Afternoon announcements: Texas working to lower graduation testing requirements

Texas high school students currently take 15 end-of-course exams to graduate. State lawmakers are working to lower that number to 5. Education Week

The NRA recommends schools consider a training program for staff who would like to be armed. This recommendation and others came with the release of the National School Shield report. It coincides with a series of bills on gun-related violence the Senate will consider. USA Today

A new study looks at academic achievement and progress among 8th graders and 12th-graders. Those who struggle in math early on rarely catch up. ACT

American middle schoolers are lagging behind their peers globally. On the brighter side, there are individual American schools that are outperforming every other country. Opinion writer Thomas L. Friedman talks about his “Little (Global) School.” New York Times