Texas’ A–F accountability system is built on three separate domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. Each domain receives a score, which is factored into a campus and district’s overall accountability grade.
Here, we dive into how the score for each domain is calculated. We also point out how college, career, and military readiness (CCMR) is factored into each domain. If you’re looking for a comprehensive overview of A–F Accountability, don’t miss our comprehensive article on the basics.
Calculating Student Achievement
For elementary and middle school campuses, 100% of the Student Achievement domain score comes from STAAR test results.
For high school campuses, the score for the Student Achievement domain is calculated using three components: STAAR scores; college, career, and military readiness (CCMR); and graduation rates. These three components are weighted 40%, 40%, and 20%, respectively, as illustrated below.
Calculating School Progress
The School Progress domain measures district and campus outcomes in two areas: academic growth and relative performance. Schools and districts can choose to apply the better of these two categories toward the School Progress domain.
Academic growth refers to the number of students that grew at least one year academically (or are on track) as measured by STAAR results in reading and math. Districts and campuses (including high schools) earn credit for results that maintain performance or meet growth expectations on STAAR.
Relative performance refers to the achievement of students relative to districts or campuses with similar economically disadvantaged percentages. For high schools, K–12 campuses, and districts, relative performance is evaluated based on both STAAR and CCMR outcomes.
Calculating Closing the Gaps
This domain considers performance data broken down by 14 different student groups based on race and ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and other factors.
The Closing the Gaps domain takes into account the performance of these 14 groups across the following components:
- Academic Achievement
- STAAR performance status at Meets Grade Level or above in ELA and math
- Growth or Graduation
- Academic growth status – the School Progress data in reading and math for elementary and middle schools
- Federal graduation status – the four-year federal graduation rate
- English Language Proficiency
- School Quality or Student Success
- STAAR component of the Student Achievement domain for elementary and middle schools
- CCMR performance status for high schools
These four components are weighted according to district or campus type. Campuses and districts receive credit based on weighted performance of each identified student group against established annual targets.
Calculating the overall campus and district score
Each of the three domains receives a score. An overall rating label results from the better of Student Achievement OR School Progress domains, weighted at 70% of the overall grade. The other 30% of the overall grade comes from Closing the Gaps. Based on the overall scale score, a district or campus would score A–F.
