Press Release - July 9, 2009 - Texas Leads Nation with Modified Education Standards

Press Release - July 6, 2009

Texas Leads Nation with Modified Education Standards

San Antonio, Tex. – Last week the U.S. Department of Education announced Texas was the first state to receive approval for its modified academic standards for reading/English language arts, mathematics and science curriculums.

These alternative assessments, Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills-Alternate (TAKS-Alt) and TAKS-Modified (TAKS-M), will be used to conclude whether students within special education programs are meeting performance goals as outlined by No Child Left Behind. Additionally, federal ratings will partially be determined by the subsequent results of these new TAKS test variations.

Rick Agosto, District 3 State Board of Education Representative, is confident these new standards will help districts to accurately assess the cognitive abilities of students with disabilities. “At no fault of the teachers or administrators, the needs of students who require special instruction and learning environments are often not accurately addressed,” Agosto said. “Our schools are stepping up to that challenge, and we are hopeful these modified objectives will aid in more accurately defining and achieving grade level academic milestones for these students.”

The Texas Education Agency Web site will release preliminary Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results for individual schools and districts on August 6. The AYP results will be based on reading/ELA and mathematics results for grades 3–8 and 10 from the TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), TAKS–M and TAKS–Alt assessments.

About Rick Agosto, State Board of Education Representative, District 3
Rick Agosto is President and CEO of Aureus Partners, Inc., a financial sales and marketing firm for institutional investment companies. Currently a freshman representative, Agosto was elected by his peers to sit as Vice Chair to the School Finance/Permanent School Fund Committee. Prior to accepting his seat on the State Board of Education, Agosto was actively involved within San Antonio’s education community as a member of the San Antonio Greater Chamber of Commerce’s education committee.