TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:
SUBJECT: Texas Academic Challenge
The intent of this letter is to serve as an endorsement for the Texas Academic Challenge competition. This program offers opportunities for our exceptional students to demonstrate their
academic skills across the entire spectrum of the high school curriculum. The best Texas team wins the privilege of representing the State at the national competition. The top three teams
and coaches in the National Academic Challenge take home valuable scholarships and other awards. The Texas and National Academic Challenge programs are excellent examples of government,
universities, and businesses working together to improve K-12 education in Texas and throughout the country. Texas teams have performed quite well at the National Academic Challenge, Klein
High School won the national championship in 1997 and Hastings High School placed sixth in the nation in 1999. This year, Texas will be represented by St. John's School from Houston.
Sam Houston State University has taken on the task of organizing regional and state level contests. The regional contest for the Greater Houston area will be November 11, 2000, at Sam Houston. The 2001 Texas Academic Challenge State Championship will be held at Sam Houston on April 20-21, 2001. The web address for the SHSU Academic Challenge program is: www.shsu.edu/~his_www/acadchal/. For further information about these contests or Academic Challenge competition in general, contact Dr. Tracy Steele, Department of History, Sam Houston State University, Box 2239, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2239; or phone (936) 294-1480, FAX (936) 294-3938, or e-mail his_tls@shsu.edu.
I applaud and support efforts to supplement regular classroom assignments with competitions designed to improve student achievement to better prepare them for the real world.
Sincerely,
Jim Nelson
Commissioner of Education
For further information on this topic, contact Dr. Tracy Steele, Department of History, Sam Houston State University, Box 2239, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2239; or phone (936) 294-1480, FAX (936) 294-3938, or e-mail his_tls@shsu.edu.