The Texas Education Agency recently released its latest school ratings, known as “A – F Accountability.”  The ratings begin with the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) test scores, and are calculated based on several different criteria.  The TEA website describes the A – F Accountability system as “a fair, rigorous, and transparent tool for measuring campus and school district performance.  School ratings are one of many ways to determine how well your child’s school is preparing your child for the next grade and success after high school.  Ratings also help determine how well schools are serving all students.”  The most recent school ratings are based on STAAR test scores in the 2022-2023 school year.

Among Brown County schools, the Early ISD led the way with a score of 86, for a B rating.  Early ISD Superintendent Dr. Joan Otten commented:  “We are very pleased with the score.  We have excellent teachers in Early, who work hard for our kids.  We are meeting the needs of the general population of students, we are getting them up to where they need to be, to grade level, and having success.  However, our high-achiever students are stagnated.  We’re doing great.  Our academics are amazing.  But we need to focus also on our high-achiever students.  We are looking at what we need to do academically to meet their needs.”

Dr. Otten also commented on the scoring system used by the TEA.  “The state scoring methods that were imposed after the school year was completed and testing had occurred, contributed greatly to our overall ratings.  The use of an AI (artificial intelligence) grader will not account for the creativity in writing that many of our high-achieving students are capable of.  Also, our CCMR (College Career and Military Readiness) score far exceeded the original scale score, but fell just short of the new measure.  Without the opportunity to adjust accordingly that a phasing in would have allowed us, we took a pretty big hit in our ratings.  We are always focused on student growth and achievement as our history will show.  However, the high stakes accountability makes schools play a testing game where the goal is ever changing.  The focus moves away from teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills.”

The Brownwood ISD barely missed a B rating, with a score of 79 for a C, or “acceptable” rating.  Brownwood ISD Superintendent Dr. Joe Young said “We’ve had that data for two years and we have been using it in our classrooms to drive student learning, to help our students in some areas where they need some intervention and help them along the way.  That’s what it’s all about.  We don’t put a lot of emphasis on what the final letter is, or what the final grade is.  What we do put a lot of emphasis on is learning, and are we getting that right.”

The Brownwood score did improve over the previous year’s rating by two points.  “I think it’s the hard work of our students, and the hard work of our staff to really hone in on the actual individual student results.  It’s not a blanket approach.  It’s an individualized approach.”  Young further commented “It all comes down to the teachers.  We have great teachers.  If we can help those teachers by giving them the support that they need, that’s where we’re really going to see the growth.  And that’s what we have been able to do the past couple of years.”

The TEA website further describes the A – F Accountability system as:

“…an annual look into how your child’s school is performing in different areas, including,

*** Student achievement, what students know and can do, as well as progress, how far students have come or grown in a subject;

*** Closing the gaps, determining how different student groups are performing;

*** Progress to English Language Acquisition;

*** Graduation Rates; and

*** College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR).”

For more information about the A – F Accountability test scores, and other information about the school district, visit the web site: TXschools.gov

Scores and Grades for other school districts in Brown County and the surrounding area:

Bangs:  80 – B

Blanket:  66 – D

Brookesmith:  75 – C

May:  80 – B

Zephyr:  83 – B

Coleman:  78 – C

Comanche:  83 – B

Cross Plains:  83 – B

Goldthwaite:  83 – B

San Saba:  80 – B

Santa Anna:  84 – B

For the second consecutive year, Premier High School Comanche/Early received an  A  accountability rating with a grade of 92. Premier High School-Comanche/Early, a tuition-free, public charter school, is now in its 14th year in both Brown and Comanche counties.