Useful Links Related to Education
Our BLOG
Here is a link to our blog, Education for the 21st Century, which is
hosted on the Blogger website.
The Texas Ascendant blog supports the Texas Ascendancy Project
, found here in this website. The Plano Parents blog supports
education in Plano, Texas.
NCTM
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has a set of
standards you can read online. You can compare the national
standards to the math goals in the TEKS (see below).
The TEKS
Texas has a state curriculum described by the "Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills" (TEKS). Parents can view the state
curriculum at this Texas Education Agency web page: Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
To truly assess a curriculum, one needs to consider the
educational aims or goals of the curriculum. The Texas Education
Agency has published its mission and goals in this document:
Mission, Goals, and Objectives for Texas Public Education
These objectives are part of the Code of Education.
The TAKS: Viewing and Downloading the Test
Parents can view and also download TAKS tests given in previous
years. The files are in PDF format so you can print them. You
can use them to help tutor your children by giving them old tests
and coaching them on their weaknesses because you can also
download the answer keys. The files can be big, so you need a
DSL or broadband connection to access these files.
If you are curious about the tests or you have doubts about the
tests, you should look at the tests yourself. I have heard parents
say things about the test that are untrue, and I am sure some
critics of the test have not looked at the test.
When is the TAKS Test?
Click here for the TAKS testing schedule. Watch out! The
reading and writing tests in grades 3, 4, and 5 happen earlier than
you might expect.
The TAKS: Viewing School Results
You can check on the TAKS scores of a school by clicking on this
link for 2007 results, this link for 2006 results, and this link for
2005 results. It will take you to a form at the TEA site where you
click a button labeled "Select District Name." Then you enter the
district name, Everman or Plano e.g., and hit "Continue". If the link
has been moved or the lastest results are not yet on this page,
then (1) go to the TEA site. Select "Accountability" on the left hand
navigation bars. (2) Select "Accountability Ratings" on the page
that appears (2nd from top). (3) Select 2006 ratings on the nav
bar at the left. (4) Finally, select "List Ratings by District", on the
top of the new page.
The Principal of Everman H.S. was fired in August 2006 for
discussing their TAKS results. Their reason for failing is
highlighted in orange in the TEA report.
News Sites Related to Education
EducationNews.org
Education
Here is a link to a paper by Patrick Suppes on The Aims of
Education. The community and the schools must be committed to
the same aims of education for the educational experience of the
children to be fully successful. Reading the paper by Suppes
helps one appreciate the difficulty of establishing goals for
education by selecting from a wealth of worthy ideals to a narrow
range of ideals to implement.
The Philosophy of Education Society is a source of ideas for
education.
Free Online Education
The Dallas Morning News had an interesting article in the January
7, 2008 issue: "Public School in Virtual Privacy" by Karen Ayres
Smith. The article was about the Texas Virtual Academy. It is a
charter school, but online. This allows permits home schooling
while getting the support of a charter school.
Links on Community Building
Good schools depend upon good families and good communities.
The Search Institute in Minneapolis is a good resource for
community building.
The Timeless Way Institute recommends the Six Maxims of Ming
and Wang Yangming's Community Compact to strengthen
communities.
Our BLOG
Here is a link to our blog, Education for the 21st Century, which is
hosted on the Blogger website.
The Texas Ascendant blog supports the Texas Ascendancy Project
, found here in this website. The Plano Parents blog supports
education in Plano, Texas.
NCTM
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has a set of
standards you can read online. You can compare the national
standards to the math goals in the TEKS (see below).
The TEKS
Texas has a state curriculum described by the "Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills" (TEKS). Parents can view the state
curriculum at this Texas Education Agency web page: Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
To truly assess a curriculum, one needs to consider the
educational aims or goals of the curriculum. The Texas Education
Agency has published its mission and goals in this document:
Mission, Goals, and Objectives for Texas Public Education
These objectives are part of the Code of Education.
The TAKS: Viewing and Downloading the Test
Parents can view and also download TAKS tests given in previous
years. The files are in PDF format so you can print them. You
can use them to help tutor your children by giving them old tests
and coaching them on their weaknesses because you can also
download the answer keys. The files can be big, so you need a
DSL or broadband connection to access these files.
If you are curious about the tests or you have doubts about the
tests, you should look at the tests yourself. I have heard parents
say things about the test that are untrue, and I am sure some
critics of the test have not looked at the test.
When is the TAKS Test?
Click here for the TAKS testing schedule. Watch out! The
reading and writing tests in grades 3, 4, and 5 happen earlier than
you might expect.
The TAKS: Viewing School Results
You can check on the TAKS scores of a school by clicking on this
link for 2007 results, this link for 2006 results, and this link for
2005 results. It will take you to a form at the TEA site where you
click a button labeled "Select District Name." Then you enter the
district name, Everman or Plano e.g., and hit "Continue". If the link
has been moved or the lastest results are not yet on this page,
then (1) go to the TEA site. Select "Accountability" on the left hand
navigation bars. (2) Select "Accountability Ratings" on the page
that appears (2nd from top). (3) Select 2006 ratings on the nav
bar at the left. (4) Finally, select "List Ratings by District", on the
top of the new page.
The Principal of Everman H.S. was fired in August 2006 for
discussing their TAKS results. Their reason for failing is
highlighted in orange in the TEA report.
News Sites Related to Education
EducationNews.org
Education
Here is a link to a paper by Patrick Suppes on The Aims of
Education. The community and the schools must be committed to
the same aims of education for the educational experience of the
children to be fully successful. Reading the paper by Suppes
helps one appreciate the difficulty of establishing goals for
education by selecting from a wealth of worthy ideals to a narrow
range of ideals to implement.
The Philosophy of Education Society is a source of ideas for
education.
Free Online Education
The Dallas Morning News had an interesting article in the January
7, 2008 issue: "Public School in Virtual Privacy" by Karen Ayres
Smith. The article was about the Texas Virtual Academy. It is a
charter school, but online. This allows permits home schooling
while getting the support of a charter school.
Links on Community Building
Good schools depend upon good families and good communities.
The Search Institute in Minneapolis is a good resource for
community building.
The Timeless Way Institute recommends the Six Maxims of Ming
and Wang Yangming's Community Compact to strengthen
communities.
Timeless Way Foundation
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Copyright © 2007-2008 Robert Canright