TEA Releases Statewide School Rankings

Austin, TX - The Texas Education Agency has released accountability ratings for schools across the state. Austin Independent School District has improved this year. AISD received an overall rating of Academically Acceptable, with 68 campuses receiving an exemplary or recognized rating and only one campus being rated academically unacceptable.

Junior Devyne Byrd went on a student-sponsored trip to Africa this past year and says it made her thankful for the free education she gets back here in the U.S. She's happy that education comes from Reagan High School.

"I'm proud to be a Raider. I don't want to be anything else," she says.

After four years of being rated academically unacceptable by the Texas Education Agency and being at risk of closing, Reagn reached an acceptable rating this past year.

"I think that this was truely a waiting to exhale moment. I don't think I had taken a breath for two years and to hear the news it was really exciting."

Reagan High School principal Anabel Garza credits many for the school's improved rating.

"I think that the community and the students and the teachers all got together and we really set our mind on this is something that we have to do to save this school for this community."

TEA Commissioner Robert Scott says that's what it takes to make a school improve.

"They're making improvements. It makes me happy because I see a commitment to the East side and as I said last year, east and west need to meet and agree taht all our kids deserve the same educaiton opportunities and we're starting to see progress."

After 5 years of being rated academically unacceptable, Pearce Middle School has been given an academically acceptable rating and that will keep the school from shutting down.

"I'm a proud parent of AISD, very happy with my kids school, get a solid education and I want to see that throughout the district," says Scott.

As long as the schools continue to improve, the district's ratings will as well. Devyne's mom wants to send her son to Reagan one day and knows that it's possible.

"They worked really hard, and teachers worked hard and it makes me feel good that the community knows that we could do it," says Faith Remus.

2010 statewide TEA school rankings show that AISD schools are making big improvements. 32 schools were ranked exemplary, 36 were recognized, 41 were acceptable and 1 was ranked unacceptable.

Eastside Memorial Green Tech was the lone school ranked unacceptable by Texas Education Agency. Green Tech is one of the new schools opened at the former Johnston High School campus. The school was closed by the state in 2008 after failing to meet state academic standards.

The 68 schools were the most by AISD since the state-mandated Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills was first administered in 2003.

From 2009 to 2010, 37 Austin campuses improved their ratings, with three advancing by two levels.  Last year, AISD had eight schools rated “AU,” including Pearce Middle School and Reagan High School. Both achieved Academically Acceptable ratings in 2010.

“These results are evidence of the hard work of AISD students, families, and staff,” said  Superintendent Meria Carstarphen in a released statement. “Everyone should be proud of these results, but keep in mind that these assessments are only one piece of the achievement picture. We must continue to work hard to improve student attendance, close the achievement gap, enhance the effectiveness of instruction for English Language Learners, and increase our graduation rates. 

With District passing rates in each content area well above the continually-rising state standards, AISD was also rated Academically Acceptable in 2010 by TEA — as it has each year since the current system was implemented in 2003. Two components of the state accountability system prevented AISD from being rated a Recognized school district: there was one “AU” campus, and one student group fell one percentage point short from the required 80 percent passing rate in one subject.

Among the 68 Exemplary and Recognized schools are 35 campuses which are high-need, schools with high-poverty student populations. These are Andrews, Becker, Blanton, Brooke, Cook, Dawson, Galindo, Graham, Harris, Hart, Houston, Jordan, Joslin, Linder, McBee, Metz, Norman, Oak Springs, Ortega, Overton, Palm, Perez, Pickle, Reilly, Ridgetop, Sanchez, Sims, St. Elmo, Sunset Valley, Travis Heights, Winn, Wooten and Zavala elementary schools, along with Dobie and Paredes middle schools.

As earlier projected, seven campuses that were rated Academically Unacceptable last year — Garcia, Lamar, Martin, Mendez, and Pearce middle schools; and LBJ and Reagan high schools — rose to an Academically Acceptable rating in 2010.  Three campuses — Becker, Oak Springs, and Sims elementaries — rose two levels to an Exemplary rating in 2010.
 

Here's a breakdown of the rankings by school.

Exemplary Ranking:

Elementary:

Baranoff, Barton Hills, Becker, Blanton, Casis, Clayton, Cowan, Dawson, Doss, Graham,