Texas Appeals Court Upholds Release of 2023 School Performance Ratings
In a significant legal development, the 15th Court of Appeals ruled that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is allowed to release the 2023 school performance ratings. This decision comes despite the objections raised by more than 120 school districts across the state, who sought to prevent the release of these ratings.
Background on Legal Action
Among the districts opposing the disclosure of performance ratings was the Southwest Independent School District, which serves areas in southwest San Antonio extending toward La Coste and Lytle. Jennifer Collier, a spokesperson for Southwest ISD, stated, “We are not going to comment at this time.”
Previously, in the case of Morath v. Kingsville, Travis County courts had blocked the 2023 accountability ratings after several school districts claimed that Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath had changed the evaluation metrics without adequate notification, imposing stricter standards prematurely.
Details of the Appeals Court Decision
The recent court opinion determined that the lower court had erred in its decision to temporarily block the release of the ratings. The ruling effectively nullified the injunction that had been in place.
The TEA updates its accountability system every five years, with the next major revision scheduled for 2028. Ratings are determined based on various factors such as student achievement (including STAAR test results), graduation rates, and overall student growth.
Changes in Rating Criteria
The 2023 rating criteria are notably stricter. For instance, a high school must now have at least 88% of its seniors either enrolled in college, pursuing a non-college career, or entering the military to receive an A rating—a significant increase from the previous threshold of 60%.
Southwest ISD previously received a B rating across all categories in 2022. Under state law, Texas schools must issue A-F performance evaluations, yet the state has not done so for five consecutive years.
Impact of COVID-19 on Ratings
The lack of ratings for 2020 and 2021 was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the ratings were withheld due to a backlog of underperforming schools post-pandemic, and subsequent ratings for 2023 and 2024 faced similar injunctions from the courts.
Support for Accountability Ratings
Numerous stakeholders, including education nonprofits and business organizations, filed an amicus brief supporting the release of the 2023 accountability ratings. Texas 2036, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, emphasized the necessity of these ratings for employers and the general populace. John Reynolds, a spokesperson for Texas 2036, stated, “Employers rely on A-F ratings to attract and retain qualified workers in the communities where they operate.”
To bolster their arguments for transparency, proponents of the ratings pointed to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which indicated that Texas ranks in the bottom quarter of states in fourth-grade reading and falls into the bottom 12% for eighth-grade reading.
Looking Ahead
Advocacy groups plan to continue their efforts against the 2024 injunction linked to another case, Morath v. Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District, which remains under litigation in the same appeals court that recently ruled in favor of releasing the 2023 ratings.
Mary Lynn Pruneda, Texas 2036’s Education and Workforce Policy Director, commented on the long-term implications of withholding school performance scores, stating, “While we are gratified to see the judges agree on the importance of releasing accountability scores for 2023, continuing to withhold these performance scores for 2024 is making a lasting impact on Texas families as they try to prepare the next generation for success as they graduate high school.”
