Texas schools downgraded in state's new ratings
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More Texas schools are getting failing grades under a new rating system, per letter grades released Thursday by state officials.
Why it matters: The A-F ratings — whose release had been delayed by legal challenges — come as public school advocates are fighting for resources from state lawmakers who appear close to establishing a $1 billion private school voucher program.
Catch up quick: More than 120 school districts tried to block the release of the 2023 ratings, saying the Texas Education Agency had not given them enough notice before revising their standards.
- Among other things, the updated standards require high schools to send 88% of their seniors to college, a trade or technical school, or the military, compared to 60% in the past. Districts said this increased metric would result in unfair drops in their ratings.
- An appeals court this month cleared the way for the ratings' release.
By the numbers: 78% of all rated schools statewide received a passing accountability rating, compared with 93% in 2022. Also in 2023, 22% of rated schools had D or F grades, which are considered failing.
- State education commissioner Mike Morath said that if the updated rubric had been applied to the 2022 rating, about 85% of campuses would have passed, per the Austin American-Statesman.
Overall, more than 40% of the nearly 8,400 rated schools received a lower rating in 2023 compared to 2022, per an analysis by the Houston Chronicle.
- 13% of Texas schools improved their ratings between 2022 and 2023. The remaining 44% had no change, the Chronicle reported.
What they're saying: "Every Texas family deserves a clear view of school performance, and now those families finally have access to data they should have received two years ago," Morath said in a statement.
The other side: The results are "frustrating," Austin ISD superintendent Matias Segura and board President Lynn Boswell wrote in a letter to public school parents Thursday, calling the ratings a "systemic redefinition of public school success."
- School leaders pointed to pay raises for teachers and other investments meant to boost learning as some changes they've made since 2023.
- Meanwhile, the district is investing much of the $2.44 billion from a 2022 bond into schools serving poorer neighborhoods.
Zoom in: Austin ISD moved from a B district in 2019 to a C in 2023.
- 30 Austin public schools were identified as failing — 16 of which dropped from a B to an F.
- Eanes received an A.
- Round Rock, Leander, Lake Travis and Dripping Springs ISDs and Hays CISD received Bs.
- Georgetown ISD received a C, and Del Valle and Manor ISDs received Ds.
Zoom out: Across the state, F-rated schools increased by 233%.
Between the lines: The new standards come as public school advocates fear the state is undermining public education.
- The letter from Segura and Boswell connected the accountability standards to a push by state officials for charter schools and vouchers.
- "Public education in Texas remains underfunded, and yet we continue to rise, adapt and serve our communities with creativity and heart," they wrote.
- The Legislature is poised to spend nearly $8 billion to increase per-student funding, but Democrats argued that it isn't enough and doesn't match 2019 levels.
What's next: Four school districts statewide — Beaumont, Midland, Fort Worth and Wichita Falls — are now at risk of a state takeover, per the Texas Tribune.
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Editor's note: This story has been updated with the share of rated schools that got passing and failing grades.