No school means not taking TAKS; Test will be waiting when students return after weather closings

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 25A The weather has done what a million hopeful students could not: stop the TAKS test. Temporarily, at least. Tuesday was supposed to be the debut of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills in Texas – and across much of the state, it was. But more than 100 […]

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It’s TAKS time for schools; State estimates say tougher test could mean many failures

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A A new hurdle to high school graduation goes up on Tuesday. That’s the day 11th-graders will take the first Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. State estimates say almost 150,000 of them could fail the test. Starting next school year, students will be required to pass it to […]

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NBA’s Robinson builds legacy off the court in San Antonio; Spurs star is giving minorities, poor an elite education at his school

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A One in an occasional series SAN ANTONIO – David Robinson looms large wherever he goes. Being a 7-foot-1-inch multimillionaire and one of the most famous centers in basketball history will do that to a man. But to an 8-year-old getting a world-class education because of his generosity, he’s […]

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Plan targets kids with weak English; Schools face action if tests show they lag behind fluent classmates

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 19A It can be easy for children who can’t speak English to get pushed to a school’s margins. Texas’ new federal accountability system will make that a lot more difficult. The new system, partially unveiled last week, puts unprecedented pressure on schools to look after students whose command of […]

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Report: After-school programs don’t help kids much; Bush requests 40% cut in funding; supporters say more time needed

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 12A After-school programs – touted as a way to bring up test scores and keep children out of trouble – do little to help kids academically, according to a new federal study released Monday. They might even encourage bad behavior. Partially as a result of the study’s findings, the […]

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Teachers adjusting lesson plans; Challenge will lie in helping students comprehend loss

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 7A When Columbia fell out of the sky Saturday morning, the spirits of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch fell with it. The West Texas ranch has been taking in at-risk children since 1939, and Amarillo native Rick Husband volunteered to carry one of the school’s banners into space when he […]

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Re-entries are usually tranquil; Despite extreme speeds, fiery conditions outside, cockpit a place of calm

By Sherry Jacobson Staff Writer Page 12M When it works the way it’s supposed to, re-entering Earth’s atmosphere is a quiet, even humbling experience for crew members aboard a U.S. space shuttle. The long work of a shuttle mission is behind them, their objectives have been accomplished, and it’s time to go home. Crew members […]

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