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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1999)
The Battalion State Page 6 • Wednes; SUMMER SCHOOL FOR PEOPLE ON THEIR WAY TO THE TOP. If you didn’t signup for ROTC as a freshman or sophomore, you can still catch up to your classmates by attending Army ROTC Camp Challenge, apaid five-week course inleadership. By the time you have graduated from college, you'll have the credentials of an Army officer. You'll also have the discipline, experience and self-confidence you need to succeed in college and beyond. For details, contact Captain Robert Magee at (409) 845-2814. UhceuehcU ARMY ROTC THE SMARTEST COLLEGE COURSE YOU CAN TAKE And Special Guest i SETH WALKER ON E^BJCT^ PARTY THURSDAY • APRIL 22 nd SHADOW CANYON SALOON I TICKETS IN ADVANCE SUGGESTED ON SALE STARTING 9 AM TOMORROW AT DIXIE CHICKEN • ROTHERS BOOKSTORES nun mum nan n TONIGHT! WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 th jingalong w/Steve Green the original Piano Man Door's open at 7 p.m. EXCLUSIVELY AT THE TAPI — - PARTY SAFE - DESIGNATE A SAFE RIDE ^— Visit our website: www.tapbcs.com iiilii liilii hilh hi 3-year old finds victims of murder- suicide CLEBURNE (AP) — A man shot his wife to death, then fa tally shot himself at a home day care center with 11 children in side. Cleburne police have offered counseling to the children who were at the home during the murder-suicide Monday after noon. Police believe none of the children saw the attack. The children ranged from in fancy to age 11. Police said a 3- year-old found the couple dead in the backyard and told an 11- year-old, who called 911. Investigators say 53-year-old Manuel “Michael” Gigis and his wife, 41 -year-old Judy Rae Gigis, were having marital problems. Mrs. Gigis, a home day care provider, was watching the chil dren when she was shot. Sgt. Terry Powell said the couple’s 14-year-old son was at school. A neighbor of the couple, Stephanie Schultz, said Mrs. Gigis was a soft-spoken, kind woman who loved children. Ms. Schultz said she and her 5-year-old son arrived home from a Texas Rangers baseball game Monday to find police and ambulances filling the street. “We didn’t have any indica tion that there was anything wrong,’ ’ Ms. Schultz told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “We had occasion to be in their home. Everything appeared to be nor mal. They really were very nice Vl/E^’X/F? Ww ■■■ W ■■■ Hi4IR DeSIGM 694-9755 118 Walton MOVED School administrators’ resignr demanded over TAAS test disho The _ HOUSTON (AP) — In Houston, resignations have been demanded and prosecutors are investigating whether criminal charges are war ranted. In Austin, 17 indictments already have been issued and one person has entered a plea. Who are the accused in probes shaking cities across Texas? Not hardened criminals, but teachers, principals — even a deputy superin tendent and an entire school district. Their alleged crimes? Cheating on the very test state officials use to grade Texas’ public schools and assess the academic performance of students. The recent controversies with the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills Test, or TAAS, have prompt ed some to question whether the so-called cornerstone of the school accountability system is crumbling under the pressure to succeed. “Our major complaint is it is such high-stakes testing — careers are on the line,” says Annette Cootes, spokesperson for the 80,000-mem ber Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA). “You can be fired if the chil dren aren’t performing.” The atmosphere, Ms. Cootes warns, is conducive to corruption. “U’s human nature,” she says, adding, “The cheating has to stop, because we all lose faith and we all lose credibility. We all hurt.” Supporters of the TAAS maintain the problems are isolated and that the test itself remains a viable way to measure school achievement. “I don’t think it reflects on the system as a whole. That’s like say ing if you have one child in a class room that cheats on a test, let’s do away with tests,” says state Rep. Paul Sadler, a Henderson Democrat who chairs the House Public Edu cation Committee. Sadler says he “absolutely” be- Schulman Theatres College Park 6 www.schulman-theatres.com Bcs online www.lockon.com 2080 E. 29th St., Bryan 775-2463 BOX OFFICE OPENS AT 4:15 Now Showing - Today's Times Only 0 TTUNGS I HATE ABOUT YOU m (PG13) 4:40 7:20 9:55 THE OUT OF TOWNERS CU (PG13) 4:30 7:00 9:40 NEVER BEEN KISSED 4:40 7:15 10:00 CU (PG13) 4:30 7:05 9:40 THE MATRIX 4:30 7:00 9:45 DOUGS 1ST MOVIE QQ (G) 4:45 7:25 9:25 $3.00 - all shows before 6 p.m. $3.00 - children/seniors $5.00 - Adults lieves the accountability system has integrity and accurately reflects what’s happening in Texas schools. “Is it perfect? No, it’s not per fect. You’re never going to have a perfect system. But it’s the best sys tem going right now,” he said. Texas schools are rated as exem plary, recognized, acceptable or low- performing based, in part, on how their students score on the TAAS. Educators say there have long been suspicions of TAAS tampering at some campuses. But the rumors were little more than that until last “Our major complaint is it is such high- stakes testing — careers on the line” — Annette Cootes TSTA spokesperson fall, when alleged improprieties within the Austin Independent School District came to light. The Texas Education Agency lowered the performance ratings of three Austin elementary schools a(- ler an audit suggested officials had manipulated TAAS results to make it appear the schools performed better than they did. The audit said central adminis trators and principals changed the identification numbers of students who performed poorly on the test, knowing their results would be thrown out because the ID num bers didn’t match previously as signed numbers. A criminal investigation ensued, and in March a former district em ployee pleaded no contest to tam- rfxc ’TVeddinq 'Selti -ie£ ext 'TttTTo event (Zom* 4«e (tv* exit tfatn ucctMonte*! 10%-!5% a(( M txtl TCettttc*? ^MtMfetttotu t f t “Z\. * 'Hf ir r* (409) 6X0-2444 pering withagoveg Then last week,j sued a 16-count lag menl against a dept dent and 16 otbe against the districN first time inTexasq have been filed $ district. In the meantime^ dependent Schools state’s largest-hi! own investigation: number of erasures: TAAS tests, with a changed from wrori: The Austin and ty! prompted the TEL own examination'll problem, and ini agency asked 11 ofCtl school districts to :i| campuses that ha; ?! erasures in 1996-l£: f Three Houston^,, Houston, Fort Bent:: est — reponed fimh;, improper adminir . TAAS at 11 campt tions ranged fronnr^ ly erased answers “ systematically chej answers from wrori. One fifth-grade Fort Bend had IS: utable to only 14 ing 132 that were, wrong to right. A principal and r resigned in Fort Ben: has demanded The Ten Softbe a principal and r- p 1 '' 1 ' North Forest says fcfl Bobca II I Vyi tOl JujJ . non is forthcoming Five districts four. doing: Laredo, Pkr Wecln _ Alamo and San Fr P ni : Consolidated in So:: 01 Ector County and Cl ® ch< f c 1 l Texas. doub! « has chang gle ga Happily marnfii Th < couple eagerlytheir i to love, nurtBir,Jtt! vers h 'h Financially andawiKi’''- househol&wa#* graduates ofTAMW Mom, devoted D*L i extended family araM Call Tim andAshlet anytime: 1-800-355-?! Legal/medical aft wgggr i t / • ’. mm \ «1 Bring your family to the home of Dr. Melon Southerland Vico President for Student Affairs Come and tour his residence from 11 am to 4 pm this Saturday, April 17th. Light refreshments will be served. The house is located at 100 Throckmorton St., across from the Sanders Corps Center. For more information call 845-4728. Interested in going Come to a Rush 99 Informational Paid for by Panhellenic I 15th @ 8 Rudder 502 MSC 228 z*?*?*? /?*« 77^ 1/ "It's the last one of the millennium 5K/10K Run/Walk Register} lair 10:004 ^ or: Classifi Stay for Wine & Roses Festiu Music, Fun, Wine Tasting! April 17 9:001 Ul i Sponsored by Texas A&M Roadruni and Messina Hof Race Forms on-line @ http://recsports.tamu.edi# : Crr Cm Act Lifes Ik SOUTHWESTERN BLACK STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Wants YOU! COME BE A PART OF THE LARGEST Sit RUN ORGANIZATION IN THE NATtf Hi Assistant Directoi Applications Are available in MSC 137 DEPARTMENT OF MULTICULTURAL SERVICES Applications are due April 16,1999 5:00 p.m. If you have any questions, please call TamikaSM 845-4565. I