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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) —
Texas is finally phasing in higher standards to pass its standardized tests — but will do so more gradually then initially planned.
Students began taking State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR tests, in 2012.
But they proved so challenging that the state froze passing standards for the past four academic years, rather than having them get tougher over time.
Education Commissioner Michael Williams announced Tuesday he was lifting the freeze, meaning passing standards will rise beginning this school year.
But he also proposed having passing standards increase only small amounts every academic year until 2021-2022. STAAR was originally designed to feature larger jumps in standards every few years, until 2021-2022.
Despite the eased standards, students have generally struggled to pass STAAR more than previous statewide testing systems.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) —
The director of the Texas Department of Transportation has announced he'll step down at the end of the year.
Joe Weber made the announcement Tuesday. The former three-star Marine general was chosen only last year to run the agency.
According to a statement released by TxDOT, Weber in his announcement to the agency's 11,000 employees called his past 18 months "a true highlight in my life." The agency is primarily responsible for maintaining and expanding the 80,000-mile state highway system.
The 65-year-old didn't say in the statement why he was leaving the $299,000-a-year job.
Weber, a 1972 Texas A&M graduate, had served as Texas A&M University's vice president for student affairs before being selected in April 2014 to lead TxDOT.
PHOENIX (AP) —
An Arizona man charged with helping plan an attack on a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Texas has asked a judge to throw out evidence from his interview with investigators two days after the attack.
A lawyer for Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem said the May 5 interview at an FBI office wasn't recorded because of a technical issue. The lawyer also raised questions about whether his client voluntarily spoke with investigators and was advised about his right to remain silent.
Authorities say the 43-year-old Abdul Kareem provided the guns that Nadir Soofi and Elton Simpson used in the May 3 shooting in Garland, Texas. The two were killed a police shootout after they opened fire outside the contest at a conference center, injuring a security guard.
Abdul Kareem also hosted the two gunmen in his home beginning in January, authorities said. He has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, making false statements to investigators and other charges.
Abdul Kareem's attorney, Daniel Maynard, said in court papers last week that the interview provided the basis for the false statements charge. The false statements that Abdul Kareem is accused of making include saying that he didn't have advance knowledge of the attack.
"While the government recorded every other important interview in this case, the government did not record this interview and is only able to provide a subjective summary of the interview," Maynard wrote.
Maynard said federal investigators tried to record the interview, but they were stymied by a technical issue that wasn't revealed in court records. He said an interview summary written by investigators provides no objective evidence or verbatim quotes from his client.
Cosme Lopez, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Phoenix, which is prosecuting Abdul Kareem, declined to comment Tuesday on Abdul Kareem's request.
Soofi and Simpson were roommates in Phoenix and drove to Texas to attack the event featuring cartoons deemed offensive to Muslims. They were killed by police after they drove up and opened fire outside the contest at a conference center, injuring a security guard. No one attending the event was hurt.
Authorities say Abdul Kareem practiced shooting with Simpson, Soofi and others in the remote desert outside Phoenix between January and May. They also say Abdul Kareem hosted the gunmen and others in his home to discuss the contest and the shooters' plans to travel to Texas to attack the event.
Authorities also say Abdul Kareem also had aspirations to join the Islamic State terrorist organization and attack the 2015 Super Bowl in suburban Phoenix.