According to the WDL and AP, Texas high school students could see an end to the dreaded TAKS test soon.
Texas moved a step closer Thursday to replacing its high-stakes test with end-of-course exams in high school.
The state Senate Education Committee unanimously approved a bill that would revamp the way student learning is measured in the upper grades; elementary and middle school students would still take the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, which has long been criticized for putting too much emphasis on a single assessment and forcing teachers to tailor their instruction to a single exam.
High school students must currently pass the TAKS in English, math, social science and science to graduate. Under the new system, students would have to earn a cumulative score of 840 on 12 standardized end exams – which averages out to a score of 70 per test, but high scores on one exam could compensate for lower scores on another.
