Sample school ratings derived from the Texas Education Agency's new A-F performance rating system are slated for release either late this month or in early January, and in a letter addressed to the Austin ISD community, Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz sought to clarify the significance of the sample scores by describing them as a precursor to the official scores, which will be released in August 2018. "They are not official ratings and do not replace the ratings campuses received this year," Cruz wrote. "Instead, they will be used as a sample to develop the final A–F rating system." According to Cruz's letter, the sample ratings will be based on data from the 2015-16 school year, and will be derived from five "domains," including student achievement, student progress, closing performance gaps, post-secondary readiness, and community and student engagement. Fifty-five percent of the score will be weighted on the first three domains, which are based on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, results. While the state relies on standardized test scores as one of its primary measures for student success, Cruz pointed out that AISD takes into account many different indicators of academic achievement, and will continue to do so regardless of the new scoring system. "At Austin ISD, we believe in educating the whole child," Cruz wrote. "We will continue to nurture engaging learning environments where all students can demonstrate achievement in many different ways." Additionally, 35 percent of the rating will come from indicators such as graduation rates and advanced coursework and 10 percent will be based on community and student engagement. The community and student engagement piece will not be included in the sample score. Other nearby districts are taking action against the new system. The Dripping Springs ISD board of trustees unanimously approved a resolution Dec. 12 calling for a repeal, with Superintendent Bruce Gearing calling the system "fundamentally flawed." "Districts should be allowed to exercise local control and develop Community-Based Accountability Systems that take multiple measures of student learning and success into account," Gearing said.