Archive for May, 2007
No change to the top ten percent rule
Excellent! MySA.com: Metro | State AUSTIN — In a surprise move, the Texas House shot down a bill Sunday night that would have limited automatic admissions at the University of Texas at Austin for students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class. A cheer went up in the chamber with the final vote, [...]
The best money can buy
Agreement reached on top 10 percent law | Postcards from the Lege House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on changes to a 10-year-old college-admission law. Under Senate Bill 101, which still needs approval today from the full House and Senate, the University of Texas would no longer be required to accept all applicants who [...]
If they request it, you shall provide it
MySA.com: Politics AUSTIN — After a bill to teach Bible classes to high school students easily gained approval from the Senate on Wednesday, lawmakers immediately disagreed on whether the measure would make the courses mandatory. Legislative leaders were not sure whether school districts would be obligated to offer the religion studies course if 15 or [...]
An argument for education reform?
MySA.com: Metro | State Lindsey Fernandez, a senior at Natalia High School, said she felt like an outsider when told she wouldn’t be allowed to graduate with the rest of her classmates because she failed the TAKS science portion. “Graduation is a big part of my life,” said Fernandez, a self-described “A” and “B” student. [...]
And this is going to be a fair process because?
MySA.com: Metro | State AUSTIN — A proposal touted by Gov. Rick Perry to boost university funding based on graduation rates is getting a new push from some leaders who worry he may veto a big swath of the higher education budget unless he gets some reforms he wants. And people complain about how unfair [...]
Spring football camps
Spring high school football camps have started here in Texas. As far as I can tell, if you expect to play in the fall, you better be at the camps in the spring. They even “ask” promising eighth graders to join the spring camps so that they will have a head start on the fall. [...]
Where are they going to go?
This is a good idea. MySA.com: Metro | State Under UTSA’s proposal, guaranteed admission for top-ranked high school students would expand from the top 10 percent to the top 25 percent. Below that threshold, students would have to score from 920-1020 on the SAT, up from the current range of 830-970; on the ACT, that [...]
Scholarship opportunity
So you aren’t stuck blogging. MySA.com: KENS 5: Education The local chapter of the Association of Hispanic Journalists is accepting applications for 2007 scholarships. Scholarships up to $5,000 are available for San Antonio and Bexar County minority college students pursuing a career in the communications industry. Applications are available at www.saahj.org or by calling (210) [...]
But $200 million would be too expensive
House OKs plan to suspend gas tax for summer | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle The Texas House tentatively adopted a measure today that would suspend the state’s 20-cent gas tax through the summer months. That would mean an immediate 20-cent drop in the price per gallon. House OKs plan to suspend gas tax for summer [...]
It’s more than I expected
Without ever showing how the top ten percent rule was hurting the University of Texas at Austin, UT President Bill Powers managed to get a cap on the number of admissions. Top 10-percenters may face UT admission limit | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle After admitting half of its 2008 freshman class under the top 10 [...]