FORNEY, Texas — With just days until local schools reconvene for another year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released their grades for school districts today.
FORNEY, Texas — With just days until local schools reconvene for another year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released their grades for school districts today.
The grades are part of the new A-F Public School Accountability System and are based largely on the results of the 2018 STAAR tests, or State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, and the End-of-Course exams.
“We do this for two main reasons. First, parents should know how well our schools are performing so they can better support their children. Second, educators benefit from having clear information about school performance, highlighting successes and challenges, to help improve support for students over time,” said Mike Morath, Texas Education Commissioner.
Many local district administrators have spoken out against the ratings prior to their release.
“While letter grades seem simple, no one can explain why a district receives an A or an F,” said Sunnyvale schools Superintendent Doug Williams in a recent statement. “Numerous pages of complicated calculations are used to reduce district performance measures — mainly standardized test scores — into a single letter grade.”
Williams is also the legislative chairman of the Texas Association of School Administrators, which opposes the new system.
School and district ratings are based on multiple measures, which include more than just test scores. The overall rating is calculated using the school’s score in three areas: Student Achievement; School Progress; and Closing the Gaps.
To help explain the system in basic terms, TXschools.org includes easy-to-read descriptions and tools describing just how the system works, according to the TEA.
Forney ISD received an overall rating of B with a grade of 87, according to the TEA, as compared to nearby districts such as Terrell ISD which received a C rating and 75 grade, Sunnyvale ISD which received a an A rating at 95, Crandall ISD which received a C with 78, Kaufman ISD which received a rating a B with 80, Scurry-Rosser ISD which received a B with 81, Rockwall ISD which received an A or 93, Kemp ISD which received a B with 82, and Mabank ISD which received a B with 88.
Forney ISD
Overall campus ratings in Forney ISD include Forney High School with a grade of 90, North Forney High School with an 83, Warren Middle School with a 91, Brown Middle School with an 83, Johnson Elementary with a 94, Criswell Elementary with an 88, Claybon Elementary with an 89, Henderson Elementary with a 94, Blackburn Elementary with an 83, Crosby Elementary with a 78, Lewis Elementary with an 84, Rhea Elementary with a 92, and Smith Elementary with a 79.
Additionally, Forney ISD received 10 state distinctions with Forney High School receiving distinctions for Academic Achievement in Math, Top 25 Percent in Academic Growth, Top 25 Percent in Closing the Gap; Johnson Elementary received Top 25 Percent in Closing the Gap; Henderson received Top 25 Percent in Academic Growth and Top 25 Percent in Closing the Gap; Lewis Elementary received Academic Achievement in Science; and Rhea Elementary received Top 25 Percent in Academic Growth, Top 25 Percent in Closing the Gap, and Post Secondary Readiness.
“We know that our students and staff are more than one test, a number or letter grade,” stated Forney ISD Superintendent Dr. Justin Terry. “We are proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we will always continue to reach higher. We will continue to find innovative ways to help kids reach their full potential beyond mandated state testing. Every day, every student, we are preparing our kids for things that can’t be measured on an assessment.”
Terrell ISD
Overall campus ratings in Terrell ISD include: Terrell High School with a grade of 76; Herman Furlough Middle School with a 76; Burnett Elementary with a 75; J.W. Long Elementary with a 69; Gilbert Willie Elementary with a 67; and Dr. Bruce Wood Elementary with a 73.
In state distinctions, Herman Furlough Middle School received Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth.
Kaufman ISD
Overall campus ratings in Kaufman include: Kaufman High School with a grade of 73; Gary Campbell High School with 82; Norman Junior High with 86; Phillips Elementary with 68; Nash Elementary with 84; Monday Elementary with 68; and the Helen Edward Early Childhood Center with 68.
In state distinctions, Kaufman High School received Academic Achievement in Science and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth; Norman Junior High received Academic Achievement in Mathematics, Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth, and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Closing the Gaps; Phillips Elementary received Academic Achievement in Mathematics; Nash Elementary received Academic Achievement in Mathematics, Academic Achievements in Science, Academic Achievements in English Language Arts and Reading, and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth.
Crandall ISD
Overall campus ratings in Crandall include: Crandall High School with a grade of 79, Crandall Compass Academy with a 74; Crandall Middle School with a 78; Martin Elementary with a 74; Wilson Elementary with a 76; Walker Elementary with a 71; and Dietz Elementary with a 66.
In state distinctions, Wilson Elementary received Academic Achievement in Science.
Scurry-Rosser ISD
Overall campus ratings in Scurry-Rosser ISD include: Scurry-Rosser High School with a grade of 82; Scurry-Rosser Middle School with an 80; and Scurry-Rosser Elementary with a 77.
In state distinctions, Scurry-Rosser High School received Academic Achievement in Social Studies, Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth, and Post secondary Readiness.
Kemp ISD
Overall campus ratings in Kemp ISD include: Kemp High School with a grade of 83; Kemp Alternative with a 69; Kemp Junior High with a 71; Kemp Primary with an 80; and Kemp Intermediate with an 80.
In state distinctions, Kemp High School received Post-secondary Readiness and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Closing the Gaps; Kemp Junior High received Academic Achievement in Social Studies; and Kemp Intermediate received Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth.
Mabank ISD
Overall campus ratings in Mabank ISD include: Mabank High School with a grade of 83; Mabank Junior High with 93; Central Elementary with 82; Southside Elementary with a 90; Lakeview Elementary with a 95; and Mabank Intermediate with an 82.
In state distinctions, Mabank High School received Academic Achievements in Math, Science, English Language Arts and Reading, and Social Studies, Post-secondary Readiness, and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Closing the Gaps; Mabank Junior High received Academic Achievements in Mathematics, Science, English Language Arts and Reading, Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth, Post-secondary Readiness, and Top 25 Percent Comparative Closing the Gaps; Central Elementary received Academic Achievements in Mathematics and English Language Arts and Reading, Post-secondary Readiness, and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Closing the Gaps; Southside Elementary received Academic Achievement in Mathematics and English Language Arts and Reading, Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth, Post-secondary Readiness, and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Closing the Gaps; Lakeview Elementary received Academic Achievement in Mathematics and English Language Arts and Reading, Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth, Post-secondary Readiness, and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Closing the Gaps; and Mabank Intermediate received Academic Achievement in Science.
Sunnyvale ISD
Overall campus ratings in Sunnyvale ISD include: Sunnyvale High School with a grade of 93; Sunnyvale Middle School with a 92; and Sunnyvale Elementary with a 93.
In state distinctions, Sunnyvale High School received Academic Achievements in Mathematics, Academic Achievements in English Language Arts and Reading, and Academic Achievement in Social Studies, Sunnyvale Middle School received Post-secondary Readiness; and Sunnyvale Elementary received Academic Achievements in Mathematics and English Language Arts and Reading, and Top 25 Comparative Academic Growth.