The board of trustees approved a resolution to join the lawsuit at the Sept. 3 meeting. According to board documents, the district does not anticipate costs of more than $25,000 to participate in the lawsuit.
What you need to know
PISD officials highlighted concerns with the lack of independent, third-party validation of the revamped STAAR along with the fact that it is not mathematically possible for all campuses and districts to receive an “A” rating. Lisa Wilson, deputy superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Life Readiness for Plano ISD, said there were also scoring accuracy concerns with how computers rated open-ended response questions.
In some cases, the district resubmitted questions that were given zeros for regrading by a human, and the responses received some credit, Wilson added.
Per district documents, the new system would produce a sharp uptick in campuses receiving a “D” or “F” rating for the student growth domain in the accountability ratings, including:
- A 250% increase in campuses receiving a “D” or “F” since 2022
- A 133% increase in campuses receiving a “D” or “F” since 2023
Quote of note
“My greatest concern is that school districts across the state are being measured by a tool that is not delivered with efficacy,” Trustee Jeri Chambers said. “If we were not doing our job with efficacy, we would be in trouble and we would be held accountable.”
Looking ahead
Board President Nanci Humphrey said issues raised by the district with the new accountability ratings could be a part of the district’s legislative priorities when the next session begins next year.
Board members are expected to take action on legislative priorities later this year.
