatly from hearing current data about aligning postsecondary expectations and high school practice and why there is a gap between the two. The other speaker is Eric Rolfthus and the SBOE will greatly appreciate hearing his presentation about college readiness and reading proficiency. The other CCRT members are dedicated to improving education in our state by helping high school students become more prepared for college or the workplace. There are also 40 educators hard at work on this issue and they report their findings to the CCRT. After the Commission listens to public and expert input about college readiness, they will prepare a final report about college readiness and vertical alignment. It will provide recommendations for state policy that the State Board will carefully examine. It is the ultimate authority of the SBOE to identify college readiness, so the hard work of the CCRT will play a vital role in this process.)

2.    Discussion of Legislation Regarding the Adoption of Instructional Materials: This item provides an opportunity to discuss changes in legislation that impact instructional materials.

3.    Discussion of Proposed Cycle for the Adoption of Instructional Materials: The Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 31, requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to adopt a review and adoption cycle for textbooks for elementary grade levels, including prekindergarten and secondary grade levels for each subject in the required curriculum. Section 13.04, Chapter 5, Acts of the 79th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, 2005 indicated that the legislature will implement reforms to the system by which the state and school districts procure and purchase textbooks and that the State Board of Education should forgo the issuance of proclamations. Proclamation 2006 was not issued. This item will provide the Board an opportunity to discuss the review and adoption cycle in light of new legislation.

4.    Discussion of Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 66, State Adoption and Distribution of Instructional Materials: In February 2007, the SBOE discussed options regarding the review of ancillary materials. The Board requested that language that includes a definition of ancillaries and the review process be presented to provide board members the opportunity to review, discuss, and approve needed amendments. Contingent upon legislative changes to the instructional materials review and adoption process, additional changes may be required in 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 66, Subchapter A, General Provisions, Subchapter B, State Adoption of Instructional Materials, and Subchapter C, Local Operations.

5.    Discussion of Frequently Asked Questions Regarding 4 x 4 Graduation Requirements: This item provides the opportunity for the committee to discuss frequently asked questions regarding the 4 x 4 (4th year of math and science) graduation requirements and provide guidance to staff regarding the intent of the rules adopted under 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter F, Graduation Requirements, Beginning with Freshmen, School Year 2007-2008.

6.    Discussion of Criteria for Electronic Courses provided through a State Virtual School Network: This item provides an opportunity to discuss legislation, if passed, that establishes a state virtual school network and directs the State Board of Education (SBOE) by rule to establish objective standard criteria for quality of an electronic course. That criteria must ensure alignment with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements identified or content requirements established under Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 28, Subchapter A, §28.002. (I will evaluate this very closely. Any electronic courses offered in Texas must be rigorous and of high quality for our students.)

7.    Legislation Update: This item will provide an update on legislation passed by the 80th Texas Legislature during the regular session. (For those of you with questions about the End-of-Course exams, this is where we will learn more about the bill. Look under “Other Happenings” for a few facts about the EOC exams. In my next newsletter I will let you know more about these exams.)

Thursday, July 19: We have been informed that Governor Perry will meet with the SBOE briefly before our Thursday meeting begins. I look forward to greeting the governor and greatly appreciate his time and effort in coming to visit with us. I also want to thank the governor and his staff for reaching out and showing great interest in the ELAR TEKS revision process! (See item # 3 below.)

1. Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter C, Other Provisions, §74.32, Physical Activity Programs for Students in Kindergarten-Grade 8: This item provides the opportunity for the committee to discuss the SBOE rule relating to physical activity programs for students in K-Grade 8. Initially, consideration was being given to revising language to allow students who are exempted by the school district from the physical activity requirements for participation in private or commercially-sponsored physical activities to be dismissed from part of the school day to participate in those activities. However, recent legislation passed by the 80th Texas Legislature warrants further discussion of the rule. Statutory authority for this item is Section 74.32 was initially adopted under the Texas Education Code §28.002(1); however, Senate Bill 530 amended this statute removing SBOE authority for this rule. (You may remember how hard I worked on this issue this spring to allow students to continue early dismissal when they take advantage of wonderful off-campus physical activities. One of my own sons enjoyed participating in a private golf program for a semester when he was in 8th grade. Now the issue will be discussed again due to legislation passed during the 2007 legislative session.)

2. Discussion of Process for Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Review: This item provides the opportunity for the committee to discuss the process for review of the Science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. (Between February and May, I heard from many science teachers in District 8 who wanted to serve on either a science TEKS committee to revise science curriculum standards for grades K-12 or to serve on a committees that will develop the new Engineering course or the new Earth and Space Science course for Texas students. Thank you to all of the educators and professionals who contacted me, all willing to give of their time and expertise for our children’s sake! I interviewed each person individually and sent in over 20 names to TEA. Each person who I nominated would be a valuable asset to a science committee. Now we are all anxiously awaiting the final decisions on who will serve!)

3. Discussion of Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School: This item provides the opportunity for the SBOE to discuss proposed amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School. The proposed amendments would revise English Language Arts and Reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Statutory authority is Texas Education Code (TEC), §§7.102, 28.002, and 28.025. (You have seen my thoughts on the importance of this process in my last several newsletters—it is a long but important process, so hang in there with me. The revision of the English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) TEKS is the foundation for all of the other core subjects, so it is of utmost importance that these curriculum standards are specific, grade-level appropriate, measurable, etc. There is a panel of eight experts that will be evaluating what the master teacher teams have written for the new TEKS—we have hear from four of the experts so far; hopefully the other four reviews will come soon. Also, the Commission for College Ready Texas will be carefully looking at the revised ELAR TEKS and providing their own analysis. In other words, will the secondary ELAR TEKS prepare our students for college-level English classes or not? This entire combined process has the potential to bring about much positive change for our students! Remember how low our 2006 Texas students scored on the SAT multiple-choice grammar section (we ranked 37th) and on the essay section (we ranked 44th)? Should I mention the ACT scores? For the graduating Class of 2006, 36 states had higher multiple-choice grammar scores on the ACT than did Texas students and 43 states had higher essay scores. On the writing section, Texas students scored 20.4 on the grammar part; the national average was 22.4. This was a two point deficit on a test which has 36 total points. The time for change has come, and the best place to start is with the ELAR curriculum standards. It is worth it for our kids, and I will continue to fight for their improvement.)

· The purpose of the CCRT meetings: Those of us on the Commission for College Ready Texas have been asked to communicate with business and community members, parents, and other citizens about their expectations for college readiness for our students. I would also like to hear from current college students concerning what they feel they needed to succeed in entry-level classes. Please respond to me by e-mail at sboecargill@sbcglobal.net. I value your thoughts!

Please contact me at sboecargill@sbcglobal.net if you would like to invite me to visit your school or club meeting. If it is a speaking engagement, we will have lively discussions about the TAKS test, future EOC exams, textbooks, the TEKS (state curriculum standards), technology and other current education issues!

Elementary Math Textbooks!!

Coming SOON to a Selection Committee near You!!

June 11-15 brought about a frenzy of activity in Austin! Elementary math textbooks were on the hot-seat!! I was honored to be a part of the group of educators asked to review the materials. The week reminded me of childbirth -- it wore me out, but, in the end I was happy I'd done it.

Many of Texas' best-of-the-best in the education business were in Austin to examine what publishers submitted for consideration for K-2 Math adoption by the state. Our mission was to go over the books and any other additional materials with a fine tooth comb while checking for (1) factual errors/editorial changes needed and (2) TEKS correlation. The publishers' goal was to make 100% TEKS coverage to have their product(s) placed on the "conforming" list.

This was not easy, especially with the caliber of teachers assigned the task. No one took this assignment lightly and saw to it that publishers made sincere efforts to present quality textbooks and materials and that they all met the required TEKS compliance via solid representation. It was hard for us to let some TEKS be deemed as "covered" when there was only a mere mention or just the minimum 3 activities/items addressing the TEKS breakouts. This was a point of frustration, but, if not satisfied, each member pushed their publisher's writers/editors until that particular TEKS was at least referred to for the minimum 3 times.

Texas' teachers need to be ready to implement the same rigorous standards to see which series on the conforming list is right for individual districts. And please, please remember, even though the TEKS are the said 100% covered, nothing on the printed page takes the place of the heart, mind and soul of each teacher -- the gifted individuals who are touching the lives of our little Texans in each classroom in our state each school day. Helping those little minds wrap around the big ideas of how numbers work is a calling, not a publishing requirement. Go get 'em, educators!! (Now do you see why I nominated this teacher? She has done a fantastic job working on the math books in Austin, volunteering her time and her wisdom. Most importantly, she will continue to touch the lives of students in her classroom.)