House May Ease Graduation Requirements
The Texas House will take a final vote today on a bill that would ease graduation requirements for Texas students. Starting next year, high school students are required to take a total of 12 end-of-course exams called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), and they have to pass the exams in order to graduate. In the bill the House will vote on today, high school students will have to pass fewer of the new state exams in order to graduate.
The Associated Press has more:
The measure would change a requirement that a series of end-of-course tests count 15 percent of a student's grade and toward graduation requirements. But, the House agreed to allow school districts to determine how much test scores would count toward the student's final grade. Students would be required to pass four of the 12 end-of-course exams — including in algebra II and English III — to graduate.
Texas Relays in Full Swing
Today is the second day of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on the UT campus. High school and college track and field athletes from across the country will compete in the Texas Relays, which is expected to bring around 40,000 people to Austin. The meet is free to watch today; as for Friday and Saturday, you can buy tickets at the Mike A. Myers Stadium or online.
City of Austin Holds Urban Rail Meetings
Today the City is holding two open house meetings for the public to learn about and comment on the proposed Central Austin transit system. The proposed Urban Rail project is a rail system that would connect key activity areas within Central Austin, like The University of Texas campus, the State Capitol Complex, the central business district, Mueller Transit-Oriented Redevelopment and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, to each other.
One open house meeting will be held today from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the AT&T Center. Another will be today from 5-8 p.m. at the Carver Museum.