Texas Education Agency Allowed to Release 2023 School Ratings
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is now permitted to publish its 2023 A-F school accountability ratings after an appeals court lifted an injunction that had previously blocked their release. This decision comes after a lawsuit was filed by over 120 Texas school districts, arguing that the TEA failed to provide sufficient notice before revising the state’s rating system.
Background on the A-F Accountability System
The TEA’s A-F accountability system was established in 2017 and evaluates schools and districts based on various performance indicators, such as student scores on standardized exams and student preparedness for college. Parents can use the system to evaluate a potential school for their child, and the state can use a school’s "grade" to determine whether to intervene. For example, the TEA took over Houston ISD, the state’s largest school district, in 2023 after a local high school received a string of failing ratings.
Changes to the Rating System
The rating system changed in 2023 to raise the thresholds for top ratings. However, the changes were intended to reflect the previous school year, meaning schools faced lower scores without having known about the criteria. This led to a lawsuit from the school districts, which argued that the TEA failed to provide sufficient notice before revising the state’s rating system.
Court Ruling
A Travis County judge initially blocked the release of the state’s 2023 school ratings shortly after the suit was filed. However, Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals overturned this decision, ruling that TEA Commissioner Mike Morath has the authority to issue ratings, even if prior deadlines were not met. The court stated that the state’s education code requires standards to be adopted "at any time during a school year before the evaluation of a school district or campus."
Reaction to the Ruling
The state hasn’t released school ratings since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lingering lawsuits. In a statement, TEA spokesperson Jake Kobersky said Thursday’s ruling "restores a transparent lens into 2023 district and campus performance" and added that the agency remained hopeful that it would prevail in the second lawsuit. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick praised the court’s ruling, touting the state’s A-F school accountability system as "one of the best tools to create competition and excellence."
Ongoing Lawsuits and Proposed Legislation
In 2024, another group of school districts filed a separate lawsuit over the introduction of a computer system to grade the state’s standardized tests. This case led to another Travis County judge blocking the release of 2024’s school accountability ratings. Those results remain blocked. Just days before the ruling, HISD’s state-appointed superintendent, Mike Miles, testified in favor of Senate Bill 1962, which would prohibit school districts from blocking the release of the annual ratings through legal challenges, allowing the TEA more power to revise its standards for districts.
Conclusion
The release of the 2023 school ratings will provide parents and the state with valuable information about school performance. While the ruling is a victory for the TEA, the ongoing lawsuits and proposed legislation highlight the ongoing debate over the state’s accountability system. As the state continues to navigate these issues, one thing is clear: the A-F accountability system will remain a key factor in shaping the future of education in Texas.
