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Statewide and Local School Accountability Ratings: Impact of Stricter Standards and the Future of Testing
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April 29, 2025
Earlier this week, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released the 2022-2023 school accountability ratings, following a 19-month delay caused by legal challenges over stricter scoring standards. The updated system has resulted in a noticeable shift in ratings across the state. In the 2022-2023 cycle, only 19.3% of Texas schools earned an A rating, while 33.6% earned a B, 24.7% received a C, and 14.8% earned a D. The percentage of schools receiving an F rating increased to 7.6%, up from 4.5% in 2019.
These changes are particularly notable in schools serving higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students, which were more likely to receive D or F ratings under the new criteria. A major component of the updated system is a higher bar for college and career readiness: to earn an A rating in this domain, a school now needs 88% of its graduates to be considered ready for life after high school, up from 60% in previous years. This adjustment has caused a decrease in student readiness scores at nearly 90% of campuses statewide.
Local District Performance Under New Standards
The stricter TEA standards have had an impact on local school districts in Hansford and Sherman counties, with several districts seeing a drop in their overall ratings compared to previous years.
Spearman ISD (Hansford County):
Spearman ISD received a B rating in 2023 with a score of 88, a decline from its A rating of 96 in 2022. While the district's student achievement and closing the gaps scores remained strong (88 and 87, respectively), its academic growth score dropped to 69, which contributed to the overall decline in the rating.
Gruver ISD (Hansford County):
Gruver ISD, which earned an A rating with a score of 98 in 2022, experienced a slight decline to an overall A rating with a score of 95 in 2023. The district maintained strong scores in student achievement (95) and closing the gaps (95), though its academic growth score decreased from 91 in 2022 to 85 in 2023.
Pringle-Morse CISD (Hansford County):
Pringle-Morse CISD improved its rating to an A in 2023, with a score of 90, up from a B in 2022 (86). Despite this improvement, the district's academic growth score (85) and student achievement score (82) reflect challenges in meeting the new standards in certain areas, while the closing the gaps score (92) remained strong.
Stratford ISD (Sherman County):
Stratford ISD's overall rating dropped to a B in 2023 with a score of 80, compared to its B rating of 89 in 2022. The district's performance in student achievement (80) and academic growth (82) remained consistent, but its closing the gaps score decreased to C (75), contributing to the overall decline.
The Role of the STAAR Test and Its Impact on Accountability
The STAAR test continues to play a central role in determining accountability ratings. As the TEA evaluates student performance across various subjects, the STAAR exam is used to measure whether students meet state academic standards. The test results are a key factor in calculating student achievement scores and, in turn, school ratings.
As the TEA implements stricter standards, the STAAR test's influence on accountability is expected to remain significant. However, the state has also indicated that discussions regarding the future of STAAR and state testing are ongoing. Some lawmakers are considering reforms to reduce the emphasis on standardized testing and incorporate additional measures of student success. These potential changes could impact future accountability systems and shift the focus toward a more holistic approach to evaluating schools.
Looking Ahead
The 2022-2023 ratings reflect the challenges many districts are facing in adjusting to the new accountability standards, especially in the areas of college and career readiness. While local districts have generally performed well, some have experienced declines in their overall ratings due to the heightened expectations for academic growth and preparedness for life after high school.
As the state continues to evaluate its testing and accountability systems, discussions about the role of standardized assessments like the STAAR test will likely continue. School districts will need to adapt to these evolving standards, balancing the focus on academic achievement with the need for support and resources to help all students succeed.
For more information about individual school district ratings, you can visit the Texas Education Agency's website or contact local district offices.
Earlier this week, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released the 2022-2023 school accountability ratings, following a 19-month delay caused by legal challenges over stricter scoring standards. The updated system has resulted in a noticeable shift in ratings across the state. In the 2022-2023 cycle, only 19.3% of Texas schools earned an A rating, while 33.6% earned a B, 24.7% received a C, and 14.8% earned a D. The percentage of schools receiving an F rating increased to 7.6%, up from 4.5% in 2019.
These changes are particularly notable in schools serving higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students, which were more likely to receive D or F ratings under the new criteria. A major component of the updated system is a higher bar for college and career readiness: to earn an A rating in this domain, a school now needs 88% of its graduates to be considered ready for life after high school, up from 60% in previous years. This adjustment has caused a decrease in student readiness scores at nearly 90% of campuses statewide.
Local District Performance Under New Standards
The stricter TEA standards have had an impact on local school districts in Hansford and Sherman counties, with several districts seeing a drop in their overall ratings compared to previous years.
Spearman ISD (Hansford County):
Spearman ISD received a B rating in 2023 with a score of 88, a decline from its A rating of 96 in 2022. While the district's student achievement and closing the gaps scores remained strong (88 and 87, respectively), its academic growth score dropped to 69, which contributed to the overall decline in the rating.
Gruver ISD (Hansford County):
Gruver ISD, which earned an A rating with a score of 98 in 2022, experienced a slight decline to an overall A rating with a score of 95 in 2023. The district maintained strong scores in student achievement (95) and closing the gaps (95), though its academic growth score decreased from 91 in 2022 to 85 in 2023.
Pringle-Morse CISD (Hansford County):
Pringle-Morse CISD improved its rating to an A in 2023, with a score of 90, up from a B in 2022 (86). Despite this improvement, the district's academic growth score (85) and student achievement score (82) reflect challenges in meeting the new standards in certain areas, while the closing the gaps score (92) remained strong.
Stratford ISD (Sherman County):
Stratford ISD's overall rating dropped to a B in 2023 with a score of 80, compared to its B rating of 89 in 2022. The district's performance in student achievement (80) and academic growth (82) remained consistent, but its closing the gaps score decreased to C (75), contributing to the overall decline.
The Role of the STAAR Test and Its Impact on Accountability
The STAAR test continues to play a central role in determining accountability ratings. As the TEA evaluates student performance across various subjects, the STAAR exam is used to measure whether students meet state academic standards. The test results are a key factor in calculating student achievement scores and, in turn, school ratings.
As the TEA implements stricter standards, the STAAR test's influence on accountability is expected to remain significant. However, the state has also indicated that discussions regarding the future of STAAR and state testing are ongoing. Some lawmakers are considering reforms to reduce the emphasis on standardized testing and incorporate additional measures of student success. These potential changes could impact future accountability systems and shift the focus toward a more holistic approach to evaluating schools.
Looking Ahead
The 2022-2023 ratings reflect the challenges many districts are facing in adjusting to the new accountability standards, especially in the areas of college and career readiness. While local districts have generally performed well, some have experienced declines in their overall ratings due to the heightened expectations for academic growth and preparedness for life after high school.
As the state continues to evaluate its testing and accountability systems, discussions about the role of standardized assessments like the STAAR test will likely continue. School districts will need to adapt to these evolving standards, balancing the focus on academic achievement with the need for support and resources to help all students succeed.
For more information about individual school district ratings, you can visit the Texas Education Agency's website or contact local district offices.
This article appears in both the Hansford Reporter-Statesman and the Sherman County Gazette.
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