July 29, 2014 4:27 PM

TEA finalizing system for rating schools and districts under sweeping reforms

“This year’s accountability system will be a different ball game…”

The Texas Education Agency has dropped the final piece of data into the upcoming accountability matrix, a matrix that will differ significantly from last year.

State accountability ratings will be out on August 8, followed shortly by federal accountability ratings. On Monday, TEA staff added scores for campus and district targets on student progress and closing achievement gaps. This gives most school districts some understanding today of what labels their campuses and districts might meet: either met standards or needs improvement.

If all this sounds confusing or vague, don’t worry. The labels will change again. Under last session’s House Bill 5, the labels for campuses again will revert to Exemplary, Recognized, Satisfactory and Academically Unacceptable. Texas also will move to a yet-to-be-defined system of an A-F rating system for school districts, a system touted by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education as being simpler and more understandable to parents.

With guidance from Maria Whitsett of Moak Casey & Associates, here are some of the changes that will occur under the four indices: student achievement; student progress; closing performance gaps; and post-secondary readiness.

By Kimberly Reeves