After months of Austin ISD board discussions and community engagement meetings, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams approved Austin ISD's plan for academic improvement at Eastside Memorial High School, he announced June 5 at the school's graduation ceremony.

"Working closely with staff at the Texas Education Agency, AISD has developed an academic plan for Eastside Memorial High School that contains many strong components critical to student success," he said. "However, this plan will only be effective if AISD maintains its commitment to the students, educators and community members who want to see Eastside Memorial High School succeed."

At its most recent meeting, AISD's board of trustees approved the plan, which will implement the Johns Hopkins School of Education's school reform program Talent Development Secondary at EMHS.

The AISD plan fulfills requirements of the school's reconstitution plan that the TEA previously provided and agreed to, according to a TEA news release.

Williams said he commended Superintendent Meria Carstarphen and the AISD board of trustees for their work with the TEA to develop the plan.

Board trustee Jayme Mathias noted that if EMHS is rated Academically Unacceptable for both the 2014–15 and 2015-16 school years, the board will have to close the campus for at least one year. The commissioner still has the right to decide to close the campus.