In 2015, the 84th Texas Legislature passed HB 2804, which changed the Texas school accountability system so that every campus and district/charter receives one of five ratings from A through F, both on five separate domains and also combined into a single overall grade. By now you are probably aware that earlier in January your school received ratings for four of the five domains, based on your 2015-2016 accountability data. This preliminary glance at how schools would look under the new accountability system was done because HB 2804 requires the Texas Education Agency to give the 85th Legislature a work-in-progress update by January 1, 2017. At TCSA we’ve responded to a number of questions from our member schools in regards to the A-F accountability system.

Here are some FAQs we’ve received:

When does A-F officially go into effect?

Ratings under the new system will officially go into effect in August 2018, based on 2017-2018 performance data.

Does my “new” domain score have any impact on my current domain score?

No. The 2015-2016 score you received in each domain (Met Standard or Improvement Required) will remain in place. Commissioner Morath has cautioned that no inferences should be drawn on official current or future performance ratings for schools, and that the current A-F ratings should not be considered as predictors of future district/charter or campus ratings.

Will the current method of calculating A-F ratings remain the same?

Probably not. Based on legislative input, the structure of the A-F system and the way grades are calculated may change prior to the first official reporting of A-F grades in August 2018.

As a service to our members, TCSA would like to attempt to take some of the mystery out of the new accountability system and answer more fully these and other questions you may have. To that end, TSCA Director of Training Dr. Paula Moeller and I will host a free, one-hour webinar to all member schools on Monday, January 23rd at 9 a.m.

The main goals of the webinar are:

• Provide an overview of the A-F system as it is currently constructed;
• Break down how grades are calculated for each domain;
• Provide a timeline for implementation of the A-F system;
• Provide some insights for charters into the just-released ratings considering school size and demographic makeup; and
• Discuss what steps you as a campus leader should consider during the A-F phase-in period.

Please consider joining us for this free webinar on Monday, January 23rd at 9 a.m.

To register, simply click here, or go to the TCSA website and click on Trainings and Events, go to the Event Calendar, and click on the A-F Webinar tab.