Seguin ISD Files Due Process Complaint Against TEA

June 2, 2016
Finally! A district has realized the can and must stand up for their students with regard to STAAR assessment. Although this is a limited scope complaint, it marks, to our knowledge, the first formal complaint made against the TEA for accommodation issues relating to STAAR. TPERN salutes the Seguin ISD for taking this long overdue […]

The “Required” Summer School Notice

April 20, 2016
2023 Note: The revisions of HB 4545 eliminated the GPC process.  This article is outdated.  Note, however, that this year Grades 3-8 are not receiving STAAR results until August.  Some schools are attempting to “require” summer school based on predictive results.  This is not allowed.  Only actual failure to meet standards can result in “required” […]

The Summer School “Threat”

April 19, 2016
For 5th and 8th grade students who have received or are about to receive their results, parents commonly hear “if they don’t pass/If they opt out they have to go to summer school.” Please understand, that no school has the authority to tell you that you are going to summer school. By law, accelerated instruction […]

The GPC Process – TEA Flowcharts

April 19, 2016
For parents of 5th and 8th graders who have opted out or failed STAAR, these flow charts show the process for determination of Accelerated Instruction and Promotion/Retention. General Education Students (p. 8 of SSI Manual) Special Education For special education students, the ARD committee acts as the GPC. (p. 27 of SSI manual)

Calhoun County ISD – STAAR Takes Up All March

April 11, 2016
This is as real and honest admission as you will ever see from a district about how STAAR focused their curriculum is. Sad, but true.

No, You Don’t Have to Pass STAAR in 5th or 8th Grade

April 7, 2016
OK, so a mom from Kissam Elementary is being told that passing STAAR is required to go to 6th grade.  Let’s examine how we know this is not true. First, search for the Academic Performance Report for your school from 2014-2015.  It is located here: Academic Performance Report The cover looks like this: Now let’s […]

Texas Children Deserve Better

March 25, 2016
by Jennifer Rumsey March 24, 2016 special to txedrights.net It’s that time again. Time for STAAR testing in Texas. STAAR is the legislatively mandated series of high-stakes tests for public school children in Texas, and it is the most recent and most difficult of several testing program iterations that began in the 1980’s. I have been […]

Houston ISD acknowledges 26.010 Opt Out Rights

March 7, 2016
Fox 26 reporter Andrea Watkins has made real headway in getting school districts on the record about a parent’s right to Opt Out.  In her initial report, Katy ISD Director of Assessment, Alison Matney (who has made inaccurate posts on this website) acknowledged that while there is no process to opt out, parents can just […]

Houston ISD Continues to Mislead Parents

February 22, 2016
Activist parents in Houston ISD rightly celebrated when the HISD Board of Trustees became the first district (to our knowledge) to write Opt Out procedures into their board policies.  Further, the parents succeeded in convincing the board to suspend, at least for this year, the HISD specific policy which made STAAR passage a promotion standard […]

Premier TX School Law Firm: Parents Can Opt Out (and Schools Can Excuse the Absence)

February 19, 2016
For readers of TPERN articles, you will recognize the name Walsh, Anderson.  Walsh, Anderson (now known as Walsh Gallego) is one of the largest (and arguably the most prestigious) education law firms in Texas.  They represent school districts across the state through multiple offices, speak at almost every school conference, and regularly provide guidance to […]

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