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The Texas Education Agency will reform the process of how they rate the state’s school districts, but some claim the timing of the modifications is unfair.
The Texas Education Agency Will Change The Texas School Ratings (PHOTO: KHOU)
The Texas Education Agency Will Change The State’s Rating System For Schools
Texas Education Agency stated that no changes were made for five years so schools could have a true apples-to-apples comparison. They claimed that since 2019 the school systems have been aware and that these modifications have been in the works.
According to some critics that the change claims the Texas Education Agency is upping the expectations of accountability without giving districts enough time to implement modifications to an online testing system. The online testing system is in its second year and last year, the TEA said 82 percent of test-takers took the STAAR online. This 2023 was the first year that online testing was mandatory.
Texas American Federation of Teachers President Zeph Capo said that the modification of the rules is frustrating for the game mid-stream. Capo said that he hopes that TEA would hold off for at least one year before implementing the changes to allow districts to change their game plans. He said he feels like the timing was done intentionally to make schools look bad.
The Changes Might Be Used In Political Agenda In The Future
Capo feared that changes may be being used to further a political agenda.
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath argued that if they are going to make changes, they should make them all at one time.
This is the process of getting conflicting feedback from education stakeholders and reconciling that with what the statute tells us to do,” he said.
It’s worth noting that modification to the way districts and schools are rated will meant to happen about every five years. It’s been more than five years since the last changes.
