How Did Highland Park ISD Fare In 2022 TEA Accountability Ratings?

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) Aug. 15 released 2022 A–F accountability ratings for districts and campuses, the first to be issued since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, 1,195 districts and 8,451 campuses were rated, and 2022 saw 25% of districts and 33% of campuses improve their letter grade from 2019. 

“These results show our state’s significant investment in the post-pandemic academic recovery of Texas public school students is bearing fruit,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “I’m grateful for the driving force behind this year’s success: our teachers and local school leaders. Statewide policy in Texas continues to remain focused on meeting the needs of students, with an accountability system that supports high expectations, robust tutoring supports, rigorous curricular resources, and an investment in evidence-based training for our teachers.”

Established by House Bill 22 in 2017, the A–F ratings assess the academic performance of Texas public schools based on three domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. Student Achievement measures whether students met expectations on the STAAR test. It also measures graduation rates and how prepared students are for success after high school.

School Progress shows how students perform over time and how the district’s performance compares to other districts with similar economically disadvantaged student populations, and Closing the Gaps measures well a district is ensuring that all student groups are successful.

So how did Highland Park ISD fare in the ratings?

This year, the district received an A rating with a score of 98 out of 100, up from 97 in 2018-2019 and 96 in 2017-2018, and the highest score the district’s received since the beginning of the A-F rankings in 2017-18.

“The state accountability rating is one of many indicators of how our schools are performing,” HPISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg said. “We are always looking at multiple measures to determine appropriate ways to ensure continuous improvement.”

Seven of the district’s eight campuses also received A ratings, with the exception being Armstrong Elementary, which received a B rating and a score of 89 of 100. Armstrong previously received an A rating and a score of 91 out of 100 in 2018-2019, and a 96 out of 100 in 2017-2018. 

This year, the campus received an A in student achievement but Cs in both school progress and closing the gaps.

At least one Armstrong parent said during the August 16 school board meeting that he was concerned about the school’s score.

“Last night, parents learned that Armstrong placed significantly lower than other schools in the district,” Armstrong parent Jason Boatright said. “There is a general feeling among some Armstrong parents there’s a problem, and we want to work with you all to fix that.”

For more information about the A-F ratings, visit the TEA’s website here.