So far, only four schools, all in San Antonio in 1995, have been placed under state control. Now, Gov. George W. Bush is proposing that students be required to pass the TAAS test before they advance from the third, fifth and eighth grades, which would end so-called social promotions in those grades. Democratic challenger Garry Mauro has attacked the proposal, saying that teachers should dictate who is promoted, not a test. In Tarrant County, the passing rates last spring ranged from 57 percent in Fort Worth to 93 percent in Southlake's Carroll district. Eighth-graders also take science and social studies TAAS tests, but those results are not included in the school ratings.
Critics contend the test narrows what teachers concentrate on in the classroom.
Sandra Blackard of Bedford said that her daughter, a fifth-grader at Meadowcreek Elementary School, lost her enthusiasm for writing because of her frustration at trying to master the TAAS writing formula. It's too predictable. State Rep. Kent Grusendorf, R-Arlington, who serves on the Southern Regional Education Board, said the TAAS should cover a broader curriculum to give a truer picture of how much students are learning. But others say the schools should keep the focus on the basics. That is not to say that is all they should learn, but it defines what's essential.