Making The Grade: Explaining accountability ratings handed down by the state

BELTON, Texas (KWTX) - PREVIEW: This year, KWTX is committing to a series of in-depth reports to uncover issues facing Central Texas schools in the post-pandemic era.

To start, we’re exploring and explaining the state’s accountability rating system. Each year, the Texas Education Agency releases an accountability rating for public schools in the state on an A-F scale.

We’ve identified a 12 county region in Central Texas made up of 83 schools and ranked them from the highest rated district to the lowest.

Tonight at 10 p.m., we’ll reveal that ranking and explain the several factors that make up a district’s score, including how student performance on the STAAR test continues to be the largest component in a district’s grade.

To help explain the process, KWTX sat down with Holly Moore, the director of accountability at the Belton Independent School District, who’s sole job is monitoring the accountability system and supporting campuses in the district as they try to work in ways that could improve the district’s rating.

“I look at my role as a support for our district and all of our campuses to make sure that we understand all of the policies, the processes that are part of the Texas state accountability system. And then I have an intervention role that makes sure our students are successful. So if we do have students who are struggling academically or behaviorally, how are we supporting them? What systems and processes are we putting in place for our students?” Moore explains.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. TWEET TO ANCHOR MEGAN BOYD TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL OR DISTRICT:

You can also email Megan at megan.boyd@kwtx.com.

Also, make sure you follow Megan Boyd on Twitter for updates leading up to tonight’s full special report on News 10 at 10 p.m.

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