Southwest Austin students have strong showing on state tests
By Kelli Weldon
Austin ISD met the Texas Education Agency's 2014 accountability standards, but not all of its schools did, according to a preliminary summary released Aug. 8.
In AISD, 110 schools met all standards, but the TEA gave its Improvement Required rating to nine schools: Eastside Memorial, International, LBJ and Travis high schools; Garcia, Martin, Mendez and Pearce middle schools; and Ridgetop Elementary School.
Southwest schools' performance
Akins, Bowie and Crockett high schools in Southwest Austin met all standards. Interim Chief Schools Officer Edmund Oropez said he is proud of the work happening at those campuses.
Schools can receive distinction designation acknowledgements based on strong performance in different areas. Bowie was awarded one for closing performance gaps, and Crockett earned a distinction designation for academic achievement in science. Crockett Principal Craig Shapiro said the TEA compared Crockett to 49 other Texas schools with similar demographics and it was in the top 25 percent on science tests.
As part of a science research program, Crockett students can work on research projects with University of Texas professors, Shapiro said. He added the school focuses on postsecondary readiness with hands-on classes that prepare students for entering the workforce as well as college.
"We have gotten 100 percent of our seniors for the last four years to [apply for college]. We average $7.5 million in scholarships and grants from each of the senior classes," he said. "It does not mean that you must go to a four-year college. But kids are walking out of Crockett being able to take that road."
Also in South Austin, the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders was among the nine campuses that earned every distinction designation.
Improving AISD schools
Three schools that received Improvement Required ratings in 2013 met targets this year: Rodriguez Elementary School, Dobie Middle School and Lanier High School. High schools that got the Improvement Required rating in 2014 struggled in the Postsecondary Readiness category, which indicates whether students are prepared for college and career.
Oropez said the district will look to help students improve performance on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams and consider whether appeals are warranted for the schools rated Improvement Required.
"We started this work since last year and will continue the work. ... But we feel pretty confident that we'll continue to trend forward," Oropez said.
Shapiro said one good thing about the new accountability system, which debuted in 2013, is that it is not a pass or fail system based on test scores alone.
Interim Superintendent Paul Cruz said state tests are only one of the tools used to see where improvements are needed.
"We really do look at a much more holistic approach to looking at student performance," he said.
