Data shows Conroe ISD earned a "B" rating, or a score of 84 out of 100, for the 2022-23 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency’s A-F ratings released April 24.

Current situation

The state’s A-F accountability system was designed in 2017 to measure student progress and preparation for the next grade level, according to the TEA. However, the system was required to be updated in 2023, leading to over 100 Texas school districts suing TEA Commissioner Mike Morath in August 2023.
The lawsuit claimed the agency’s revamped system was “unlawful” and would unfairly harm school districts, Community Impact reported.

The details
Almost two years after the 2022-23 scores’ scheduled release, a state appeals court ruled April 3 the TEA was allowed to release the scores under a revamped accountability system.
“Accountability works; the public issuance of ratings for school systems does positively affect the academic and life outcomes of children,” Morath told reporters April 22. “We do this because it helps children. ... When we don't do it, you don't get the benefits of those public ratings and it is very logical to then presume that performance declines as a result.”

For the 2022-23 school year, the TEA adjusted the methods of calculating the ratings to “more accurately reflect performance,” per a April 24 release from the agency. Texas schools are rated on an A-F scale based on three criteria: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps.


Digging deeper

The district worked out its own ratings for 2024 with results showing overall student improvement since 2022, as reported by Community Impact.

The 2023 data showed that out of the 63 CISD campuses that received ratings:
  • 21 earned an A
  • 25 earned a B
  • 10 earned a C
  • Five earned a D
  • Two were not rated
Districts and campuses that scored a "D" or "F" may receive extra resources and support from the state, according to the TEA website. Under state law, if at least one campus in a school district receives a failing grade for five consecutive years, the commissioner is required to close that campus or appoint a board of managers.

“We’re proud of the hard work of our students and staff not only in the moment of time these scores represent but also in their efforts, day in and day out,” Sarah Blakelock, CISD’s executive director of communications, said in a statement.


What’s next

State law requires that the A-F system be updated every five years, Morath said.

“There are changes because we are statutorily required to make sure that we set goals in the A-F system to make Texas a national leader in preparing students for postsecondary success,” he told reporters. “So, we will continue to raise the bar over time, but we don't do it every year—we do it once every five years.”

The TEA remains blocked from issuing ratings for the 2023-24 school year due to a separate lawsuit, which is pending in the state appeals court. Morath also said the TEA intends to release ratings for 2024-25 on Aug. 15, per state law.