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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Dear Faculty,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Please see attached College Readiness
Standards Release 11/30/07, as well as the email below from Dr. Mary Hendrix.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Please respond with comments by December 10
(instructions provided below).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Thank you for your attention to this important
process.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Sharon Chambers, PhD<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Interim Associate Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Academic & Student Affairs<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabIndex=-1>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Mary
Hendrix<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Mon 10/29/2007 8:20 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> 'Academic Affairs'<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> FW: MEMO FROM THECB:
Public Comment on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Draft</st1:City> <st1:State
w:st="on">TX</st1:State></st1:place> College Readiness Standards--Comments
Requested by December 10</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div id=idOWAReplyText66918>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Dear Faculty:</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board (THECB) has approved the draft College Readiness Standards (CRS) that
will specify what students should know and be able to do to be successful in
entry-level college courses and the workforce.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>The expectation is that the CRS will
decrease the number of students requiring developmental education in higher
education, decrease the number of high school graduates who need retraining in
the job market, and lessen duplication of secondary and postsecondary courses
(and, therefore, allow us to focus on higher-level learning outcomes for
our disciplines).</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>The CRS are presented in four levels,
each representing an increasing degree of specificity. The highest level
presents broad, overarching ideas of a discipline, and is referred to as the
“key concept.” The second level is referred to as the
“organizing component” and indicates how the skills and knowledge
of the key concepts are structured. “Performance expectations”
indicate the knowledge and skills that represent the important ideas of the
organizing concepts. Finally, “examples of performance indicators”
provide examples of how to assess and measure performance expectations. These
indicators are not and will not be mandated activities; rather, they represent
how students might demonstrate their competency in a given area.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:black'>It is very important to note that, while the
four major disciplines have their own standards, there is a fifth set of
standards that may be the most important of all. These are “cross
discipline standards” and are important for success in all disciplines
and all careers.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:black'>Instructions for accessing the CRS are provided
below. Please note you may submit general comments, as well as recommend
additions to the standards. The deadline for submitting comments is December
10.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:black'>I encourage your participation in this important
process, and I would like to thank Dr. Ricky Dobbs for serving on the
social science vertical team.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> Mary</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Mary W. Hendrix, Ph.D.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Interim Provost and
Vice-President for Academic & Student Affairs</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Texas A&M
University-Commerce</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><font size=1
color="#333333" face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:#333333'>P.O. Box</span></font></st1:Street><font size=1 color="#333333"><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#333333'> 3011</span></font></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=1
color="#333333" face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:#333333'>Commerce</span></font></st1:City><font size=1 color="#333333"><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#333333'>, <st1:State w:st="on">TX</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode
w:st="on">75429</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>903.886.5018</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=1 color="#333333" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333;font-style:italic'>We
make a living by what we get</span></font></i><i><font size=1 color="#333333"><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#333333;font-style:italic'>; we make a life by
what we give others. </span></font></i><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Battles,
Linda on behalf of Paredes, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Raymund
Dr</st1:address></st1:Street>.<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Fri 10/26/2007 3:24 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Paredes, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address
w:st="on">Raymund Dr</st1:address></st1:Street>.<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> MEMO FROM THECB: Public
Comment on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Draft</st1:City> <st1:State
w:st="on">TX</st1:State></st1:place> College Readiness Standards</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><img width=911 height=1186 id="_x0000_i1031"
src="cid:image001.gif@01C837E7.BE69D8C0" border=0></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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