VOL 2 No. 46
Phone: 281-980-6745
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Festival of Lights at Telfair Nikita Kanora earns Telfair Indian American Cultural Association organized the Indian American Festival of Lights in Telfair, a Sugar Land community, on Oct. 31 at Cornerstone Elementary School. The festival was inaugurated by D. K. Sharma, Deputy Consul General of India-Houston and special guests included Sugar Land Police Chief Doug Brinkley, Cornerstone Elementary School Principal Chris Winans and Sugar Land Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Steve Griffith. A crowd of more than 900 took part in the festivities. A high wattage cultural show followed the inauguration and was a huge hit with the audience. One of the highlights of the show was the Michael Jackson song “We are the World” performed by more than 40 kids from Cornerstone Elementary Choir under the direction of Mrs. Mosher. This well-known song speaks to the children of the world as the hope and future of the World. The children perform in the choir, left; and, below, they pose for a picture after the show.
Perfect SAT Score
Fort Bend ISD’s Travis High School junior, Nikita Kanora, earned a perfect score of 2400 on her SAT Reasoning Test, scoring 800 points in all three sections of the test (including math, critical reading, and writing). This was her first attempt at taking the test. Nikita serves as a Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Ambassador, a tutor for the Fort Bend Literacy Council, vice president of her school’s Spanish National Honor Society and of the Debate Club, a member of Youth Expanding Services and the Science Olympiad Team, and
Kanora treasurer of the math honor society, Mu Alpha Theta.
FBISD students win Concerto Competition
FBISD flunks “grading” test By SESHADRI KUMAR When and where does a zero equal 50? This mathematical puzzle can occur in the progress report of a student in Fort Bend ISD if the student scores 49 or less in a given grading period. The revised school board policy under the topic Academic achievement — Grading/progress reports to parents reads: The district shall record a 50 in the permanent cumulative record for any average numerical grade that is lower than 50. As desired by the school board, the administration has reinstated language requiring a minimum grade of 50 as a permanent grade in the grading policy, though it is contrary to the Texas Association of School Board’s recommendation and is in defiance of Senate Bill 2033 adopted in the 81st Texas Legislature. Fort Bend ISD board of trustees last week authorized the district to join in litigation regarding Senate Bill 2033 which prohibits the policy of awarding a minimum grade of 50 even if the student scores less. Since the conclusion of the legislative session, the impact of this bill has been under dispute. Some argue that the bill prohibits districts from requiring teachers to assign a minimum grade only for daily assignments and exams and not for report cards. That seems to be the position of FBISD as well. The author of the bill, State Sen. Jane Nelson, and the Texas Education Agency, on
the other hand, say that the prohibition applies to an entire grading period (i.e., teachers cannot be required to award a minimum six weeks grade, irrespective of the quality of the student’s work).
TEA Letter TEA Commissioner Robert Scott on Oct. 16 sent an advisory to school districts with his interpretation of SB 2033. The letter said: “A district grading policy must require a classroom teacher to assign a grade that reflects the student’s relative mastery of an assignment; may not require a classroom teacher to assign a minimum grade for an assignment without regard to the student’s quality of work; and may allow a student a reasonable opportunity to make up or redo a class assignment or examination for which the student received a failing grade. “TEA understands this legislation to also require honest grades for each grading period including six weeks, nine weeks, or semester grades for two reasons. “First, if actual grades on assignments are not used in determining a six weeks grade, the purpose of the legislation has been defeated. “Second, since 1995, Texas Education Code, §28.021, has required decisions on promotion or course credit to be based on “academic achievement or demonstrated proficiency.” “If the six weeks grades do not reflect the actual assignment grades, they would not
reflect academic achievement or demonstrated proficiency. “By allowing students to make up work, a district would ensure six weeks grades reflect relative mastery of assignments, even if making up a prior deficit, rather than awarding an automatic grade to a student who has received a failing grade.” The Texas Senate unanimously approved SB 2033 with the support of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association, the Association of Texas Professional Educators, American Federated Teachers, Texas State Teachers Association and the Texas Association of Business. “As the author of this new law, let me clarify my intent. We always envisioned this bill applying to grades on tests, assignments and report cards. More to the point, it is never appropriate for teachers to be forced to pass students who have not been performing passing work. Doing so is tantamount to fraud,” State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, told The Dallas Morning News recenlty. A TEA spokeswoman was quoted as saying “Districts need to give accurate grades to students, and that includes report card grades. It’s pretty simple, give the grade students earned and stick with that.” Supporters of the minimum grade insist a “zero” will place a student so far behind that he or she will have no chance to bring up the overall grade to passing. Failing classes will lead more students to quit school and be demotivating.
The goal is give as many kids Arvin Soepriatna, right, of Clements High School and Cher as possible every reason to Liu, left, of Quail Valley Middle School – were named winners stay in school. of the Houston Music Teachers’ Association and Houston Young Artists Concert Concerto Competition. As winners of the competition, they received the opportunity to perform with Questions This correspondent asked the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra at a recent concert at the FBISD the following ques- Stafford Centre. Arvin, a senior at Clements, won 1st place tions regarding the district’s in the senior division of the competition. In eighth grade, he decision to join the litigation won 1st place in the HMTA Concerto Competition and had the privilege of playing with the Fort Bend Symphony. He against TEA: Could you please give the also won 3rd place in the Houston Symphony Competition. rationale behind this deci- Although he plans to be a doctor, Arvin enjoys playing the piano and will pursue it as a life-long hobby. sion? Is the decision of the board unanimous in litigating the policy change? Why is the district retaining the policy, namely The District shall record a 50 in the permanent cumulative record for any average numerical grade that is lower than 50? Where is the lawsuit filed? When will FBISD join it? What is the main objection to SB 2033? Who first filed the lawsuit?
Response In response, FBISD issued the following statement: At the Nov. 9 Fort Bend ISD Board Meeting, the Board of Trustees authorized Fort Bend ISD to join other districts in litigation regarding the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner’s interpretation of Senate Bill 2033. Fort Bend ISD is complying with the law in regard to Senate Bill 2033. However, the district does not agree with the TEA’s interpretation of the law, and the Board authorized the district to join in litigation regarding the TEA Commissioner’s interpretation of Senate Bill 2033. The district has no further comment at this time.
LONGHORNS DRAFT FBBA PLAYER. Surrounded by teammates, coaches, and family, Fort Bend Baptist Academy softball player Rachel Fox signed a National Letter of Intent to attend and play softball in the fall of 2010 for the Division I University of Texas Longhorns. The 5-foot-4 senior pitcher led the FBBA Eagles (33-3) to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 4A state title in 2009. Kelly Ferguson, head softball coach, said, “We are very excited for Rachel. She has shown the dedication and hard work needed in the classroom and on the field to be an outstanding studentathlete at UT.”Rachel is the daughter of Meleesa and Russell Fox of Sugar Land. Above, FBBA Coach Kelly Ferguson is flanked by Melessa and Russell Fox; (seated) Rachel Fox.
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