Austin school board members meet tonight and they have a lot to talk about. The nine men and women who govern the largest district in Central Texas will get a first glance tonight at how well students in Austin did on the state’s new standardized test – the STAAR exam.
So far, much like the state outcomes, AISD results are mixed. Almost half of high school students failed the writing test. But more than four out of five passed the high school biology test.
Why the big difference? One major reason is this: A passing grade on the writing test is 65 percent. A passing grade in biology is 37 percent.
The state sets those standards and says they’re still working out the kinks as they phase in the new exam. Standards will rise over the next four years.
AISD board members will also hear about Superintendent Meria Carstarphen’s proposed budget for the next school year. They’ll talk about the possibility of an election to raise property taxes. And they’ll hear about school district priorities for the next state legislative session.
Board members will get an update on a proposal to build two single sex middle schools in northeast Austin, as well.
The public portion of the meeting starts at 6:40 and will be streamed on AISD’s website. You can attend the meeting in person at 1111 West Sixth Street. Free parking is available on site. If you miss the meeting and are still interested, a video of it is usually posted to AISD’s YouTube channel within a couple days.
