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Friday, May 30, 1997

TAAS scores improve for third year, except in social studies

By PEGGY FIKAC / Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN (AP) - State Education Commissioner Mike Moses thanked Texas students Thursday as he announced they've made gains on the statewide academic skills test for the third year in a row.

"The students are the ones who take the test, and the students have applied themselves and have shown improvement, and I appreciate their efforts," Moses said.

Social studies was the only area in which student performance was lower than last year, according to results of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills administered April 29-May 2 in grades three through eight. Social studies is tested in the eighth grade.

Students made strides overall on reading and math tests, given in grades three through eight; writing, given in grades four and eight; and science, which students take in the eighth grade.

In those subjects, students improved over last year's performance in every group and grade level except one. Black fourth-graders' passing rate stayed the same in writing, at 76 percent.

"Texas students still have room to grow, but ... trend lines continue to look good," Moses said.

Teachers have focused on areas in which students have been weak academically, said Moses, who also praised other school staff, administrators and parents.

"This is a partnership between the home and the school. The parent plays the most vital role in encouraging the child to do well," he said.

A total of 1.6 million students in grades three through eight were tested this year. That's 100,000 more than the 1.5 million tested in 1996. Students can be exempted from the TAAS if their English is limited or if they are enrolled in special education programs. Exemptions decreased in both areas, and fewer students were absent on TAAS testing days.

Gains by minority students exceeded those by white students in a number of areas, heartening officials who have been concerned about a performance gap between student groups.

Test scores on the TAAS are the backbone of the state's accountability system for schools, which also uses dropout and attendance rates to assess performance. School rankings will be released later this year.

Moses particularly praised this year's results in math, where students overall in the various grades have posted gains ranging from 19 to 24 percentage points since 1994. Math gains since last year range from 4 to 9 percentage points.

He said he hoped to see the same kind of improvement in reading, an area emphasized by state officials including Gov. George W. Bush.

As for social studies, Moses noted that this is only the second year that test was given. He added that officials are looking into the results.

The test includes Texas and American history. Moses said he has heard from one parent whose son hadn't studied Texas history because the family recently moved to the state. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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