The "D" rating indicated a performance that needs improvement due to “serving too few students well,” according to the Texas Education Agency.
The 2022-23 ratings were released in April following a state court decision allowing for the publication of the scores. The scores were previously on hold for release due to a two-year lawsuit of over 100 Texas school districts voicing concern that the rating methodology, which was changed mid-year, was “unlawful,” as previously reported by Community Impact.
Explained
Ratings are calculated based on TEA standards for three performance categories—student achievement, school progress and Closing the Gaps.
SMCISD received a "D" for student achievement, scoring 61 out of 100 points. The Student Achievement category measures student knowledge through performances such as State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test results, graduation rates, grades, students approaching grade level or above, and how prepared students are for college, careers or the military after graduation, called College, Career and Military Readiness.
The 2022-23 CCMR threshold, an indicator in the student achievement category, was changed from previous years to require higher scoring to receive an "A," from 60% to 88% and was applied after the class of 2023 graduated. View the TEA’s SMCISD student achievement breakdown here.
The district received a "D" for school progress, with 65 out of 100 points. School progress looks at how students perform over time, comparing the results to previous years at the district and other similar schools. About 58% of SMCISD students made at least one year of academic progress, according to the TEA. View the school progress breakdown here.
The Closing the Gaps score came in at 60 out of 100 points, resulting in a "D" rating for the category. Closing the Gaps measures how a district handles performance gaps among different student groups. For the 2022-23 accountability rating, African American and Hispanic students scored below the district’s student success average of 37% compared to other racial groups. View the breakdown here.
While the district received a "D" rating as an overall score, four out of 11 SMCISD schools—Bowie Elementary, DeZavala Elementary, Travis Elementary, and San Marcos High School—received an "F" rating. Three SMCISD schools received a "B" and four received a "C" rating. View the SMCISD school ratings here.
Academic years 2020-21 and 2019-20 were not scored due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2018-19, SMCISD scored a "C" rating with 77 out of 100 points.
SMCISD did not provide a statement regarding the ratings as of press time, but told Community Impact that district officials would release a letter to community members at a later date.
The background
The 2022-23 ratings were released April 24 following a state court decision on litigation that started in 2023. Over 100 Texas school districts joined a lawsuit to prevent the release of the ratings due to a mid-year change in how ratings were calculated, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Districts and campuses that scored a "D" or "F" rating may receive additional support from the state, according to the TEA website. If a district has at least one campus with a failing "D" or "F" score for five consecutive years, the state may intervene through closing the campus or appointing a board of managers, as previously reported by Community Impact.
TEA A-F ratings for academic year 2023-24 are currently blocked from publishing, pending another lawsuit currently in the state appeals court.
Hannah Norton contributed to this reporting.
