SMCISD gets a C in A-F assessment
The state released its final 2018 school performance accountability ratings on Dec. 12, and the San Marcos school district received a C overall.
The Texas Education Agency released preliminary 2018 school ratings in August. The final score reflects the results of any appeals. SMCISD’s scores remained the same.
The letter-grade system the state is using replaces the previous system, in which districts and campuses scored as either “met standard” or “needs improvement.” Districts are now being rated with letter grades, and campuses will receive letter grades in 2019, according to the state.
In a presentation to the SMCISD board of trustees ahead of the preliminary 2018 performance ratings, Dee Casey from school finance and accountability specialists Moak Casey and Associates said the A-F system would “look quite a bit different” from the previous system. Casey said in 2017, almost every district in the state met standard, but that was not expected to be the case under the new system.
SMCISD earned a C overall, with a score of 72 out of 100. The district also received grades in three different domains. Student Achievement depends on STAAR scores for elementary and middle school campuses, and depends partly on STAAR, partly on college/career/ military readiness, or CCMR, and partly on graduation rates for high schools. SMCISD earned a C, with a score of 72. School Progress measures academic growth from grade to grade and takes into account how student poverty affects performance. SMCISD earned another C in this domain, with a score of 76 Closing
Closing the Gaps measures performance for different student groups. SMCISD earned a D, with a score of 63. However, the district earned a distinction designation for post-secondary readiness.
All of SMCISD’s campuses received overall rankings of “met standard” for the 2017-2018 school year. The highest overall scores among the campuses were at Bonham Pre-K and Crockett Elementary, each of which scored a 79, and Hernandez Elementary, which scored a 78. De Zavala elementary scored a 74, with Goodnight Middle School scoring a 72, and San Marcos High School, Bowie Elementary and Mendez Elementary all scoring 71. Miller Middle School scored a 67, and Travis elementary scored a 65.
The A-F accountability system has faced objections from educators and administrators statewide.
SMCISD stated in a letter to parents that test scores and state ratings are not the only way to measure student progress. The Texas American Federation of Teachers issued a statement calling the accountability system inaccurate and unfair. The Texas Association of School Administrators has long objected to the new A-F system.
More than 600 school districts, including the neighboring Hays, Wimberley and New Braunfels districts, adopted resolutions in 2016 and 2017 opposing the A-F accountability system.
