Bob Dart
Cox News Service
WASHINGTON -- A child born in Texas has less of a chance at achieving academic and economic success than a child born in almost any other state, an analysis released Wednesday by an educational research group found.
In its "Chance for Success Index," Texas ranked 48th among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center reported. Only Arizona, Louisiana and New Mexico ranked lower. Texas Education Agency Spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said the state is ranked highly nationwide in academic performance and accountability, according to Quality Counts, a report published by the same Bethesda, Md.-based think tank.
Texas is ranked ninth in standards, assessments and accountability, according to the Education Research Center. In educational alignment -- which pertains to work force, post-secondary and college readiness -- the state ranked 11th. And in elmentary and secondary academic performance, the state came in 16th, Marchman said. Marchman said the state gauges student success based on academic achievement instead of family income.
"We don't think gauging a students' parents is the way to determine the success of a child. We think gauging academic achievements of the student is the way to gauge success," Marchman said. "We realize we have kids who come from low-income situations. We realize we have families who don't necessarily speak English in the home, but it's our job to educate those students. "We feel like a better educated student can go back and bring information and education to the family," Marchman added.
Virginia's children had the best chance to succeed of those in any state, said the report, "From Cradle to Career: Connecting American Education From Birth to Adulthood."
But the findings are not an indictment of Texas public schools, stressed Christopher Swanson, director of the research center and author of the report. Indeed, he said the state's educational system is improving rapidly and doing a good job offsetting many other factors outside the classrooms.
Full Report at: http://www2.edweek.org/rc/
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