Question 1

Which ideology reflected the public policy agenda in Texas during the first decade of the twenty-first century?
A) liberal ideology
B) conservative ideology
C) Tea Party ideology
D) The agenda was dominated by the Democratic Party and its conservative public policy positions.
E) The agenda was dominated by Republicans and their liberal positions on social policy issues.

Accepted Answer

The public policy agenda in Texas during the first decade of the twenty-first century reflected a conservative ideology, with Republicans dominating state government and enacting policies such as increased restrictions on abortion, expanded gun rights, and limited government regulation of businesses. The Tea Party movement also gained traction in Texas during this time, advocating for even more conservative policies. Democratic Party influence was low, and their public policy positions tended to be more moderate or conservative in order to appeal to voters in a predominantly Republican state.

Question 2

The Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act of 2007
A) was ruled unconstitutional by the Texas Supreme Court.
B) was rejected by social conservatives.
C) required Texas schools to adopt a number of policies that would protect religious speech on campus.
D) was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
E) was vetoed by the governor and never went into effect.

Accepted Answer

The Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act of 2007 required Texas schools to adopt policies that protected religious speech on campus. It was not ruled unconstitutional by the Texas or U.S. Supreme Court, vetoed by the governor, or rejected by social conservatives.

Question 3

A 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education was called
A) Waiting for Superman.
B) Only in America.
C) No Child Left Behind.
D) Race to the Top.
E) A Nation at Risk.

Accepted Answer

The 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education was titled "A Nation at Risk." It was a landmark report highlighting the failing education system in America and the urgent need for reforms. The report stated that "the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity" and called for improvements in curriculum, teacher training, and student achievement. It is still considered today as a pivotal moment in education reform history.

Question 4

The three main issues that have shaped education policy in Texas during the last fifty years are
A) income taxes, federal regulation, and teacher salaries.
B) labor unions, civil rights, and school district lines.
C) funding, desegregation, and educational excellence.
D) desegregation, access to the Internet, and urbanization.
E) lack of unions, infrastructure of education, and declining school enrollments.

Accepted Answer

Funding has been a consistent issue in Texas education policy, with ongoing debates over how to allocate funds fairly across districts. Desegregation was a major issue in the state, with a long history of racially segregated schools and ongoing efforts to integrate them. Educational excellence has also been a priority, with initiatives such as the Texas Education Agency's Accountability System aimed at improving student outcomes.

Question 5

Under the Gilmer-Aikin Laws
A) various bureaucratic institutions were established to be responsible for public education in the state of Texas.
B) public funding for education was drastically cut because of the lackluster state economy during the 1960s.
C) the Texas school districts were subdivided to provide for more local control.
D) the Texas school districts were not affected at all by this legislation.
E) this legislation became known as the Robin Hood bill.

Accepted Answer

The Gilmer-Aikin Laws established various bureaucratic institutions, such as the State Board of Education and regional education service centers, to oversee and improve public education in Texas.

Question 6

Under the separate but equal doctrine in the 1920s and 1930s, the amount of money that the state of Texas spent on black students was ______ the amount spent on white students in public schools.
A) the same as
B) much higher than
C) lower than
D) rapidly catching up to
E) completely unknown relative to

Accepted Answer

Under the separate but equal doctrine, it was legal to have segregated schools as long as they provided equal resources and education. However, in practice, black schools often received less funding and worse facilities than white schools. Therefore, the amount of money that the state of Texas spent on black students was lower than the amount spent on white students in public schools.

Question 7

The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Edgewood ISD v. Kirby was that
A) undue reliance upon property taxes to fund public education violated the Texas Constitution.
B) the state's property tax system for financing public education did not violate the Texas Constitution.
C) the state's property tax system for financing public education was not the issue in this case; the issue was dropout rate disparity between school districts.
D) the state's dropout rate warranted federal supervision of Texas's public schools until the Texas dropout rate approached the national average.
E) the Texas Education Agency had acted unconstitutionally by barring prayer in public schools.

Accepted Answer

The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Edgewood ISD v. Kirby was that undue reliance upon property taxes to fund public education violated the Texas Constitution. The court held that the system of funding schools through local property taxes was unconstitutional because it created disparities in funding and educational opportunity between wealthier and poorer school districts. The court ordered the state to come up with a new system of funding public education that would provide more equitable financing for all schools in Texas.

Question 8

In the Brown v. Board of Education case, segregated school districts were ordered to
A) double the funding for African American integrated schools.
B) desegregate their schools within the next ten years.
C) desegregate their schools "with all deliberate speed."
D) appoint a commission to study the Texas school system and make recommendations to the governor.
E) redraw school district lines to improve funding for all schools on a more equitable basis.

Accepted Answer

In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ordered segregated schools to be desegregated "with all deliberate speed." This ruling marked the beginning of the end of legalized segregation in the United States. Option A is incorrect, as the ruling did not call for simply doubling the funding for African American schools. Option B is incorrect because the court did not set a specific deadline for desegregation, only that it be done with all deliberate speed. Option D is incorrect because the ruling did not appoint a commission or make recommendations to the governor. Option E is incorrect because the ruling did not call for the redrawing of school district lines.

Question 9

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
A) invalidated the state-imposed racial segregation in Texas.
B) validated the election of State Board of Education members.
C) overturned the Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court case of 1954.
D) was reinforced by Edgewood ISD v. Kirby.
E) validated the Texas state-imposed racial segregation in public schools.

Accepted Answer

Plessy v. Ferguson validated the constitutionality of state-imposed racial segregation in public facilities, including schools. This decision was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

Question 10

Which of the following statements regarding public policy in Texas is true?
A) Public policy in Texas is not affected at all by national policy.
B) Public policy in Texas is crippled by national policy, giving Texas very little control.
C) The policies of the national government influence Texas, but, for the most part, large segments of public policy, such as education, infrastructure, and legal matters, are state and local matters.
D) Public policy making is divided equally between the state and the federal government under the concept and theory of federalism.
E) Federalism makes the national government virtually irrelevant to states such as Texas.

Accepted Answer

The policies of the national government do influence Texas, but many areas of public policy are within the purview of the state and local government. Education, infrastructure, and legal matters are often handled at the state level. This reflects the concept of federalism, where power is shared between the national and state governments. However, this does not mean that the national government is irrelevant to Texas, as federal policies can have a significant impact on the state.

Question 11

Which statement is true regarding public education throughout much of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century?
A) Public education was heavily subsidized by the national government.
B) Public education was handled privately and by local government.
C) Public education was almost exclusively the responsibility of federal lawmakers.
D) Public education was the sole responsibility of religious institutions.
E) Only after World War II did state and local governments support public education.

Accepted Answer

Throughout much of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, public education in the United States was handled privately and by local government. There was little involvement from the national government or federal lawmakers. State and local governments began to provide more support for public education later in the twentieth century, but it was not solely their responsibility. Religious institutions also played a role in education during this time, but they were not the sole responsibility for public education.

Question 12

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson in
A) Gilmer v. Aikin.
B) San Antonio v. Rodriguez.
C) Edgewood ISD v. Kirby.
D) Roe v. Wade.
E) Brown v. Board of Education.

Accepted Answer

Brown v. Board of Education is the landmark case that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This ruling helped to pave the way for desegregation and the Civil Rights Movement.

Question 13

Ross Perot was appointed by Governor Mark White to chair a committee on education. As committee chair, he was particularly scornful of
A) high teacher salaries.
B) the cost of education per pupil.
C) the high incidence of violence in public school classrooms.
D) athletic programs.
E) low college graduation rates.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ross Perot was appointed by Governor Mark...

Question 14

Under the Gilmer-Aikin Laws
A) the State Board of Education was established and became the policy-making body for public education in Texas.
B) the State Board of Education was abolished for being redundant and in competition with the federal Department of Education.
C) the Religious Antidiscrimination Act was repealed.
D) the State Board of Education members were elected statewide on partisan ballots.
E) Texas instituted an income tax to fund public education.

Accepted Answer

The Gilmer-Aikin Laws, also known as the Education Code, established the State Board of Education as the policy-making body for public education in Texas. It also created the position of Commissioner of Education and standardized the curriculum across the state.

Question 15

San Antonio v. Rodriguez dealt with the
A) achievement gap in the Texas public school system.
B) dropout rate in public schools.
C) continuing persistence of integration failure in public schools.
D) constitutionality of using property taxes to fund public schools.
E) possible misuse of lottery proceeds to fund public schools in Texas.

Accepted Answer

San Antonio v. Rodriguez dealt with the constitutionality of using property taxes to fund public schools in Texas. The court ultimately ruled that the Texas system did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Question 16

In Edgewood ISD v. Kirby, the key constitutional issue was
A) whether the Brown v. Board of Education decision applied to Texas students.
B) whether the phrase "an efficient system of free public schools" included school financing.
C) de facto segregation.
D) the continuing effects of Roe v. Wade upon public education.
E) whether school prayer should be required in grades K-8.

Accepted Answer

The key constitutional issue in Edgewood ISD v. Kirby was whether the phrase "an efficient system of free public schools" included school financing. The lawsuit was brought by a group of low-wealth school districts in Texas who argued that the state's method of funding public schools was unconstitutional because it relied too heavily on local property taxes and did not provide equal funding for all students. The Texas Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding that the state's system of funding public schools violated the Texas Constitution's mandate for an efficient system of free public schools.

Question 17

The legal doctrine at issue in the Plessy v. Ferguson case is the
A) separate but equal doctrine.
B) privileges and immunities clause.
C) hold and save harmless doctrine.
D) supremacy clause.
E) doctrine of eminent domain.

Accepted Answer

The Plessy v. Ferguson case established the legal principle of "separate but equal," which allowed for segregated public facilities as long as they were considered equal in quality. This doctrine was later struck down by the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.

Question 18

Among the most important findings of the 1983 report were
A) graduation rates were improving and dropout rates were increasing.
B) dropout rates were increasing and test scores were improving.
C) test scores were declining and functional illiteracy was increasing.
D) functional illiteracy was decreasing and test scores were improving.
E) graduation rates and functional illiteracy were both increasing.

Accepted Answer

The report found that test scores were declining and functional illiteracy was increasing, which are both major concerns. The other options are not supported by the findings of the 1983 report.

Question 19

By the late 1960s, de facto segregation
A) had been completely eliminated.
B) was still a problem in urban public schools with a large minority population.
C) had been ruled illegal and therefore was no longer an issue in public education.
D) had resulted in all federal funds being withheld from the public schools in Texas.
E) was increasing at a rapid rate throughout the state.

Accepted Answer

While de jure segregation had been ruled illegal with the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 and subsequent Civil Rights Acts, de facto segregation (segregation that occurs without laws or policies explicitly mandating it) persisted, particularly in urban public schools with minority populations. The late 1960s saw an increase in race riots and protests stemming from ongoing issues of racial inequality and segregation. Thus, choice B is the best answer.

Question 20

The debate over public education in Texas goes back to the
A) Constitution of 1876.
B) first decade of the twenty-first century.
C) post-World War II era and the returning military service members.
D) break with Mexico.
E) beginning of the American civil rights movement.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The debate over public education in Texas...

Quiz 12: Public Policy in Texas

Which ideology reflected the public policy agenda in Texas during the first decade of the twenty-first century?

The Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act of 2007

A 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education was called

The three main issues that have shaped education policy in Texas during the last fifty years are

Under the Gilmer-Aikin Laws

Under the separate but equal doctrine in the 1920s and 1930s, the amount of money that the state of Texas spent on black students was ______ the amount spent on white students in public schools.

The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Edgewood ISD v. Kirby was that

In the Brown v. Board of Education case, segregated school districts were ordered to

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Which of the following statements regarding public policy in Texas is true?

Which statement is true regarding public education throughout much of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century?

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson in

Ross Perot was appointed by Governor Mark White to chair a committee on education. As committee chair, he was particularly scornful of

Under the Gilmer-Aikin Laws

San Antonio v. Rodriguez dealt with the

In Edgewood ISD v. Kirby, the key constitutional issue was

The legal doctrine at issue in the Plessy v. Ferguson case is the

Among the most important findings of the 1983 report were

By the late 1960s, de facto segregation

The debate over public education in Texas goes back to the