The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) for the 2023-24 school year. The TAPR contains a wealth of performance data and information about districts and schools in the state. As part of the report, performance on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for students in grades 3–12 is highlighted, along with student and staff demographic information, enrollment, attendance, and graduation rates, as well as indicators of postsecondary readiness.
However, due to ongoing litigation, the TEA did not release campus and district A–F ratings as they typically would. This stems from a legal challenge that arose back in October 2023 when a judge in Texas temporarily blocked the release of the 2022-23 school accountability ratings, following lawsuits from numerous school districts. The dispute centered around concerns that the state's new rating system unfairly reflected school performance. The release of campus and district ratings for the 2022-23 school year is still pending, awaiting a ruling from the appeals court.
Before the lawsuit, the accountability system had faced criticism for its perceived inequities, particularly in how it assessed schools in low-income communities with fewer resources. Under the new system, schools that had shown improvements in their performance over the previous year could have received lower ratings, sparking further debate about the fairness of the assessment process.
Looking ahead, each year school districts are mandated to hold a public hearing and present information from the TAPR report. This public hearing, known as the "Informe Anual," serves as an opportunity for stakeholders to engage with the data and findings presented in the report.
Tonight, March 28, at 5:30 p.m., the board will convene to discuss the Texas Academic Performance Report during the public hearing. Stay tuned for updates on the outcome of this meeting.