Houston ISD downgraded in state's new ratings
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Dozens of Houston Independent School District campuses received failing grades in the 2022-2023 school year under a new state rating system, per data released Thursday.
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 earlier this month cleared the way for the ratings' release.
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," state education commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement.
Zoom in: Houston ISD dropped from a B rating in 2019 to a C in 2023, with 56 schools identified as failing.
- The state officially took over the district for the next school year, when state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles began his district changes.
Zoom out: Overall, more than 40% of the nearly 8,400 rated schools in Texas 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.
Between the lines: The new standards come as public school advocates fear the state is undermining public education.
- 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.
The big picture: HISD's C rating — issued just before Miles took over — essentially sets a baseline for measuring the impact of the takeover.
- Last August, HISD published its own unofficial reports using the state's data and methodology, pointing to academic gains and a rise in A-rated campuses.
What we're watching: Four school districts statewide — Beaumont, Midland, Fort Worth and Wichita Falls — are at risk of a state takeover, per the Texas Tribune.
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