News Summary
The Texas Education Agency has released the 2023 A-F accountability ratings for public schools after a 19-month legal battle. Amid growing public interest, results show 50% of schools earning A or B grades, while others, including Dallas ISD and Fort Worth ISD, scored C and D respectively. The legal dispute arose over changes to the grading formula, with implications of a decline in overall school performance linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and educators can expect further updates in August 2023.
Texas Schools Release 2023 A-F Accountability Ratings Following Legal Battle
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released the 2023 A-F accountability ratings for public schools after a legal battle that lasted 19 months. The release comes amid ongoing public interest in school performance metrics, with the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) receiving a grade of C and the Fort Worth Independent School District (ISD) earning a grade of D. Overall, about 50% of Texas schools achieved an A or B rating, while approximately 14% scored a D and 7% received failing grades (F).
Parents and educators seeking detailed information can access the complete list of campus and district scores at TxSchools.gov. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has advised that parents should expect further updates on school ratings in August 2023 for a more comprehensive assessment of performance.
Context of the Legal Challenges
The delay in the release of accountability ratings was primarily due to lawsuits filed by over 120 school districts against the TEA. These lawsuits challenged the changes made to the grading formula that would impact how schools are evaluated. A recent ruling from the Texas 15th Court of Appeals granted the TEA permission to publish the 2023 accountability scores.
Implications of 2023 Ratings
The 2023 A-F ratings indicate a decline in overall performance compared to 2022, a trend attributed to a drop in academic growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, within the Dallas ISD, 47 schools were rated A, 74 received B, 66 earned C, 37 scored D, and eight campuses were rated F. Schools that receive failing grades may face state intervention if they do not demonstrate significant improvement.
Grading Methodology
The A-F ratings are primarily based on standardized test scores across several categories, including student achievement, school progress, and efforts to close achievement gaps. While many schools experienced notable improvements in 2022, Commissioner Morath noted that performance levels normalized in 2023.
Some high-poverty campuses, such as Longview High School, showed substantial progress by earning A ratings, highlighting that certain schools are effectively overcoming challenges often associated with these demographics.
It is important to note that private schools in Texas are not graded under the state’s A-F grading system, which was implemented in 2017 and allows for updates every five years, resulting in potential shifts to grading criteria and benchmarks over time. Although most districts in the Amarillo region received grades of B, Bushland ISD led the area with a score of 89, closely followed by Canyon ISD with a score of 85.
Criticism and Future Outlook
Despite some positive outcomes, critics of the A-F grading system argue that it is overly simplistic and punitive, emphasizing reliance on high-stakes STAAR tests. Concurrently, concerns have been raised regarding the closure of individual schools that may perform well due to district realignment strategies.
There are also worries about future accountability ratings; a lawsuit has temporarily barred the TEA from issuing 2024 ratings due to challenges related to the computerized grading of essay questions. Educators highly recommend that more comprehensive measures should be adopted to assess educational effectiveness, as they argue that the current system does not adequately reflect the broader challenges faced by schools.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
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Texas Schools Release A-F Accountability Ratings for 2023
Texas Schools Receive Latest Accountability Ratings
Dallas Schools Encounter New Accountability Ratings
Dallas Schools Receive Accountability Grades for 2023
Additional Resources
- Amarillo.com
- KBTX
- Click2Houston
- Houston Chronicle
- WFAA
- Wikipedia: Texas Education Agency
- Google Search: Texas school accountability ratings
- Google Scholar: Texas education ratings
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Education
- Google News: Texas education system
