Northwest ISD secured an overall B rating from the Texas Education Agency’s A-F rating system for the 2025-26 school year based on data released Aug. 14.
In a nutshell
Northwest ISD got an overall score of 82 out of 100, a one-point increase compared to the previous two years, according to previous reporting. This score measures how much students are learning in each grade in the district and whether students are ready to move on to the next grade based on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness testing, according to TEA’s website.
What they’re saying
“Northwest ISD remains proud of the academic performance by our students and teachers, though our district firmly believes that a single-day, high-stakes test is not the best measure of student achievement and progress,” according to a statement from the district. “STAAR scores, which TEA ratings are almost exclusively based upon, have a place in measuring student and school performance, but they should not be the only measure. Our district tracks and monitors the progress of students through class assessments and MAP Growth testing. MAP testing serves as a low-stress evaluation that students take at various intervals throughout the school year to monitor progress and tailor instruction to their individual needs. In Northwest ISD, our focus is on the personalized learning and continuous improvement of every child.”
By the numbers
Northwest ISD had an enrollment of 32,722 students in the 2025-26 school year. A majority, 45.4%, were white, with Hispanic being the second-highest race/etchnicity by enrollment with 25.7%. African-American made up 14.1%, according to state data.
Economically disadvantaged students made up 28.2% of the students. There were 19.8% of students in special education and 13% were emergent bilingual learners.
The attendance rate was 95% for the second year in a row. NISD had a 11% chronic absenteeism rate, the latter showing a two-year decrease from 12.1%, a drop of 9.0%.
Five of the district’s 37 schools earned ‘A’ ratings, followed by 14 with ‘B,’ 11 earned ‘C,’ and four schools had ‘D’ ratings. Those were Truett Wilson Middle School and JC Thompson Elementary in Haslet, Prairie View Elementary in Rhome and Berkshire Elementary in Fort Worth.
Three others not rated were alternative schools.
A closer look
Texas schools are rated on an A-F scale based on three criteria: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps. Elementary and middle school ratings are largely based on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, which students begin taking in third grade, while high school ratings are based on the STAAR and how well students are prepared for success after graduation.
Each district’s rating is broken down into three categories:
Student achievement—STAAR test results, graduation rates and preparation for success after high school
School progress—student performance over time and compared to other districts with similar levels of economically disadvantaged students
Closing the gaps—performance among different groups of students
Northwest scored 83 on student achievement and 78 in school progress and closing the gaps. The student achievement and school progress both went up 1 point compared to the 2024-25 data. Closing the gaps fell 2 points from last year.
NISD had 60% or higher in reading [64%] and science [61%] in meeting grade level or above, both better than the state average. The social studies score was 57% and math was the lowest at 49%, but both were above the state average.
In a nutshell
The district was above the state average for earned industry-based certification with 47.9%, while the state average was 32.4%.
NISD excelled in the OnRamps rating, which looked at those who completed and qualified for college credit through a dual-enrollment program by The University of Texas at Austin. The state average was 6.9% and NISD had 35.4%.
In addition, the Justin-based district saw another increase in its College, Career, and Military Readiness, up to 80% in the 2025-26 school year compared to the previous year's mark of 76%. That accounts for dual credit, joining the military, attending college, earning an associate degree and college-entrance test scores.
NISD scored 98 out of 100 in the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas rating. The district had higher revenue, debt and expenditure per student compared to the state average.
Quote of note
“This is why it's important for us to provide this information,” Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a news conference on Aug. 14. “Parents need to know it. Principals need to know it. Teachers need to know it. Superintendents, school board members, all of our taxpayers need to know it because when you think about public education ... public education exists to be the great equalizer. We want to ensure that all children, regardless of their background and regardless of where they live, that they have access to a great school. But this is hard to do. So we use this as a way to evaluate our own performance as adults and then build action plans so that the way that we run our schools next year can be even better than last year.”
What else?
Throughout the state, 24% of Texas public schools improved year-over-year, according to Community Impact reporting. State law requires that annual A-F ratings be issued by Aug. 15 of each year.
