So do parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents and business owners. The type of testing that's just taking hold in Colorado permeates the culture in the Lone Star State. Schools hold pep rallies with pompon-waving cheerleaders to motivate kids to do well on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, the annual statewide test given to most students. School principals have shaved their heads or bungee-jumped from school roofs as a way to honor students for a job welldone. Marquees at businesses celebrate the success of nearby schools with words of praise.
High ratings can mean bonuses for schools and teachers.
Conversely, the career of a teacher or principal can be damaged if a school is labeled low performing, one of four ratings Texas schools can receive. And if high school students don't pass the test, they don't graduate. Success or failure can make or break a community. But if it's low performing, it's like a tragedy in the family. Texas is one of the leading states in education reform and has received numerous accolades because its students have made big strides on the TAAS tests over the past decade.