Education
BY HANNAH NORTON & JULIANNA WASHBURN
Tomball, Magnolia ISDs receive TEA accountability ratings
The Texas Education Agency released public school accountability ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years Aug. 15. The ratings follow a legal battle that began nearly two years ago, with school districts suing the TEA due to concern over the ratings system. Tomball ISD received an A for 2023-24 with 91 out of 100 possible points and an A with 92 points for 2024-25, per the TEA. Meanwhile, Magnolia ISD received a B for 2022-23 with 84 points, and a B with 86 points for 2024-25. Texas schools are rated by the TEA on an A-F scale based on three criteria: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps. In an Aug. 18 news release, MISD officials said the district’s rating reflects “strong academic performance across the district.” TISD Superintendent Martha Salazar-Zamora said in an Aug. 15 news release that TISD’s rating is a reflection of the “dedication and hard work of our incredible students, teachers and campus leaders.” “It’s also a testament to the powerful partnership
Tomball ISD A-F ratings 2023-24 2024-25
Magnolia ISD A-F ratings 2023-24 2024-25
20
12 10
15
8 6 4 2 0
10
5
0
A
A
B
C
D F
B
C
D F
Rating
Rating
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
A in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. Additionally, while one campus received a C in 2023-24, zero campuses scored a C in 2024-25. For MISD, the number of campuses that earned an A increased. In 2023-24, two campuses received an A versus seven campuses in 2024-25.
we share with our parents, who are our most vital collaborators in education,” Salazar-Zamora said. “These impressive results are a true community effort, and we are immensely proud of everyone involved.” In TISD, the district had 18 campuses receive an
Digging deeper
the 2024 ratings could be released, and the TEA later announced they would be issued alongside the 2025 ratings. “Millions of dollars and thousands of hours of work by teachers, administrators and experts have been invested in creating the A-F ratings system; courts can decide only whether it is legal, not whether it is wise or fair, much less commandeer the job of running it,” Chief Justice Scott Brister wrote in the ruling.
close that campus or appoint a board of managers. State law requires that annual A-F ratings be issued by Aug. 15 of each year; however, the 2024 ratings were blocked for nearly one year after 33 school districts sued the TEA last August, arguing that the agency made it “mathematically impos- sible” for some schools to earn a high score and waited too long to notify districts about changes to the state accountability system. Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals ruled in July that
Elementary and middle school ratings are largely based on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. High school ratings are based on the STAAR and how well students are prepared for success after graduation. Districts and campuses that scored a D or F may receive extra resources and support from the state, per the TEA. Under state law, if at least one campus in a district receives a failing grade for five consecutive years, the commissioner is required to
Put in perspective
Statewide campus performance
2024-25
2023-24
“Telling a parent today how well their school did in 2024 doesn’t help them with the supports they need to provide their kid [now],” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told reporters Aug. 14. “It is great now to have this tool back to help support our families [and] also support our educators.”
Across the state, most school districts and campuses maintained or improved their A-F ratings between the two school years. Of the 1,208 school districts across Texas, data shows 24% received a higher rating, 64% kept the same rating and 12% received a lower rating. Of the state’s 9,084 campuses, 15% received a lower grade, according to the data.
A: 23% B: 33% C: 24% D: 10% F: 4% Not rated: 6%
A: 18% B: 31% C: 25% D: 14% F: 8% Not rated: 6%
NOTE: PERCENTAGES MAY NOT ADD UP TO 100% DUE TO ROUNDING. SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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TOMBALL - MAGNOLIA EDITION
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